Notorious Menendez brothers murder case to be reviewed - as Kim Kardashian calls for their release

By Owen Scott

The Menendez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents with a shotgun in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989, will have their case reviewed by prosecutors in the US.

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The brothers were found guilty of their parents' murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996.

The details of the case, which included the murder of their parents with shotguns and lavish spending after the crime, made the trial national news in the USA at the time.

During the trial, Erik and Lyle claimed that they were acting in self-defence as they alleged that their father had been sexually abusive.

But prosecutors at the time contended there was no evidence of any molestation. They said the brothers killed their parents because they were trying to get hold of their parents' multimillion-dollar estate.

It has emerged now that a review of the brothers' case will be carried out involving new evidence including a letter from 1988 which details Erik's allegations of sexual abuse by his father.

MONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Official Trailer #1 | Netflix

Interest in the brothers' case surged after the release of Ryan Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story, which dramatised their lives. The show was the most viewed programme on Netflix for weeks.

Ryan Murphy even told the Hollywood Reporter that the brothers "should be sending me flowers" for renewing public interest in their lives.

He continued: They haven’t had so much attention in 30 years.

“And it’s gotten the attention of not only this country, but all over the world.

"There’s sort of an outpouring of interest in their lives and in the case.

"I know for a fact that many people have offered to help them because of the interest of my show and what we did.”

Even Kim Kardashian has weighed in on the brothers' appeal, calling for Lyle and Erik to be freed. She said in an NBC News op-ed, published on October 3, 2024, that 'their only way out of prison now is death.'

She added that the Menendez brothers were portrayed in the media as "monsters and sensationalized eye candy.'

She said: "They are not monsters. They are kind, intelligent, and honest men."