Menendez brothers' link to tragic real-life murder of young Hollywood star explained
Lyle and Erik Menendez's link to the tragic real-life murder of a young Hollywood has been explained.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story launched on Netflix earlier this month, and it seems like everyone is watching it.
Acting as a follow-up to Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the second season focuses on the case of the Menendez Brothers, Lyle and Erik.
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The brothers were convicted of murdering their parents at their family home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, in 1989.
45-year-old José and his 47-year-old wife Kitty Menendez were shot 16 times with shotguns.
The pair alleged during their trial they'd been the victim of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. However, prosecutors argued that they had killed them for financial benefit.
Lyle and Erik were ultimately found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life without possibility of parole.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story retells the brothers' story, with episode seven being of particular interest to viewers.
During the episode, viewers learn about how writer Dominick Dunne becomes personally impacted by Lyle and Erik murdering their parents.
As footage of Dunne's daughter being taken off life support, a fictional version of the Hollywood writer said: "My ex-wife and I had two daughters before Dominique, but they both died in infancy. That made Dominique our miracle daughter — our angel. We always assumed she would bury us. That’s the way it is supposed to be.
"I was convinced that would be the most difficult moment of the entire ordeal and our entire lives. But I was wrong. Far worse was watching the trial of [her murderer] John Sweeney and how the defense tried to make him out to be the victim."
Dominick covered the infamous Menendez trial for Vanity Fair while he was also grieving the loss of his daughter.
Seven years earlier, Dominique was strangled by Sweeney, her partner at the time, and fell into a coma before dying five days later.
Sweeney was ultimately convicted of voluntary manslaughter and spent three and a half years in prison.
Nathan Lane, who plays Dominick Dunne in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, said in the series: "That’s why I never believe a word that comes out of a defense attorney’s mouth.
"[They will do anything to help their client]. Even if it means desecrating the memory of the real victims, which is like murdering them a second time."
Before her untimely death, Dominique had made a bit of a name for herself in Hollywood, featuring in the likes of Poltergeist and The Shadow Riders.
Topics: Film and TV, Hollywood, Netflix, True crime
Callum Jones