Mrs Doubtfire star, 13, who lived in Menendez house after murders shares 'surprising' detail she noticed

Mrs Doubtfire actress Lisa Jakub has revealed the bizarre detail she noticed while living in the ‘Menendez murder house’ after moving in at just 13, as the brothers stood trial.

Of all the infamous Beverly Hills mansions to live in as a teenager, 722 North Elm Drive is certainly a unique experience.

As Lyle and Erik Menendez faced trial for murdering their parents in 1993, Lisa Jakub, who starred as Lydia Hillard in the classic comedy film alongside the late Robin Williams, was sleeping in Lyle's former bedroom.

The brothers were eventually convicted of first-degree murder in 1996, and they served decades in prison under life sentences without parole before being resentenced to 50 years to life in May 2025. And in 2024, their case was throw back under the spotlight after Ryan Murphy's Netflix series Monster focused on their story.

But despite the house's dark history, it's a surprising detail that has stuck with Jakub all these years later.

Erik and Lyle Menendez pictured outside the Beverly Hills home (Getty Images/Los Angeles Times / Contributor)

How did Lisa Jakub come to live in the Menendez brothers' house?

The child star was just 13 when the unexpected opportunity to move into the mansion landed in her lap.

She had been working with a producer who managed to get a good 'deal' on the property, given the context in which it was sold, of course.

The filmmaker had been looking for someone to house sit, and invited Jakub and her mother to move in with her.

The brothers stood trial in 1993 while Jakub lived at the 'murder house' (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)

'It didn’t feel like a place of torture and murder'

But despite the house being at the center of one of America's most notorious murder cases, the actress recalled feeling 'surprised' by how ordinary the house felt - apart from the 'twenty-three exquisitely decorated rooms' and tennis court, obviously.

Writing on her blog, Jakub said: "Surprisingly, the house was not that creepy. It didn’t feel like a place of torture and murder.

The child star slept in Lyle's bedroom during her time there (20th Century Fox)

"You expect that from dark places with low ceilings, not from a house with a brightly wallpapered sunroom and a restaurant-quality kitchen."

She recalled that in 1993, Graveline Tours would regularly frequent the house, bringing groups of curious tourists hoping to catch a glimpse inside the infamous mansion.

"I heard the monologue so many times I could have given the tour," she wrote.

And the Menendez brothers weren't the only famous names tied to the mansion.

According to a live-in maid who Jakub also shared the space with, Michael Jackson had previously lived at 722 North Elm Drive - and before him, the property had been home to Elton John.

"Who knows what had gone on in there," she wrote.

She starred alongside Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire (20th Century Fox)

'The photos made me catch my breath'

Although Jakub was aware of the mansion’s dark history, she recalled one particularly surreal moment when she switched on the TV, and suddenly saw images of her own home being shown during the ongoing Menendez brothers trial.

"The photos made me catch my breath, and my skin got prickly," she said.

"I started pondering the fragility of life…but, wait. Those windows in the photo…they looked familiar. I glanced behind me. Yep. It was this room."