The Menendez Brothers Part 3

Broadcast into millions of homes, the Menendez trial became something bigger than a murder case. It was television. Tabloid fodder. Even comedy material. But when trauma turns into spectacle, what gets lost? In Part Three, we trace how the case was flattened into a punchline, and why, 35 years later, it demands a different look.

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

A full transcript of this episode is available here.

“Lyle Menendez (second from left) and his brother, Erik are flanked by their attorneys Gerald Chaleff (left) and Robert Shapiro, in Beverly Hills Municipal Court in 1990.”

“Jose and Kitty Menendez are seen here in this undated family photo.Courtesy Brian Anderson.”

Still image from the SNL sketch about the Menendez Brothers trail.

“David Conn, a prosecutor, delivering his closing argument in the penalty phase of the brothers’ trial in 1996.Credit…Nick Ut/Associated Press.”

Mug shots of Lyle (left) and Erik (right) Menendez taken in 2023.”

Action Items Related to Today’s Episode:

There’s an organization I’ve been deeply moved by called No More Tears. It was founded back in 2002 by a group of incarcerated men at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, alongside community advocates in the Bay Area. And its mission is powerful: to reduce violence by empowering the very people who once contributed to it to become part of the solution.

For over 20 years, they’ve led violence prevention workshops and restorative justice healing circles inside prisons, reaching more than 10,000 men. And the impact is real: of the more than 1,500 No More Tears graduates who’ve come home, 85% remain free citizens, and none have reoffended with violent crimes.

Since founder Lonni Morris was released in 2021, No More Tears has expanded their work beyond the prison walls. Now they offer healing circles, youth mentorship, and reentry support throughout the Bay Area, all led by people who’ve lived it.

By supporting No More Tears, you’re helping invest in community-led solutions to violence and incarceration, rooted in accountability, compassion, and transformation. To learn more or donate, visit nomoretearssq.com.

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.

YouTube: ‘The Mirror’: Erik Menendez Testifies About How His Father Threatened to Kill Him After He Ran Away uploaded by Menendez Case.