On October 31, 1989, Erik Menendez confessed to Dr. Jerome Oziel that he and Lyle had killed their parents.What took place in the October 31 session, and a subsequent session on November 2, 1989, was the subject of extensive testimony in the first trial. I will post links to trial vidoes, and also post summaries … Continue reading The Confession →

The prosecution’s theory was that Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents out of greed. In support of that theory the prosecution presented evidence of the brothers’ spending after the murder of their parents. In hearings prior to the second trial Judge Weisberg initially ruled that 12 items of so-called “spending evidence” could be introduced … Continue reading Spending evidence →

In 1977, seven-year-old Erik Menendez was taken to the Princeton Medical Center emergency room regarding an injury to his throat. Read or watch the testimony and form your own opinion about what caused this injury. FIRST TRIAL Direct examination of Dr. Ann BurgessTrial video 741:05:59 - 1:08:12:Q: You said there was -- one thing you … Continue reading Injury to Erik’s throat →

One month before she was shot to death, Kitty Menendez told her therapist that she was “worried about Erik and Lyle . . . concerned for lack of conscience, narcissism, and sociopathy they exhibit.” There are three principal persons involved in this matter: Kitty Menendez, Dr. Lester Summerfield, and Dr. Jerome Oziel. Most of the … Continue reading Kitty’s concern about her sons →

What exactly was said in the conversation between Lyle Menendez and his best friend Donovan Goodreau in the Chinese restaurant? Can we ever know for sure? I encourage people to review the publically available information and come to their own conclusion. I will post the links to the relevant trial videos in the chronological order … Continue reading Chinese restaurant conversation →

Prosecutor Pamela Bozanich has stated that it was “very difficult to find anyone who would come forward and say anything good about Jose Menendez; in fact, the only one who did was his secretary.” The defense on the other hand presented almost three dozen witnesses who had many not so good things to say about … Continue reading Did no one like Jose Menendez? →

Aired: June 28, 1996. Video:https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/barbara-walters-interviews-menendez-brothers-1996-44578929 The video is not the complete interview. A few other fragments from the interview can be seen in the 2015 “Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals” documentary. None of the fragments from the documentary are included in the transcript. [VO] is shorthand for voice over. BARBARA WALTERS: Erik and Lyle Menendez, … Continue reading Barbara Walters interviews the Menendez brothers →

Having posted a transcript of the conversation in which Lyle talks with Norma Novelli about having to make up a story in regards to Dr. Oziel, I want to touch on one particular statement Lyle makes. It’s a statement one won’t find in the transcript in Novelli’s book, but it can be heard on the … Continue reading Novelli tapes – part 2 →

In the post titled “Novelli tapes” I mention that in Norma Novelli’s book on pages 135-144 there is a transcript of a conversation regarding Dr. Oziel. The conversation is dated July 29, 1993. One can actually listen to this conversation on the audiobook version. Below is a self-made transcript of the conversation. This transcript has … Continue reading Lyle Menendez and Norma Novelli talking about Oziel →

Prosecutor Pamela Bozanich has on at least three occasions stated that bailiffs told her that Lyle and Erik Menendez would high five each other after court. Wikipedia defines "high five" as "A hand gesture that occurs when two people simultaneously raise one hand each, about head-high, and push, slide, or slap the flat of their … Continue reading Lyle and Erik high fiving each other →

In the first Menendez brothers trial the defense called Dr. Ann Burgess to testify about her analysis of the Menendez crime scene. The testimony can be found in the first hour of trial video 72. Burgess has a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University, and a Master of Science degree from the University of … Continue reading Crime scene analysis →

Erik Menendez was scheduled to begin his first semester at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the fall of 1989. UCLA was not the only college Erik was accepted into. Erik applied to 13-15 schools. He was accepted by all the UC campuses. Erik testified that, “I was accepted into Berkeley first, and … Continue reading Erik going to college →

One of the last scenes in the 2017 miniseries “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders”, depicts a member of the retrial jury telling the gathered press outside the courthouse on the day of sentencing that, “Many of us felt that if we’d heard about the family history during the trial, we never would … Continue reading Retrial jury and family history evidence →

After the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez there was a lot of speculation that the murders had been the work of the Mafia and were business-related. Regardless of who ignited this speculation, Lyle and Erik played a significant part in adding fuel to it. Lyle and Erik were interviewed by Sgt. Thomas Edmonds in … Continue reading Blaming the Mafia →

About three hours after he and his brother shot their parents to death, Erik Menendez was interviewed by Sergeant Thomas Edmonds at the Beverly Hills Police Department. Near the end of the interview Erik asks Edmonds: “Are they dead?” Edmonds replies: “Yes.” The last thing heard on the tape is Erik crying. You can listen … Continue reading “Are they dead?” →

This is not the court clerk's official exhibit list. It is a homemade list I made as I watched through the trial videos. Some exhibit numbers are missing. Either I didn't catch as they were marked, or they were marked during proceedings not filmed by Court TV. The juries didn't see each and every of … Continue reading Exhibit list – First trial →

On January 1, 1988, Erik Menendez and his best friend, Craig Cignarelli, adjourned for three days to the Cignarelli family's cabin. They spent the time there writing a screenplay. The two of them brainstormed, went through scenarios, and kept throwing out ideas. The end result was a murder mystery titled "Friends". There are three drafts … Continue reading The Screenplay →

In November 1993, shortly before Dr. William Vicary’s testimony in the first trial he and defense attorney Leslie Abramson met and reviewed Vicary's interview notes from Vicary's sessions with Erik Menendez.Vicary subsequently rewrote 10 pages of his notes.The change was detected during the penalty phase of the second trial.If you want more information as to … Continue reading Redactions in Vicary notes →

Transcripts can be found here:https://web.archive.org/web/19961017234004/http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/menendez/transcripts/ Witnesses who testified in hearings outside the jury's presence are not listed. October 11, 1995People's opening statementErik Menendez's opening statement October 12, 1995Lyle Menendez's opening statementLeslie Zoeller October 13, 1995Leslie Zoeller October 16, 1995Leslie ZoellerChristine NyeMichael Butkus October 17, 1995Avrille KromPerry BermanThomas Edwards October 18, 1995Thomas EdwardsKlara Wright October 19, … Continue reading Index – Second trial →

Videos can be found here:https://www.courttv.com/trials/ca-v-menendez-1993/ OPJ is shorthand for “outside the presence of the jury.” Everything else should be pretty self-explanatory.There were a ton of hearings during the trial, often in the middle of a witness’ testimony. I have chosen to not indicate when such hearings took place. VIDEO 1No witnesses VIDEO 2No witnesses VIDEO … Continue reading Witness index – First trial →

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIACOUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PROBATION OFFICER'S REPORT DEFENDANT'S NAME(S)JOSEPH LYLE MENENDEZ ADDRESS (PRESENT)LOS ANGELES COUNTY JAIL AGE28 BIRTHDATE1/10/68 SEXM RACEW, WHITE CITIZENSHIP STATUSU.S. BORN DAYS IN JAIL THIS CASEESTIMATED2,377 CUSTODY STATUS/RELEASE DATEJAIL (NO BAIL) DRIVER'S LICENSE/EXP DATEC6891287 - SUSP. COURTNW-N JUDGEWEISBERG COURT CASE NO.BA068880 HEARING DATE07/02/96 DEFENSE ATTYGESSLER/TOWERY PROSECUTORCONN/NAJERA DPOMCMILLENB32 AREA OFFICEESFV … Continue reading Lyle Menendez probation report →

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIACOUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PROBATION OFFICER'S REPORT DEFENDANT'S NAME(S)ERIK GALEN MENENDEZ ADDRESS (PRESENT)LOS ANGELES COUNTY JAIL AGE25 BIRTHDATE11/27/70 SEXM RACEW, WHITE CITIZENSHIP STATUSU.S. BORN DAYS IN JAIL THIS CASEESTIMATED2,375 CUSTODY STATUS/RELEASE DATEJAIL (NO BAIL) DRIVER'S LICENSE/EXP DATEA2246779 COURTNW-N JUDGEWEISBERG COURT CASE NO.BA068880 HEARING DATE07/02/96 DEFENSE ATTYABRAMSON/LEVIN PROSECUTORCONN/NAJERA DPOMCMILLENB32 AREA OFFICEESFV PHONE NO(805) … Continue reading Erik Menendez probation report →

Viewers of the 2017 miniseries “Law & Order True Crime” and/or readers of Chapter 49 (“More Family Secrets Revealed”) of Robert Rand’s 2018 book, “The Menendez Murders”, will be familiar with the allegation that Jose Menendez was sexually abused as a child by his mother, Maria Menendez. One of the last scenes in “Law & … Continue reading Was Jose Menendez abused? →

The 2002 book "Murder Trail" by Colin Bell contains a chapter about the Menendez brothers case. One paragraph of that chapter reads: Bozanich was put back on the case a few months after the arrests and made a very shrewd guess about the likely defence. 'I actually told people that I thought they were going … Continue reading “That’s how it’s going to be.” →

The transcript below is from the April 30, 1996 episode of Larry King Live, which I transcribed from a VHS tape. There are a few (?) in the transcript, since I couldn’t make out certain names. The “Mr. Grant” referred to early in the transcript is former WABC “shock jock” Bob Grant, who was the … Continue reading Leslie Abramson interview →

The Menendez brothers were convicted of first-degree murder on March 20, 1996. The penalty phase of the trial began on March 27. On April 3, defense attorney Leslie Abramson stated in court that the defense was "very concerned about a matter." The "matter" being that:"The 'National Enquirer' of April 9, 1996 has a story in … Continue reading Potential juror misconduct →

Norma Novelli befriended Lyle Menendez while Lyle was in the Los Angeles County Jail, and for 2 1/2 years she taped phone calls she had with him. The prosecution wanted to introduce the so-called "Tape No. 25" as evidence in their case-in-chief in the second trial. The content of that tape involves statements of Lyle … Continue reading Novelli tapes →

In the book "Blood Brothers: The Inside Story of the Menendez Murders", authors Ron Soble and John Johnson write (page 326) that a prostitute contacted the television show Hard Copy and claimed that Jose Menendez had been a client of hers and that he had a "preference for brutality." The story would later appear on … Continue reading Jose Menendez and the Madam →

Mark Slotkin built the 722 North Elm Drive house in 1984, and lived there from 1984 until 1988. He sold the house to the Menendez family. Slotkin was a witness in both trials, a defense witness in the first and a prosecution witness in the second. In the first trial Slotkin testified, among other things, … Continue reading Mark Slotkin →

This post contains miscellaneous information about, and relating to, the jury in the Menendez brothers retrial. Profile of the jury panel that deliberated the fate of Lyle and Erik Menendez:Juror 1: White male, 34 years old.Juror 2: White male, 64 years old.Juror 3: White female, 63 years old.Juror 4: White male, 62 years old.Juror 5: … Continue reading Retrial jury →

The television talk show "Larry King Live", hosted by the late Larry King, ran for 20 seasons and made several episodes about the Menendez brothers case. The transcripts of the shows/episodes aired in this century are as follows: August 19, 2002: Anniversary of Murder in Beverly Hillshttp://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0208/19/lkl.00.html August 20, 2003: A Look Back at the … Continue reading Larry King Live →

The first Menendez brothers trial is available on the Court TV website:https://www.courttv.com/trials/ca-v-menendez-1993/ There are 121 videos. Per my calculations the 121 videos add up to 13 days 12 hours 46 minutes 50 seconds. Approximately 325 hours. 101 witnesses were called to testify. Some witnesses testified on more than one occasion. 406 exhibits were marked. The … Continue reading Menendez brothers trials →

Below is a transcript of the December 11, 1989 tape recording of the session between Dr. Jerome Oziel and the Menendez brothers. I did not make the transcript myself. Credit and thanks go to the person who did. I found the transcript in the pinned post of a now-deleted YouTube video of the part of … Continue reading December 11, 1989 tape →

In the Menendez brothers’ second trial, Erik Menendez spent 15 days on the witness stand. Lyle Menendez chose not to testify. In a June 1996 interview with Barbara Walters, Lyle was asked why he didn't testify in the second trial. Lyle replied: "We had been through so much at that point emotionally. Unless it was … Continue reading Why did Lyle not testify in the second trial? →

One thing I keep reading on the Internet is the assertion that Judge Weisberg did not allow sexual abuse evidence in the Menendez brothers’ second trial. I’m not going to post transcripts of the testimony here, but just give citations to the trial transcripts which can be found on the now-defunct Court TV website:https://web.archive.org/web/19961017234004/http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/menendez/transcripts/ Erik … Continue reading Sexual abuse evidence in the second trial →

Six weeks before she was killed Kitty Menendez told her therapist she was hiding “sick and embarrassing secrets.” A photo of the excerpt of the transcribed therapy notes can be found in Robert Rand’s book “The Menendez Murders,” and on the Photos page on his website:http://menendezmurders.com/gallery/ The excerpt reads as follows:(07/05/89) There is a notation … Continue reading “Sick and embarrassing secrets” →

This photograph was a controversial piece of evidence in the first Menendez trial. The defense claimed that the photograph showed Jose Menendez’s hand in an inappropriate position in Lyle's lap. The photograph was not introduced as evidence in the retrial. It was marked as an exhibit and a brief hearing regarding its relevance was held. … Continue reading Photograph of Jose Menendez with his sons →

A letter purportedly written in December 1988 by Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano reads in part: (grammatical errors intact)I've been trying to avoid dad. Its still happening Andy but its worse for me now. I cant explain it. He so overweight that I cant stand to see him. I never know when its … Continue reading Thoughts on Andy Cano letter →

On August 20, 1989, Perry Berman got home around 1 p.m. and found a message on his answering machine from Lyle Menendez. Berman returned the message and Jose Menendez answered. Jose told Berman that Lyle and Erik were out shopping at the Beverly Center. Berman received a call from Lyle around 5 p.m. Lyle suggested … Continue reading Shopping at the Beverly Center →

A hotly contested issue in the Menendez trials was whether Erik Menendez had a valid California driver's license in his possession at the time he used the stolen Donovan Goodreau driver's license as identification to purchase two shotguns two days before he and Lyle killed their parents. There was quite a bit of testimony regarding … Continue reading Driver’s license and N.R.A. mail →

The defense at both trials argued there that was no plan by the Menendez brothers to kill their parents. The defense argued, in part, if this were a planned crime, why would the brothers use noisy shotguns in a residential neighborhood on a warm August night when windows would be open? In a 2017 interview … Continue reading No plan to kill? →

Lyle and Erik Menendez were both interviewed by Detective Les Zoeller on September 17, 1989. At one point during his interview Erik said the following:Do you know there was a bullet hole in my jeans, and in fact I compared that bullet hole on one side of the jeans with the bullet hole in the … Continue reading Erik toying with Detective Zoeller? →

Lyle Menendez called 911 at 11:47 p.m. and emotionally told the operator that he had just come home and discovered his parents' dead bodies. Erik could be heard screaming and crying in the background. You can listen to the call here: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/01/26/menendez-brothers-911-call.cnn There are different transcripts of the 911 call floating online. In addition to … Continue reading 911 call →

Much has been made of the fact that no shotgun shells were found in the den where Jose and Kitty Menendez were shotgunned to death. Lyle and Erik both testified in their first trials (and Erik in the retrial, see testimony below) that they went back into the den minutes after the shooting ended and … Continue reading Picking up the shotgun shells →

The Menendez family went shark fishing in the late afternoon on Saturday, August 19, 1989. In addition to the four Menendez family members, there were three other people on the boat. First trialThe boat operator, Bob Anderson, was the fifth witness called by the prosecution. His testimony is found in trial video 4 at 48:15 … Continue reading Shark fishing →

In early December 1990, during one of Jamie Pisarcik's many visits with Lyle Menendez in the Los Angeles County Jail, Lyle made a request of Pisarcik. Lyle asked her to watch a movie called “At Close Range.” Lyle asked Pisarcik to lie and say that his father had done to her what was done to … Continue reading Jamie Pisarcik incident →

Lyle Menendez wrote a letter to Amir "Brian" Eslaminia asking him to lie on the witness stand and testify that the brothers asked for a handgun the day before the killings. The letter, postmarked July 9, 1991, was obtained by Beverly Hills police detective Les Zoeller in 1995, and introduced as evidence in the retrial.Transcript … Continue reading Amir Eslaminia letter →

Los Angeles Times - February 11, 1994: Purported Lyle Menendez Letter Sparks Controversy The letter is mentioned in two of Dominick Dunne's Vanity Fair articles: March 1994: Menendez Justice April 1994: Menendez WithdrawalIt is a partial, not complete, document. One or more pages are missing. It has no complete date. Identified as the handwriting of … Continue reading Traci Baker letter →

One of the most dramatic moments in the first trial was when Erik Menendez was caught in what was arguably the biggest mistake - or lie - of the trial. This came about when Erik was cross-examined about how he and Lyle allegedly went to a Big 5 sporting goods store in Santa Monica on … Continue reading Big 5 – handguns →

The entire trial transcripts can be found here:https://web.archive.org/web/19961017234004/http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/menendez/transcripts/ October 6, 1995: Judge Weisberg bans television cameras from the retrial. October 11 - 12, 1995: Opening statements made by the Prosecution, and Erik's counsel, and Lyle's counsel. October 16, 1995: Christine Nye, Beverly Hills Police Department 911 dispatcher, testifies she took the call from Lyle Menendez … Continue reading Miscellaneous stuff from the retrial →

April 11, 1996Prosecution's Opening Argument (By David Conn)Erik Menendez's Opening Argument (By Barry Levin)April 12, 1996Erik Menendez's Opening Argument cont'd (By Barry Levin)Lyle Menendez's Opening Argument (By Terri Towery)Prosecution's Closing Argument (By David Conn)Erik Menendez's Closing Argument (By Barry Levin)Lyle Menendez's Closing Argument (By Charles Gessler)Jury InstructionsApril 17, 1996VerdictJuly 2, 1996Sentencing

A key legal issue in the Menendez brothers retrial was whether the trial court should give the jury manslaughter instructions based on "imperfect self-defense" and "heat of passion." The trial court conducted an extensive hearing on the issue after the close of evidence:February 16, 1996: Argument and ruling on manslaughter instructionsFebruary 20, 1996: Further argument … Continue reading Manslaughter instructions →

After Erik Menendez's testimony in the retrial, the defense sought to call witnesses to testify in support of their theory that years of abuse caused the brothers to fear for their lives on the night of the killings. The trial court had made pretrial rulings regarding several witnesses. Some of those rulings were subject to … Continue reading Evidentiary rulings →

Lyle Menendez wrote an essay at age 14 titled "I Will Change Your Verdict." The three-page essay is a story about a man soon to be executed for killing a child molester. The defense in the retrial sought (unsuccessfully) to introduce the essay into evidence: Testimony of Erik Menendez; and Hearing on admissibility of Lyle … Continue reading “I Will Change Your Verdict” →

Prior to the Menendez brothers' retrial, the prosecution filed a Motion requesting the trial court to exclude two photographs depicting the brothers in the nude. In the first trial the photos had been received into evidence without objection by the prosecution. The prosecutors in the retrial took the position that the photographs should not be … Continue reading Photos of Lyle and Erik →

Over the years, many media outlets have stated that Jose and Kitty Menendez were eating strawberries and ice cream when they were shot. While it certainly is possible that they were eating around the time of their death, it seems to be a virtual impossibility that either of them was holding a glass at the … Continue reading Berries and ice cream →

1994. The Menendez Trial.1994. The Menendez Brothers on Trial: The Real Story. Courtroom Television Network. [103 minutes]1994. The Case Of The Menendez: The Actual Courtroom Video. Magnum Video Distributors. [120 minutes]1996. American Justice: The Menendez Murders. A&E Home Video. [50 minutes]2002. True Crime - Lyle and Erik Menendez. Time Life; Granada International. [49 minutes]2002. Dominick … Continue reading Documentaries →

Books1994. Ron Soble & John Johnson. Blood Brothers: The Inside Story of the Menendez Murders.1994. Don Davis. Bad Blood: The Shocking True Story Behind the Menendez Killings.1995. Lyle Menendez (as told to Norma Novelli, with Mike Walker, edited by Judith Spreckels, & conclusion by Pierce O'Donnell). The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own … Continue reading Books →

California Court of AppealJuly 26, 1996: Lyle and Erik's Notices of Appeal are logded.May 19, 1997: Lyle and Erik file their respective opening briefs.August 28, 1997: The Attorney General files Respondent's brief.October 22, 1997: Lyle files reply brief.October 27, 1997: Erik files reply brief.November 18, 1997: Case is orally argued and submitted.February 27, 1998: A … Continue reading Post-conviction Legal Chronology →

August 20, 1989Jose and Mary Louise (Kitty) Menendez are shotgunned to death in the den of their Beverly Hills home. August 21, 1989Their sons, Lyle and Erik, ages 21 and 18, respectively, are questioned by police but are not considered suspects. October 31, 1989Erik confesses his participation in the killings to his therapist, Dr. Jerome … Continue reading Chronology of Events →

Joseph Lyle Menendez (born January 10, 1968) and Erik Galen Menendez (born November 27, 1970) shot and killed their parents, Jose and Mary Louise ("Kitty") Menendez, in the family's Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The prosecution's theory of the case was that the killings were motivated by greed and the brothers' desire to … Continue reading Case Summary →