Joseph Lyle (Lyle) Menendez (born January 10, 1968) and brother Erik Galen (Erik) Menendez (born November 27, 1971) were convicted in a highly publicized trial for the shotgun murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, residents of Beverly Hills, California. Erik attended Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles. January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see: Beverly Hills (disambiguation). ... Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. ...

The parents

Jose was born in 1944 to an upper-middle class family in Havana, Cuba. His father was a well-known soccer player who owned his own accounting firm. His mother was a swimmer who was elected to Cuba’s sports hall of fame. Jose had two older sisters, Teresita, known as "Terry", and Marta. Although the family was not rich, Jose’s parents’ accomplishments in sports guaranteed them an honored place in Cuban society. Jose was five years younger than Terry and was spoiled and adored by his mother.

Kitty was born in 1941, the youngest of four children of Charles and Mae Andersen. Her family lived in Oak Lawn, a suburb south of Chicago. During her early childhood, Kitty’s family was solidly middle class. Her father owned a heating and air-conditioning business that did well and her mother stayed at home to care for Kitty and her two older brothers, Milt and Brian, and Kitty’s older sister, Joan.

The brothers

The Menendez brothers grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, and attended Princeton Day School. Lyle attended Princeton University but eventually dropped out. Nassau Street, Princetons main street. ... Princeton Day School is a private coeducational day school located in Princeton Township, New Jersey. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ...

The murders occurred on August 20, 1989, in the den of the family's 722 Elm Drive home in Beverly Hills. The brothers then drove off and dumped their shotguns on Mulholland Drive and bought tickets at a local movie theater to use as an alibi. When the brothers returned home, Lyle called 911 and cried, "Somebody killed my parents!" In the following months, the brothers led a life of luxury and lavish spending, adding to investigators' suspicions that they were involved in their parents' deaths. Prosecutors later alleged that the brothers spent about $1 million in their first six months as orphans. On December 8, 1992, the Menendez brothers were indicted by the Los Angeles County Grand Jury on charges that they murdered their parents. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (600x765, 97 KB)Erik and Lyle Menendez, in 2002 and 2003 (respectively). ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Map of Mulholland Drive (orange) and Mulholland Highway (brown) in Los Angeles County. ... is the 342nd day of the year (343rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Map of California showing Los Angeles County. ... A grand jury is a type of jury, in the common law legal system, which determines if there is enough evidence for a trial. ...

The Menendez brothers and the murder of their parents became a national sensation when the new television network Court TV broadcast the trial in 1993. The younger brother's defense attorney, Leslie Abramson, vaulted to fame with her flamboyant defense, alleging that the brothers were driven to murder by a lifetime of abuse from their parents, including sexual abuse from father Jose. Despite the competent defense, the past criminal records of the brothers stood in contrast to the "escape from parental abuse" theory. The trial ended in two deadlocked juries (while the brothers were tried together, each had a separate jury). After a less publicized second trial, both brothers were convicted of two counts of first degree murder, plus conspiracy to commit murder. For the Canadian channel, see CourtTV Canada The Courtroom Television Network, more commonly known as Court TV, is an American cable television network owned by Time Warner that launched on July 1, 1991. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Leslie Abramson (born c. ...

On July 2, 1996, Judge Stanley M. Weisberg sentenced Lyle and Erik Menendez to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Judge Weisberg sentenced the brothers to consecutive sentences for the murders and the charge of conspiracy to commit murder. is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

They Said We'd Never Make It - My Life With Erik Menendez written by Tammi Menendez.

At present, Lyle is being held in Mule Creek State Prison. Erik is in the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California. Each brother has married since entering prison, but neither is allowed conjugal visits. In 2005, Tammi Menendez, Erik's wife, self-published a book entitled They Said We'd Never Make It - My Life With Erik Menendez, though Erik said on the Larry King Live show that he had heavily edited the book. Under the terms of the sentences for their multiple crimes, the brothers are expected to spend the remainder of their natural lives in prison, and will die without consummating their marriages. According to Erik on the same Larry King show, he and his brother have not spoken to each other for more than ten years. Image File history File links Book_menendez. ... Image File history File links Book_menendez. ... Mule Creek State Prison is a prison which opened in 1987, located in Ione, California. ... Pleasant Valley State Prison Pleasant Valley State Prison, or PVSP, is a minimum/medium state prison in Coalinga, California. ... Coalinga is a city located in Fresno County, California. ... In the United States, a conjugal visit is a scheduled visit during which an inmate of a penal institution is permitted to have sexual intercourse with a visitor in a closely controlled setting. ... Larry King Live is a nightly CNN interview program hosted by broadcaster and writer Larry King. ...

Television/Movie Adaptations

Two different television movies have been made detailing the events of the Menendez murders.

• Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders (1994) starring James Farentino as Jose, Jill Clayburgh as Kitty, Billy Warlock as Lyle, and David Beron as Erik.
• Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (1994) starring Edward James Olmos as Jose, Beverly D'Angelo as Kitty, Damian Chapa as Lyle, and Travis Fine as Erik.

In addition, the 1996 film The Cable Guy parodied the Menendez trials. The movie's parody of the trials included a made-for-TV movie of its own, with Ben Stiller portraying both brothers. James Farentino (born February 24, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor. ... Jill Clayburgh (born April 30, 1944) is an American actress of stage, motion pictures, and television. ... Billy Warlock (born March 26, 1961 in Gardena, California) is an American actor. ... Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated American actor, of Mexican descent. ... Beverly DAngelo (born November 15, 1951 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American singer and actress. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Travis Lane Fine (born June 26, 1968 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American actor, writer, director and producer, perhaps best known for his roles on Girl, Interrupted and The Young Riders. ... For the comedian, see Larry the Cable Guy. ... Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965 ) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. ...

External links

• Menendez Brothers case file from Court TV
• Detailed background of the Menendez case
• Mug shots of the brothers on The Smoking Gun website