The Menendez Brothers were reportedly apprehended for the murder of their parents on two different dates. The police arrested the older one, Lyle, on March 8, 1990. Erik, the younger one, turned himself in three days later, on March 11, 1990. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder of their parents in 1996 after two trials. Both of them are currently serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Lyle was born on January 10, 1968, in New York. After his birth, his mother, Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez, quit her teaching job. The family soon moved to New Jersey, where Kitty and her husband, José, welcomed their second son, Erik, on November 27, 1970. José worked as a corporate executive. In 1986, the Menéndez family shifted to Beverly Hills, California.
What did the Menendez Brothers do?
On August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez reportedly took the lives of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez. However, the two brothers had started planning the murder days prior to the incident.
According to Town & Country, the duo reportedly purchased shotguns from a Big 5 Sporting Goods chain on August 18, 1989. This store was located in San Diego, which was far from the family’s Beverly Hills mansion. The same day, the family went for shark fishing.
Two days later, on August 20, 1989, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez were in their home when the two brothers reportedly entered with shotguns. The father was shot with six bullets, while the mother was shot 10 times. After killing their parents, the two siblings disposed of the guns and drove to a movie theater to watch Batman. When they returned home, they called the cops.
The Menéndez brothers alleged that somebody entered their home in their absence and murdered their parents. This launched an investigation into the murder mystery of José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez. At the time, Lyle Menéndez was 21 years old, while Erik Menéndez was only 18.
