Their murder case is one of the most infamous in US history, so Lyle and Erik Menendez had plenty to talk about.
Over five months starting in 2022, Lyle, 56, and Erik, 53, spent more than 20 hours in conversation with director Alejandro Hartmann for a new Netflix documentary, The Menendez Brothers, streaming October 7.
In a series of taped phone calls from California’s Donovan Correctional Institution, where they are both incarcerated, the brothers talked with Hartmann about everything from growing up in Beverly Hills with a hard-driving father they accuse of sexually abusing them to how terrified they are. say how they felt after they killed their parents in 1989.
One topic neither brother wanted to discuss was the possibility of a retrial.
“Erik didn’t want to talk about it because he doesn’t want to have false expectations,” says Hartmann.
Convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 after a mistrial in 1993, the brothers were sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Over the years, they tried unsuccessfully to appeal their sentences.
Despite being in prison, the brothers have been in the news lately for the Ryan Murphy-directed true crime drama, monsters, also streaming on Netflix.
On Thursday, October 3, LA District Attorney George Gascon held a press conference announcing that his office is reviewing possible new evidence of sexual abuse alleged by the brothers and that their sentence may be reconsidered.
At first Erik did not want to participate in the documentary, but Lyle, who had not spoken publicly since he and Eric sat down with Barbara Walters for a television interview in June 1996, agreed to speak with him.
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“I think he liked that I wasn’t American,” says Hartmann, who is Argentinian. “He thought I shouldn’t be so biased.
He adds: “I think maybe after 30 years without talking, maybe it’s time.”
Their conversations began in April 2022 “like a chat,” says Hartmann, who has directed other Netflix documentaries including Photographer: Murder in Pinamarin 2022.
“We started talking about life. The World Cup was coming. Lyle really likes football. Me too. We started talking more and more and eventually it became an interview,” he says.
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Months after their conversation, Lyle told Erik that he should talk to Hartmann, who had gained Lyle’s trust. “Eventually Erik agreed,” says Hartmann, who started talking to him in November 2022.
Brothers Have Different Personalities: Director
Like many other siblings, the brothers have different personalities, he says. “Lyle was raised to be the golden boy, the heir to his father,” says Hartmann. “Erik was much more shy, more connected to his mother.”
“Sometimes you feel that Lyle is trying to control the situation,” he says. “Erik was more open to talking about things directly.”
Both of them, he says, “are people who think deeply. Very intelligent, I enjoyed talking with them. Even though we went through some very difficult parts of the stories they told me, I enjoyed talking to them.”
It included details of alleged sexual abuse by their father and how they claim their mother ignored them. “They told me about great depressions, very difficult moments during their imprisonment,” he says.
These days, Lyle is busy with projects to improve the lives of inmates, including starting a program to bring cats and dogs into the prison.
“Lyle really likes working with other people,” he says. “Erik is more focused on his own spirituality. He meditates. He discovered art.”
He believes they both regret killing their parents.
“I think they probably think about what happened every day,” he says.
The Menendez brothers airs on Netflix on October 7.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the crisis line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education