Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix dramatizes the notorious murder case, once again raising the question of whether the Menendez brothers were long-time victims of abuse, or driven by greed to inherit their father Jose Menendez’s fortune.
Following on from the first chapter of Ryan Murphy’s true crime anthology series on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, Monster Season 2 chronicles the case of the real-life brothers who killed their parents Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in 1989.
To this day, opinion is divided over what drove Lyle and Erik to commit such a cold-blooded act. The Menendez brothers are now serving life in prison sentences, but they continue to fight their case, with new evidence of alleged abuse emerging.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story takes viewers back in time to show the case as it unfolded, and how even before the brothers were arrested, there was speculation their parents were killed due to Jose’s significant wealth. Warning: some may find this content distressing.
Jose Menendez’s net worth at the time of death
Jose’s net worth was estimated to be between $14 million and $15 million before he was killed by his sons Lyle and Erik in 1989.
The Menendez family estate was largely accumulated through Jose’s career in the entertainment industry. His story is often cited as the American dream, having first been sent to the US by his parents following the Cuban Revolution.
As a teenager, he learned English and worked hard at school, eventually going on to obtain an accounting degree at Queens College.
Impressing his employers in the years that followed, he was eventually made executive vice president of the car rental company Hertz, a subsidiary of corporation RCA.
He would then move over to the firm’s records division, rising the ranks to become a top executive in the ‘80s and signing bands such as Duran Duran, The Eurythmics, and Menudo.
José built much of his fortune from this role, moving on to work in the entertainment business, during which time he purchased the then-$4 million Beverly Hills mansion where he and Kitty were murdered.
After their deaths, much of the Menendez estate’s assets were the mansion, a Calabasas property the couple were renovating, Jose’s shares of LIVE Entertainment (now Artisan Entertainment), where he had been chairman, and other personal property and vehicles.
What happened to the Menendez estate?
The Menendez fortune wasn’t what it seemed. After loans, lawyers’ fees, and taxes were deducted, little remained of that $14 million estimation.
In fact, according to the LA Times, following the first two trials, which ended with a hung jury, even if Erik and Lyle were acquitted for the murders, they were set to inherit “nothing.”
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The outlet went on to describe how this was “a remarkable turn of events for a case in which prosecutors have long contended that the brothers killed out of hatred and greed.”
Even the real estate, a significant portion of the net worth, was misrepresented. Reports stated that after loans on the couple’s Calabasas and Beverly Hills properties were deducted, their value dropped down to $5.7 million.
While the brothers split a personal $600,000 life insurance policy, LIVE Entertainment’s $5 million policy wasn’t valid due to a technicality.
Why Lyle and Erik Menendez inherited nothing
As for the Menendez brothers, it’s not surprising their net worth is estimated to be close to nothing, as they were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
But, as reports said at the time, even if they hadn’t been found guilty, the family’s wealth was misrepresented.
After loans and taxes, crime writer Rachel Pergament suggested that the $14 million estate would lead to Erik and Lyle inheriting around $2 million each. Add on the legal fees and the spending spree following their parents’ death, and little is left.
However, the brothers have always maintained that money was never the motivation. Right now, their legal team are fighting to have their guilty conviction vacated in exchange for a manslaughter charge.
Erik and Lyle have continued to argue that they were the victims of a lifetime of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse at the hands of their overbearing parents.
New evidence supporting their claims have emerged in recent months, including the affidavit of Roy Rossello, a former member of the aforementioned boy band group Menudo, who claims Jose raped him in the ‘80s.
Whether this will move the appeal forward is yet to be seen, but what we do know is cases such as this are never easy.
As Kalim Khan, senior partner at Affinitylawyers.ca, told Dexerto, it’ll be an “uphill battle,” one that requires “overwhelming new evidence that was not available at the time of the original trial.”
To learn more about the case, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is streaming on Netflix now. If you’re familiar with the case or you don’t mind spoilers, you can read our breakdown of the ending and why one graphic scene is causing a stir.