Erik and Lyle Menendez have recently returned to the news spotlight.

Due to the new popular Netflix series documenting the case, and the celebrities such as Kim Kardashian that have come to their defense, interest in the Menendez brothers’ murder case has spiked drastically.

There is also a less well-known documentary on Netflix, called The Menendez Brothers, that recounts the brothers’ stories in their own words through audio interviews of both of them.

The Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. They were sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, the LA district attorney has recommended resentencing due to recently uncovered evidence, which points to abuse  that the brothers endured at the hands of their father.

During their trial, the Menendez brothers stated that they killed their parents due to the countless years of sexual abuse from their father and their mother’s complacency.

After its premiere on September 19, 2024, the show, called Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, garnered mixed opinions.

Many complimented the performances of the main actors, Cooper Koch (as Erik) and Nicholas Chavez (as Lyle). However, the show received criticism for its length and incestuous portrayal of the brothers. The show plays with the idea that the brothers may have been involved in a sexual relationship.

The Menendez brothers themselves condemned the show for its inaccuracies and its interpretation of Lyle. On his Facebook page, Erik spoke out against the show, calling it “dishonest.”

Sophie Toole, a junior from Nantucket, MA, liked the show, but believed that “there were some inaccuracies.”

“They portrayed Lyle as a terrible person, which I don’t think is true,” she said.

Sophie is certain that the brothers were abused.

“There is so much proof that it happened. The letter that Erik and Lyle wrote to their cousin about the abuse they were going through,” she said. “Also, people did not like the father because he was very mean and it was heard that the kids would be forced to take showers with him.”

A major question raised in the case was whether the brothers had been sexually abused. The prosecution argued that the brothers were lying about their abuse to make the murders of their parents seem justifiable and that they actually killed their parents for money.

Sophie referred to the letter written by Erik to his cousin, Andy Cano, in 1988. The letter was written months before the murders. In the letter, he states that “it [the abuse] is still happening […] but it’s worse for me now.” He says he never knows “when it’s going to happen and it’s driving [him] crazy.”

Sophie wants the brothers to be free from prison and does not believe they are insane.

“They killed their parents to protect themselves, and they do not deserve to suffer in a jail cell for the rest of their lives,” Sophie explained. “I don’t think they’re crazy despite what a lot of people say. They were totally in their right to do what they did,” she said.

Keshav Ambadi, a junior from West Springfield, watched the show and disagrees with Sophie.

“I feel like it made everybody feel sympathy for them even though they have done many bad things,” Keshav said. “Even though it is a very controversial case the show was able to persuade lots of young people who don’t know what happened.”

Keshav is unsure as to whether the brothers were sexually abused.

“I think they were abused to a certain extent. I don’t know if they were sexually abused or not. I think they were physically abused but I’m not sure if they were abused sexually,” he said.

Although he believes the brothers should be free, he wants them to be “watched and restricted.”

“They should be put on house arrest,” Keshav said. “If their stories are true then they deserve to be free, but the truth is no one knows if they are, so they should be monitored.”

Keshav is convinced that the brothers are clinically insane.

“If I were in their situation, I would have run away instead of killing my parents,” he said. “Your parents are your blood, so something definitely has to be wrong with you if you would even think about killing them.”