The Student Newspaper of Highline College

Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images

Erik Menendez (left) and his brother, Lyle, sit in the courtroom during a pre-trial hearing in December 1992 in Los Angeles.

Is “Monsters: A Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” inaccurate?

Lilu Emayo Staff Reporter Oct 24, 2024

Many people are questioning whether the Netflix series “Monsters: A Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is accurate or not. Recent claims made by Erik Menendez about the Netflix series involving the murder of their parents he and his brother were convicted of committing says that the show is full of “Blatant lies” about him and his brother.

“Monsters: A Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” was released on Sept. 19, 2024, this series shows what the show producers think the Menendez brother’s lives were like and what led up to the murders. 

‘Monsters’ is producer Ryan Murphy’s newest project with Netflix, depicting Lyle and Erik Menendez killing their parents by shooting them in their home in 1996. The crux of the story is that the prosecution argued that the reason the brothers killed their parents was because they wanted to inherit their family’s fortune, but the brothers claim it was not for the money – it was to protect themselves from the physical, mental, and sexual abuse.

Erik Menendez stated through his wife, Tammi Menendez that the show is “misleadingly portraying him and his brother and there are blatant lies rampant in the show.”. In the same statement, he claimed producer Ryan Murphy “shapes his horrible narrative through the vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and me and disheartening slander”.

Despite Erik Menendez’s criticisms, Murphy stands by his telling of the infamous criminal trial: telling Vanity Fair “All the stuff in here, by the way, is true.” According to the producer, the brother’s reactions are “faux outrage” and that the show “Is the best thing that has happened to the Menendes brothers in 30 years in prison.”

Regardless of anyone’s position on this show’s vantage point, the series is clearly drawing more attention to the Menendez case, garnering either disdain for the brothers or sympathy from people who believe Erik and Lyle Menendez were wrongfully convicted.

While the public is still wondering whether or not the Menendez Brothers or Ryan Murphy are giving an honest account regarding the new Netflix series, the real life story is continuing to unravel.

While the two brothers are still serving two consecutive life sentences without parole, news has recently broke that their futures may change soon. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has told the press he will announce his decision this coming Thursday, Oct. 31 concerning the possible resentencing of Lyle and Erik Menendez.