November 27,1970. "[31], The trial ended with two deadlocked juries, and as a result, Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti announced immediately that the brothers would be retried. Kitty remained a stay at home mom, and as her sons grew older, her and Jose grew further apart due to his focus and obsession with them, more specifically Lyle. He and his brother, Erik murdered their parents with shotguns. Jose Menendez with Erik (left) and Lyle (right) was a ruthless perfectionist with high ambitions for his sons. Failed to delete memorial. Jose Menendez was born to a prosperous family in Havana, Cuba. In one of the most famous Hollywood murders of all time, Erik and Lyle Menendez entered their home and murdered their parents, Jose and Mary Louis "Kitty" Menendez with a shotgun. Jose and Kitty Menendez were murdered by their two sons, Erik and Lyle, in 1989. Try again. Mary Louise Kitty Menendez (ne Andersen; October 14, 1941- August 20, 1989) was an American socialite, and former teacher and beauty queen. When I do, I do it with a great sadness and a primal fear. At age 16, shortly after the start of the Cuban Revolution, he moved to the United States. She coped with her problems by consuming increasing amounts of alcohol and prescription pills and some of her friends feared she had become dependent on them.. Lyle and Erik Menendez, charged with first-degree murder, admit that they killed their parents Aug. 20, 1989, but testified that they acted in fear and self-defense after years of abuse. [4][5] Kitty quit her teaching job after Lyle was born, and the family moved to New Jersey, where Erik was born on November 27, 1970, in Gloucester Township. The Menendez's home sold in 1991 for $3.6 million, a loss of nearly $1.2 million, all of which went to paying off the mortgage, closing costs, and the Internal Revenue Service. While the authorities spent half a year investigating the murders, the siblings spent $1 million of their inheritance on parties, Rolex watches, luxury cars, trips to the Middle East and tennis lessons. The Menendez brothers used a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun to shoot their father Jos in the back of the head. [20] Erik eventually confessed to his psychologist Jerome Oziel, who then told his mistress, Judalon Smyth. Kitty, 47, had met her husband in a debating class at Southern Illinois University, where she was a communications major and he had an athletic scholarship. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. [38][39][40], On February 27, 1998, the California Court of Appeal upheld the brothers' murder convictions, and on May 28, 1998, the Supreme Court of California declined to review the case, thus allowing the decision of the appellate court to stand. Jose Menendez died almost instantly from the shot to the back of the head, but Kitty Menendez suffered many shots to the legs, arms, chest, and face. English They married in 1963 and moved to New York City, where Jos earned an accounting degree from Queens College. According to Lyle, while in California, Kitty and Jose seemed to be more of a couple and Jose was treating Kitty better. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. They reported the killings upon their return. They were first tried separately, with one jury for each brother. When Jose took a job offer from LIVE Entertainment, he had to move the family to California much to Kittys dismay. After moving to California, Kitty became very involved in the romantic and sex lives of both of her sons, more so with Erik. #AmericanScandals pic.twitter.com/yE4Bah2S6r, DiscoveryID (@DiscoveryID) November 24, 2015. A Calabasas house. It would be at college at Southern Illinois University where Menendez would fatefully meet her husband. Photo: Courtesy of Lifetime. Jose Menendez suffered multiple wounds, including several . By the age of four, both had grown up in the opulent Beverley Hills. After Lyles birth, Kitty quit her teaching job and became a stay-at-home mom. We improvised. The Menendez brothers' (Erik and Lyle) were sons of Jose and Kitty Menendez. With a flurry of shotgun rounds, the brothers violently killed their parents, Jos and Kitty, doing enough damage to their bodies to render them nearly unrecognizable. He told ABC News: If I could take my consciousness now and go back, I would have gone to the police and taken my chances in exposing what was happening., Erik, 50, expressed similar sentiments to People, saying: The way I reacted was so destructive to all. Jose had suggested that Kitty could stay in New Jersey with Lyle who was expected to attend college in New Jersey, but Kitty quickly shot down the idea. While attending Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, he met his future wife, Mary Louise Anderson, nicknamed Kitty to those who knew her. During her senior year, Kitty had participated in the Miss Oak Lawn beauty contest and won. On Aug. 20, 1989, 21-year-old Lyle Menendez and his 18-year-old brother Erik stormed into their Beverly Hills mansion. The killers were their sons. It's so frightening I just haven't come to terms with it. Approximately $14 million is expected to be the net worth of Jose and Kitty Menendez. Joseph Lyle Menendez (born January 10, 1968) and Erik Galen Menendez (born November 27, 1970) are American brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, Jos and Mary Louise ("Kitty") Menndez. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. (@HorrorHoneys) November 26, 2013. We have set your language to The brotherscontinued to fire away, sending blood and body parts flying everywhere inside the den. According to the brothers, the elder Menendez forced his sons to perform oral sex on him, among other horrificacts. Dr. Oziel testified that the brothers stated that they killed their parents because their father was an overbearing presence in their life, and their mothers death was a mercy killing because she was so miserable and wouldnt be able to live without Jose. El caso de Menndez Hermanos recibi una . On August 19, 1989, the Menendez family went shark fishing with Motion Picture Marines. April 3, 2021 Jose Menendez was 45-years-old when he was shot in the back of his head by his own sons Erik and Lyle Menendez while he was sitting on a couch in the den of their house in Beverly Hills. The Menendez saga has captivated the American public since 1989. Before that, Jose Menendez represented the 124th District in the Texas House of Representatives between 2000 and 2015. You can always change this later in your Account settings. )[16], During the early stages of the investigation, police tried to narrow their search to suspects who had motives to kill Jos and Kitty. On August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez shot and killed their parents. The prosecution argued, however, that the killings were done for financial gain. Upon hearing this, Kitty Menendez allegedly dragged Lyle to bed and berated her sister, claiming the children could drive a wedge between a husband and wife. Testimonies during trial alleged that Jose took group showers with his sons after tennis, and that Kitty would turn up the volume on the TV when he dragged them into their room and shut the door. Jose Enrique Menendez (May 6, 1944- August 20, 1989) was a Cuban- American business executive in the entertainment industry. Testimony was limited Friday to the morning. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Jose and Kitty Menendez were a successful Hollywood movie industry couple, but he had affairs and she drank and took Valium. Kitty Menendez was born to a middle-class family in suburban Chicago, where her father owned an air-conditioning business. Kitty Menendez in the 1970s. Lyle described Kitty as a woman who was in a lot of pain who was abused by her husband both emotionally and physically. [23] After that decision, a Los Angeles County grand jury issued indictments in December 1992, charging the brothers with the murders of their parents. The crime committed by the Menendez brothers shocked our country in the late 20th century. Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 at the time of the fatal shootings and have been imprisoned since 1996. [4] Both brothers filed habeas corpus petitions with the Supreme Court of California, which were denied in 1999. The judge did not indicate Friday when he would rule. The sordid Menendez house of horrors turned even more sinister when Lyle Menendez testified on the witness stand that he had molested his younger brother, Erik, repeating some of the terrible acts that his father perpetrated on him. Lyle Menendez took the allegations even further when he claimed on the witness stand that his mother sexually abused him. Jose Menendez came from a wealthy family that lost much of its wealth to the communist government during the Fidel Castro uprising. But in 1959, this seemingly idyllic life was uprooted. The disturbing double-homicide had been in motion for months and involved the calculated purchase of 12-gauge Mossberg shotguns. Youre just living like a ghost among people that are alive., #truecrimetuesday The Menendez murder house, courtesy of my #DearlyDepartedTour with @DeathHag <3 pic.twitter.com/kgIdpZPYka, The Horror Honeys? The brothers say . Jose convinced her to come back, but according to his brother-in-law, this was more for their sons than it was out of love for her. They were initially tried separately, but both juries were deadlocked. Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jose was 45-years-old when he was shot in the back of his head by his own sons Erik and Lyle Menendez while he was sitting on a couch in the den of their house in Beverly Hills. Ted Soqui/Sygma/Getty ImagesLyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Please reset your password. They also testified that their father threatened to kill them if they did not keep the abuse a secret. [22], In August 1990, Judge James Albrecht ruled that tapes of the conversations between Erik and Oziel were admissible evidence since Oziel stated that Lyle allegedly threatened him and violated doctorpatient privilege. [6][7] In New Jersey, the family lived in Hopewell Township and both brothers attended Princeton Day School. Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 when they fatally shot Jose and Kitty Menendez on August 20, 1989, in the family's Beverly Hills home. They soon fell in love, and following Kitty's graduation from SIU with a BS Degree in Communications, they moved to New York City, where Jose obtained an athletic scholarship from Queens College. Jill Clayburgh (in Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders), Beverly DAngelo (in Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills), Courtney Love (in Menendez: Blood Brothers), Lolita Davidovich (in Law & Order True Crime), Kittys nickname was a childhood nickname given to her by her older brother Brian. Although the family was not among the elite, Jose's parents were celebrity athletes and he and his two sisters wanted for nothing. He was known among show business celebrities and had a successful career in the industry. The Menendez Family Jose Menendez was born in Cuba on May 6, 1944, and moved to the US when he was 16 years old. She was proud that she drank cognac, Cox said, because she thought it was a high-class drink. He added that she believed one of Lyle Menendezs girlfriends would not have been a trophy wife and worried that the young woman was taking him places sexually that he was not prepared to go.. [25] Represented by their defense lawyer, Leslie Abramson, the brothers stated that they killed their parents out of fear for their lives after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of their parents, especially sexual abuse at the hands of their father, who was described as a cruel perfectionist and pedophile. Charles was very abusive towards Kitty and her brothers, while Kittys sister Joan had gotten married and left home. Both men will spend the rest of their lives in prison. Jose and Kitty Menendez: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. At 10 years old, she was sent to boarding school for one year. Both Lyle, 27, and Erik, 24, have admitted to . "[46][47] In an October 2005 interview with ABC News, she described her relationship with Erik as "something that I've dreamed about for a long time. Learn more about managing a memorial . Since they were considered to be maximum-security inmates, they were segregated from other prisoners. (Family members later disputed a connection between their spending and the murder of their parents, claiming that there were no changes in their spending habits after the killings. Because of the hostile divorce, Kitty was withdrawn and often depressed while growing up, and she would have nothing to do with her father. El 20 de agosto de 1989, Jos y Mary & # x201C; Kitty & # x201D; Menndez fueron encontrados muertos a tiros en su casa de Beverly Hills en 722 North Elm Drive. The two married in 1963, and moved to New York, where Jose worked for Coopers & Lybrand accounting firm. [26], The allegations against the couple were supported by two family members during their testimonies. Her father, Charles Milton Andersen, was a United States Army veteran who started his own air conditioning and heating company. Lyle Menendez claimed his father forced him to perform oral sex on him. You can catch up on the story with The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All also on Hulu. Following the divorce, her mother became bitter and turned to alcohol to cope. During the evening of August 20, 1989, brothers Lyle Menendez (aged 21) and Erik Menendez (aged 18) murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, with a 12-gauge shotgun in their lush Beverly Hills mansion. When asked if they forgive Erik and Lyle for murdering Jose and Kitty, with . She was 100 percent sure that they fabricated their defense. The episode focuses on the brothers and their new wave of supporters on social media. The couple were fatally shot as they were sprayed with bullets in their den. After high school, Kitty attended Southern Illinois University. The doctors mistress overheard those recorded sessions and notified police who arrested Lyle on March 8, 1990, and Erik on March 11. The Menendez brothers attacked their parents while their mother rested her head on their father's lap. A few years ago the Menendez family enjoyed an outing together. In 1960, a 16 year-old Jose left the country to live in the United States, flying with his sister's fianc. However, those who came to know her described her as a high-strung woman who had great difficulty coping with stress, and her husband's repeated extramarital affairs drove her to despair. Prosecutors were highly skeptical of Lyle Menendez's claims. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Over the next twenty years, the family had moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where their sons, Joseph and Erik, were born, and then to Beverly Hills, California, where Jose worked in the Carolco Film Company as an executive. He was known among show business celebrities and had a successful career in the industry. After that Vander Molen told Kitty Menendez and she did not believe what Lyle said. [46] Despite his life sentence, Erik stated: "Tammi is what gets me through. "[46], In 2010, A&E released Mrs.Menndez, a documentary about Tammi. Kitty's concern about her sons. Despite growing up lavishly in the opulent Mediterranean-style mansion of their parents, the 21 and 18-year-old brothers had allegedly been so tormented by their father that they decided to murder them both in one fell swoop. https://t.co/4Nf6IhQnpW pic.twitter.com/0w18ucsUn7, The outlet describes one witness who testified in trial a guest who sat near Jose during a banquet, and claims that at one point, Jose turned to Lyle and said, Shut up, you dummy., Investigative journalist Dominick Dunne covered the Menendez brothers trial and wrote an article for Vanity Fair in 1990 titled Nightmare on Elm Drive. In the article, Dunne details a trip he took from New York to LA, during which he met a teenage boy who was returning to California after a sojourn in Europe. He struck up a conversation with the boy, and learned he lived in the same general area as the house where Kitty and Jose were shot. Kitty then took Lyle upstairs and that was the last Vander Molen heard anything about it. The two murdered their parents to inherit their fortune. According to Jamie, Kitty was very nice to her and never once indicated her dislike since Kitty would take Jamie out to eat and sometimes would attend Jamies tennis matches to support her. 1989] Self-defense claim: Record executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty are shot to death http://t.co/1Pydqo5GRQ pic.twitter.com/W7IUQ8iobY, Mel A. Phillips (@MelPhillips1) August 20, 2014. After they were married, Kitty and Jose struggled for money. "[49] In an interview with People magazine, she stated: Not having sex in my life is difficult, but it's not a problem for me. He moved to the US when he was 16, and met Mary Louise "Kitty". This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. During the penalty phase of the trial, Abramson (the brothers' defense lawyer), apparently told a defense witness named William Vicary to edit his own notes, but the district attorney's office decided not to launch a criminal investigation on Abramson. ). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, Want to solve climate change? He then snagged a lucrative job as an RCA executive and left New York for Los Angeles. August 20, 1989. When police did not arrive, the brothers picked up the shotgun shells from the ground and left the house to dispose of the guns and to build an alibi. TONIGHT ON @ABC: Inside the Menendez brothers' story, 27 years after they killed their parents in Beverly Hills. As in their pretrial detention, the California Department of Corrections separated the brothers and sent them to different prisons. 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