The Menendez Brothers Part 2

Truer Crime

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At just 18 and 21, Erik and Lyle Menendez stood trial for killing their parents. To many, it seemed unfathomable: how could two privileged kids from Beverly Hills do something like this? When they finally spoke, the picture that emerged was darker and more complicated than anyone expected. In Part Two, we follow the trial that gripped the country, and the stories the brothers had kept hidden for years.

Please be aware that today’s episode contains descriptions of grooming, sexual assault, and other forms of violence. Please take care while listening.

A full transcript of this episode is available here.

“Lyle, left, and Erik Menendez leave the courtroom in Santa Monica, Calif., Aug. 6, 1990, after a judge ruled that conversations between the two brothers and their psychologist after their parents were slain are not privileged and can be used as evidence in their murder case. Nick Ut/AP. ”

“Erik Menendez listening to his defense lawyer, Leslie Abramson, as she held up a childhood photograph of him during the first trial in 1993.Credit…Nick Ut/Associated Press.”

“Erik, left, and Lyle, right, are pictured in this undated photo together with their father Jose, who was a successful Cuban-American business executive.”

“Lyle Menendez, right, and brother Erik listen to a charge of murder conspiracy against them, Dec. 29, 1992, in Los Angeles.”

Action Items Related to Today’s Episode:

While looking for action items for today’s episode, I was struck by how many organizations are dedicated to supporting female survivors of sexual assault. This work is vitally important — but it’s also true that far fewer organizations focus specifically on male survivors like Lyle and Erik.

One group doing that work is called MaleSurvivor. They’ve been around since 1995, and they’re largely funded by donations from the people they serve. It’s a space for men from all over the world to connect, to talk, to heal. They run 24/7 online forums and chat spaces, plus in-person events—where survivors can connect with each other and with trained therapists.

If you want to learn more, volunteer, or donate to support their work, head to malesurvivor.org.

Audio Used:

YouTube: Menendez Brothers 911 Call uploaded by Menendez Case.

YouTube: News Coverage (1990-1996) – Menendez Brothers Trials uploaded by menendeztrials.

YouTube: The Menendez Murders | That Was the News Then: Episode 5 uploaded by FOX 5 New York.

YouTube: ABC NEWS – May 17, 1990 – The Menendez Brothers uploaded by menendeztrials.

YouTube: The police were wrong about the Menendez Brothers murders: Mob ties and a pro hit KCBS-2 8/22/1989 uploaded by UCLA Irv and Xiaoyan Drasnin Communication Archive

YouTube: Why the Menendez Brothers Say They Killed Their Parents: Part 1uploaded by ABC News.

YouTube: Cousins Who Lived with the Menendez Family Say the Brothers Were Abused upload3ed by Menendez Case.

YouTube: CA v. Menendez (1993): Erik Menendez Takes the Stand in Murder Trial [Part 1] uploaded by COURT TV

YouTube: CA v. MENENDEZ (1993): Lyle Menendez Takes the Stand (Part 1) uploaded by COURT TV.

YouTube: Erik Menendez Direct-Examination | Part 2 uploaded by menendeztrials.