«Menendez Brothers: a story of inheritance and the murder of parents»
27 september 2024 в 20:13
Lyle and Erik Menendez continue to serve a life sentence for the brutal murder of their parents on August 20, 1989, when the brothers, then 21 and 18 years old, shot them at the family estate in Beverly Hills.
Now, 35 years later, the Menendez brothers have become the latest subjects of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology «Monsters». The series titled «Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story» stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik, as well as Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny as their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez.
The 10-episode season, airing on Netflix, aims to explore whether the brothers were cold-blooded killers seeking to inherit their family’s fortune, as the prosecution claimed, or if they were victims of years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents, as the defense argued and as Lyle and Erik continue to maintain to this day.
But the question remains: did the Menendez brothers actually inherit any money after the murders? Find out below.
The Menendez family was quite wealthy at the time, as Jose Menendez was an executive in the entertainment company originally known as International Video Entertainment, now known as Artisan Entertainment. Artisan released such well-known films as «Requiem for a Dream» and «The Blair Witch Project».
According to Forbes, the father had an estate valued at approximately $ 14.5 million, which he acquired in 1988 for $ 4 million — equivalent to about $ 10 million today.
After the parents' death in 1989, the brothers took control of their father’s estate. In just six months, Lyle and Erik reportedly spent nearly $ 1 million on parties, travel, and shopping. Lyle spent over $ 15,000 on three Rolex watches the day before the parents' funeral, as witnesses later revealed. In addition, Erik gambled thousands of dollars and hired a tennis coach for $ 60,000 a year in hopes of becoming a professional.
However, after their arrest, most of the money from Jose’s estate was spent on taxes and legal expenses within seven months. Separate trials for the brothers began in July 1993 and concluded six months later due to mistrials. They were then tried together in October 1995, when they were found guilty. By April 1994, Erik and Lyle had already spent $ 1,495,000 on legal expenses before their final trial.
In 1994, it was reported that $ 10.8 million had been spent from the estate — just two years before the brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment. About half of this amount went to the brothers' legal expenses, including attorney Leslie Abramson’s fees, who claimed that Jose and Kitty subjected their sons to years of emotional and sexual abuse.
After being found guilty of their parents' murder, the brothers were cut off from the estate. According to California’s «Slayer Law», - when someone is killed by a criminal, the criminal cannot benefit from the victim’s estate, regardless of family relationships.
The Menendez family home was sold in 1991 for $ 3.6 million, resulting in a loss of nearly $ 1.2 million, which was used to pay off the mortgage, closing costs, and taxes. Additionally, the Calabasas home, owned by their parents and renovated by them, was valued at $ 2.65 million and was sold in 1994 for a much lower amount — $ 1.94 million.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1−800−656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, unbiased support, as well as local resources for healing, recovery, and more.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1−800−662-HELP (4357)
Now, 35 years later, the Menendez brothers have become the latest subjects of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology «Monsters». The series titled «Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story» stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik, as well as Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny as their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez.
The 10-episode season, airing on Netflix, aims to explore whether the brothers were cold-blooded killers seeking to inherit their family’s fortune, as the prosecution claimed, or if they were victims of years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents, as the defense argued and as Lyle and Erik continue to maintain to this day.
But the question remains: did the Menendez brothers actually inherit any money after the murders? Find out below.
The Menendez family was quite wealthy at the time, as Jose Menendez was an executive in the entertainment company originally known as International Video Entertainment, now known as Artisan Entertainment. Artisan released such well-known films as «Requiem for a Dream» and «The Blair Witch Project».
According to Forbes, the father had an estate valued at approximately $ 14.5 million, which he acquired in 1988 for $ 4 million — equivalent to about $ 10 million today.
After the parents' death in 1989, the brothers took control of their father’s estate. In just six months, Lyle and Erik reportedly spent nearly $ 1 million on parties, travel, and shopping. Lyle spent over $ 15,000 on three Rolex watches the day before the parents' funeral, as witnesses later revealed. In addition, Erik gambled thousands of dollars and hired a tennis coach for $ 60,000 a year in hopes of becoming a professional.
However, after their arrest, most of the money from Jose’s estate was spent on taxes and legal expenses within seven months. Separate trials for the brothers began in July 1993 and concluded six months later due to mistrials. They were then tried together in October 1995, when they were found guilty. By April 1994, Erik and Lyle had already spent $ 1,495,000 on legal expenses before their final trial.
In 1994, it was reported that $ 10.8 million had been spent from the estate — just two years before the brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment. About half of this amount went to the brothers' legal expenses, including attorney Leslie Abramson’s fees, who claimed that Jose and Kitty subjected their sons to years of emotional and sexual abuse.
After being found guilty of their parents' murder, the brothers were cut off from the estate. According to California’s «Slayer Law», - when someone is killed by a criminal, the criminal cannot benefit from the victim’s estate, regardless of family relationships.
The Menendez family home was sold in 1991 for $ 3.6 million, resulting in a loss of nearly $ 1.2 million, which was used to pay off the mortgage, closing costs, and taxes. Additionally, the Calabasas home, owned by their parents and renovated by them, was valued at $ 2.65 million and was sold in 1994 for a much lower amount — $ 1.94 million.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1−800−656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, unbiased support, as well as local resources for healing, recovery, and more.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1−800−662-HELP (4357)
© Smirnova Olga
