At the age of 21 and 18, Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents, Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. The evening of August 20th 1989, the two brothers stormed the house. They entered the family room, shotguns in hand and fired 16 shots, 10 to their mother and 6 to their father. They left the house, went to the local movie theater attempting to buy an alibi. They came home later that evening and faked a 911 call, pleading “Someone killed my parents,”.
The brothers were the last possible suspects when it first happened, it was only after they started to quickly spend their inheritance money that they were possible suspects. They weren’t taken on that seriously until Erik had gone to his therapist, Dr. Oziel confessed that his brother and he had killed their parents. Erik couldn’t handle the guilt. This was 6 months after the crime had happened. Dr. Oziel had taped the session, unethically, getting the confession on tape. Oziel told his mistress, Julalon Smyth, about the confession. This is a key detail as Julalon Smyth reported this to the police, which is what led to the brothers being arrested.
Why? Everybody who didn’t truly know this story would think that the boys killed their parents purely because they wanted their money, but it was much more concerning than that. Jose Menendez, the father of Lyle and Erik Menendez, abused his boys physically, sexually, and emotionally. He had sexually abused Lyle as a young boy, and then later did the same to Erik, up until he died. The whole time their mother knew what was happening and decided to stay silent. The boys killed their parents out of self defense, but still, they were both found guilty and charged to life in prison without chance of parole on July 2nd, 1996.
Personally, I can see both sides of this debate. I can see why some would say the boys should still be punished as they did still commit murder that was premeditated. On the other hand, I can see that they did this out of self defense, and they thought that they would have been killed by their parents if they had not acted first.
What do you think about this case?
Do you think the brothers should have a chance at parole?
Do you think that the Menendez brothers would have been killed by their parents if they hadn’t acted first?
Replies
I see your point of their fathers abuse leading them to do a horrible thing, that was truly out of self defense. Their mother staying silent also made the situation much worse, as the people they should trust the most were causing them the most pain.
The case is very messy because both sides broke the law. I think it was wrong of the brothers to kill their parents, they could have talked to the police and let them handle it. It was also wrong of the parents to abuse their children. No matter how the case was ruled, people would have been mad.
Yes this a very complicated case as both sides have done somethnig very wrong. Many people have become mad as they do not agree with how the case went down. Which side do you think had better reasoning?
I think that the brothers should get another chance. What they did was in a way out of self defense and that now they have had plenty enough time in prison. What their parents did they never got to grow up normally and were being manipulated their whole life that their father couldve posibbly killed them at any point.
I agree that the brothers should have another chance, and that their actions were truly out of self defence. The had lots of horrible trama, that affected the way they solved their problems. This could be what caused them to lash out and kill their parents.
I think that this case is very complicated because the brothers killed their parents due to how horribly they treated them and it was hard to prove that it was self defense when the case first started. Yes I think the brothers should have a chance at parole and I hope they get out sooner than later because they have paid their debt to society by now.
I agree that it was probably hard to defend this case as self defense in court. There will be another hearing for this case, which could lead to the Menendez brothers having a chance at parole. Aswell as the fact they have been in jail for quite some time now.
I beleive that this case was a tragedy, and if it were held in our current day court, they would've received a less harsh sentence. They killed their parents in self defence, and with knowledge of what those sick people did to the boys, it seems like they deserved it to me. Their parents would've continued their dispicable abuse until they no longer could.
I would agree with your thoughts on this subject. Did you know that they are going back to court soon, and are debating if the Menendez brothers should have parole and have the possiblity of getting out of jail.
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