Monsters Netflix: Why did Menendez brothers murder their parents?

New Netflix drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will explore what caused two brothers to kill their millionaire parents. Entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Mary Louise Andersen were fatally shot in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989.

In tears, an emotional Lyle Menendez told 911 "someone shot my parents" and police officers arrived at the scene to investigate a double murder. The brothers were not initially suspects by the police, but their odd and erratic behaviour following their parents' deaths sparked concerns the Menendez brothers may have killed them.

Their arrest in 1990 and later charge sparked an extensive murder trial in 1993 and a retrial in 1995. All nine episodes in the true crime series will be released on Netflix on Thursday, September 19.

But why did Lyle and Erik Menendez kill their parents and why were they convicted of murder?

Why did Menendez brothers murder their parents?

José Menéndez, who is played by Javier Bardem in the Netflix drama, is also a wealthy and powerful businessman in the entertainment industry, serving as an executive at RCA Records and the CEO of Live Entertainment. Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez struggles with mental health issues, including depression, alcoholism, and substance abuse.

Represented by their defence attorney Leslie Abramson, the Menéndez brothers cited years of sexual, emotional and physical abuse by their father José as the reason for murdering their parents. Their mother Kitty was killed because they believed she was an enabler of his abuse.

Their cousins Andy Cano and Diane Vander Molen both testified that they had been aware of the molestation for years.

Just days before the double murder, Erik and Lyle claimed they confronted their parents and Jose had threatened to kill them if they didn’t keep quiet.

However, prosecutors argued that their motive was to get their hands on the family fortune. This was evidenced by moving to condos in Marina del Rey, often dining at expensive restaurants and taking luxury trips to the Caribbean and London.

The first trial concluded in January 1994 with two juries unable to reach a verdict. Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti announced that the brothers would face a retrial in 1995 and they were eventually convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder.

They were then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.