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The Menendez Murders, Updated Edition: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation
Discover the definitive book on the Menendez case—and the disquieting true story behind Netflix’s The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
A successful entertainment executive making $2 million a year. His former beauty queen wife. Their two sons on the fast track to success. But it was all a façade.
The Menendez saga has captivated the American public since 1989. The killing of José and Kitty Menendez on a quiet Sunday evening in Beverly Hills didn’t make the cover of People magazine until the arrest of their sons seven months later, when the case developed an intense cult following. By the time the first Menendez trial began in July 1993, the public was convinced that Lyle and Erik were a pair of greedy rich kids who had killed loving, devoted parents.
The real story remained buried beneath years of dark secrets.
A culmination of more than 30 years of journalist Robert Rand’s relentless reporting, this updated edition of The Menendez Murders shares these intimate, breakthrough findings, including a deeply disturbing history of child abuse and sexual molestation in the Menendez family going back generations, as well as exclusive new revelations linking the 1980s boy band Menudo and the Menendez family, a first-hand account of the emotional reunion between Erik and Lyle Menendez, and surprising insights into how the Menendez brothers remain resilient and live with purpose despite a life sentence without parole.
Rand has followed the Menendez murders from the beginning and is the only reporter who covered the original investigation as well as both trials. With a unique vantage and unparalleled access to the Menendez family and their history, including interviews with both brothers before and after their arrest, Rand has uncovered extraordinary details that would certainly have changed the fate of the brothers’ first-degree murder conviction in 1996. Today, his discoveries give the brothers new hope for reopening the case.
A successful entertainment executive making $2 million a year. His former beauty queen wife. Their two sons on the fast track to success. But it was all a façade.
The Menendez saga has captivated the American public since 1989. The killing of José and Kitty Menendez on a quiet Sunday evening in Beverly Hills didn’t make the cover of People magazine until the arrest of their sons seven months later, when the case developed an intense cult following. By the time the first Menendez trial began in July 1993, the public was convinced that Lyle and Erik were a pair of greedy rich kids who had killed loving, devoted parents.
The real story remained buried beneath years of dark secrets.
A culmination of more than 30 years of journalist Robert Rand’s relentless reporting, this updated edition of The Menendez Murders shares these intimate, breakthrough findings, including a deeply disturbing history of child abuse and sexual molestation in the Menendez family going back generations, as well as exclusive new revelations linking the 1980s boy band Menudo and the Menendez family, a first-hand account of the emotional reunion between Erik and Lyle Menendez, and surprising insights into how the Menendez brothers remain resilient and live with purpose despite a life sentence without parole.
Rand has followed the Menendez murders from the beginning and is the only reporter who covered the original investigation as well as both trials. With a unique vantage and unparalleled access to the Menendez family and their history, including interviews with both brothers before and after their arrest, Rand has uncovered extraordinary details that would certainly have changed the fate of the brothers’ first-degree murder conviction in 1996. Today, his discoveries give the brothers new hope for reopening the case.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2024
318 people are currently reading
834 people want to read
About the author
Robert Rand
4 books5 followersRobert Rand is an Emmy award winning journalist who began covering the Menendez brothers' case for the Miami Herald the day after the killings on August 21,1989. He was in court daily for both trials in 1993-94 and 1995-96 and provided analysis for Court TV, ABC, and CBS News. Rand spent three days interviewing both brothers 2 months after the murders and 5 months before their March 1990 arrest. The Miami Herald published the first speculation that the investigation was focused on them in Dec 1989. Rand's cover story for People Magazine, "A Beverly Hills Paradise Lost," was published March 26, 1990.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 10, 2024
Believe Survivors.
May 17, 2025
If you only plan on reading one book about this topic, let it be this one. The details and access the author provides from the beginning to present day is extraordinary.
February 10, 2026
I have to ponder on this book for awhile. I will be back to write a review after all I have read sinks in. Very disturbing with so many variables I just never knew.
I have now had a week or so to really think of all I read in this book and I do have an opinion and it is only an opinion and not based on any facts because two of the people were brutally and admittedly murdered by their two sons.
The Abuse Excuse: This is one part of the crime I just can’t make my mind up about as to if it’s truth or just a thought up fabrication by the defense to give Lyle and Eric some defining reason for murdering their parents while they were watching television and enjoying some ice cream.
It’s the son’s words against their dead parents words and the dead can only say so much.
What their bodies said was this was overkill. Overkill by a massive amount. Lyle placed the barrel of the shotgun against his mother’s face and turned her into basically liquid. Why? Why such hatred? Why so much for her? Because she knew about the abuse by their father and did not protect them? Maybe, but I think by the time they had reloaded the guns Lyle had completely lost his mind and could not even take looking into his mother’s face any longer.
The father: family members and I believe it was a friend of one of the boys stated in the first trial that the abuse had been mentioned and Kitty had been told and she just shooed them away. Now we have the member of the group Menudo coming forward saying Jose sexually assaulted him as a teen, too. It really does make you think. Lyle said he told his Dad to stop because it hurt and his Dad said he was sorry and stopped. No more. Eric said it was still going on with him just weeks before the murders. I’m sure something like that would definitely mess up your mind and fear can set in. I do think Eric feared his father. I think both boys did. I think Kitty did, too. It’s just a hard call to make when you consider how the boys reacted right after the murders.
The shopping sprees? Rolexes and a Jeep and a restaurant and then calling right away to find out when the insurance money was going to be paid?? Getting a tech person to try to delete a copy of the will on his Dad’s computer?? Not a good look for two boys who just killed their parents and lied about it for quite awhile.
It seems odd that Eric would spill his guts out to his shrink about shooting his parents…. Tell Lyle he told the shrink… scared the shrink so badly he asked an ex flame to sit outside while he taped their appointments and after admitting to all that carnage… neither of them mentioned abuse at all. The word abuse only came up during preparation for the first trial. That… that makes me wonder if it was true or not. Eric saying he wanted to protect his Dad’s good reputation?? I mean… you killed him. He’s dead. You don’t need to protect him anymore. I don’t know… maybe it was embarrassment. Maybe they felt shame over what had happened. It was not their fault if it happened and it’s heartbreaking to think that even after they killed both their parents they feel the need to protect their “good name”? So many people have said Jose was a very strict person. In both life and work.
I feel… and like I said…. This is only my opinion… I feel like the sexual abuse did not happen. I do feel like their father belittled them, probably struck them, threatened to cut their money off and after Lyle got thrown out of Princeton for cheating and sent back home and then Jose told Eric forget about going to college anywhere but right in California and he would be living at home and not on campus a switch got flipped and the boys said… enough. We want the money…. We don’t want to be told what to do and we are not willing to see if Dad will change the will. Let’s kill them now!
That is why Kitty died. Collateral Damage. If just Jose died… she got the money. Both had to die and their excuse that they killed their Mom to save her from suffering anymore made no sense to me. If Jose was the one causing her all the suffering, after he was gone, she would have been free to live the life she wanted.
But as long as she was alive….. the brothers couldn’t because I’m sure somewhere in that will it said they did not get anything until both parents were gone or they were on a vesting schedule. A million at age 30? Who knows?
But the first trial was a hung jury…. Even with all the awful abuse details and testimonies and plenty of tears from both boys.
The second trial…. The Abuse Excuse was not allowed. It was considered hearsay. And Jose was not there to defend himself.
But now it looks like they may get another ruling and it appears the Prosecutors are willing to say let the judge decide and the judge is leaning towards a lesser sentence of second degree murder because they boys may not have gotten a fair trial the second time.
Now they say it will likely be time served.
And they have served a lot of time.
But the case still leaves me unsure. Still confused.
If Jose did those things in my opinion he got what he deserved. Even though the law does not allow it.
But Kitty was gunned down. And that is still First Degree Murder in my opinion. They got life without parole for her murder. I can understand that. And they should not be let out of prison. Ever.
Just too many unanswered questions that we will never know the answers.
But this was a very well written book, well researched and very interesting. Definitely worth the read.
I have now had a week or so to really think of all I read in this book and I do have an opinion and it is only an opinion and not based on any facts because two of the people were brutally and admittedly murdered by their two sons.
The Abuse Excuse: This is one part of the crime I just can’t make my mind up about as to if it’s truth or just a thought up fabrication by the defense to give Lyle and Eric some defining reason for murdering their parents while they were watching television and enjoying some ice cream.
It’s the son’s words against their dead parents words and the dead can only say so much.
What their bodies said was this was overkill. Overkill by a massive amount. Lyle placed the barrel of the shotgun against his mother’s face and turned her into basically liquid. Why? Why such hatred? Why so much for her? Because she knew about the abuse by their father and did not protect them? Maybe, but I think by the time they had reloaded the guns Lyle had completely lost his mind and could not even take looking into his mother’s face any longer.
The father: family members and I believe it was a friend of one of the boys stated in the first trial that the abuse had been mentioned and Kitty had been told and she just shooed them away. Now we have the member of the group Menudo coming forward saying Jose sexually assaulted him as a teen, too. It really does make you think. Lyle said he told his Dad to stop because it hurt and his Dad said he was sorry and stopped. No more. Eric said it was still going on with him just weeks before the murders. I’m sure something like that would definitely mess up your mind and fear can set in. I do think Eric feared his father. I think both boys did. I think Kitty did, too. It’s just a hard call to make when you consider how the boys reacted right after the murders.
The shopping sprees? Rolexes and a Jeep and a restaurant and then calling right away to find out when the insurance money was going to be paid?? Getting a tech person to try to delete a copy of the will on his Dad’s computer?? Not a good look for two boys who just killed their parents and lied about it for quite awhile.
It seems odd that Eric would spill his guts out to his shrink about shooting his parents…. Tell Lyle he told the shrink… scared the shrink so badly he asked an ex flame to sit outside while he taped their appointments and after admitting to all that carnage… neither of them mentioned abuse at all. The word abuse only came up during preparation for the first trial. That… that makes me wonder if it was true or not. Eric saying he wanted to protect his Dad’s good reputation?? I mean… you killed him. He’s dead. You don’t need to protect him anymore. I don’t know… maybe it was embarrassment. Maybe they felt shame over what had happened. It was not their fault if it happened and it’s heartbreaking to think that even after they killed both their parents they feel the need to protect their “good name”? So many people have said Jose was a very strict person. In both life and work.
I feel… and like I said…. This is only my opinion… I feel like the sexual abuse did not happen. I do feel like their father belittled them, probably struck them, threatened to cut their money off and after Lyle got thrown out of Princeton for cheating and sent back home and then Jose told Eric forget about going to college anywhere but right in California and he would be living at home and not on campus a switch got flipped and the boys said… enough. We want the money…. We don’t want to be told what to do and we are not willing to see if Dad will change the will. Let’s kill them now!
That is why Kitty died. Collateral Damage. If just Jose died… she got the money. Both had to die and their excuse that they killed their Mom to save her from suffering anymore made no sense to me. If Jose was the one causing her all the suffering, after he was gone, she would have been free to live the life she wanted.
But as long as she was alive….. the brothers couldn’t because I’m sure somewhere in that will it said they did not get anything until both parents were gone or they were on a vesting schedule. A million at age 30? Who knows?
But the first trial was a hung jury…. Even with all the awful abuse details and testimonies and plenty of tears from both boys.
The second trial…. The Abuse Excuse was not allowed. It was considered hearsay. And Jose was not there to defend himself.
But now it looks like they may get another ruling and it appears the Prosecutors are willing to say let the judge decide and the judge is leaning towards a lesser sentence of second degree murder because they boys may not have gotten a fair trial the second time.
Now they say it will likely be time served.
And they have served a lot of time.
But the case still leaves me unsure. Still confused.
If Jose did those things in my opinion he got what he deserved. Even though the law does not allow it.
But Kitty was gunned down. And that is still First Degree Murder in my opinion. They got life without parole for her murder. I can understand that. And they should not be let out of prison. Ever.
Just too many unanswered questions that we will never know the answers.
But this was a very well written book, well researched and very interesting. Definitely worth the read.
October 3, 2024
I received a free copy of The Menedez Murders, Updated Edition, by Robert Rand, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I remember well this case, The Menedez brothers Lyle and Eric, accused and convicted of killing their parents Jose and Kitty Menedez. I have always thought the brothers killed their parents ans this book solidified that. This was a really good read.
January 7, 2025
An excellent account of the case - including both trials. In my opinion, a source that’s right up there along with the tapes of the first trial and the transcripts of the second trial. Read this if you want the FACTS.
November 13, 2024
If you're interested in the Menendez case, you'll find so much information. It's all well-researched, factual, backed up information about every player in this case from birth to death or imprisonment. Every quandary you've ever had about any part of this family's life can be found in these pages. And in that way, this book is excellent.
If you want a readable true crime story, this is not the book for you. It's all over the place, jumping from one subject or person to another. The dialogue is jumbled, confusing. A lot can be said about one thing, and yet after reading it, you're not sure what actually happened. Like three paragraphs discuss Kitty wanting to hold one of the boys back in school, but I'm still not sure if she did or not. It needs an editor so badly.
All in all, this was a hard book to rate and review. I got a lot of info; stuff I've wanted to know about this case for decades. But reading was so hard and confusing.
If you want a readable true crime story, this is not the book for you. It's all over the place, jumping from one subject or person to another. The dialogue is jumbled, confusing. A lot can be said about one thing, and yet after reading it, you're not sure what actually happened. Like three paragraphs discuss Kitty wanting to hold one of the boys back in school, but I'm still not sure if she did or not. It needs an editor so badly.
All in all, this was a hard book to rate and review. I got a lot of info; stuff I've wanted to know about this case for decades. But reading was so hard and confusing.
October 15, 2024
Since the release of the Netflix documentary, I have been totally entranced by this case. I turned to this book when I heard disputes of the show’s accuracy. I wanted to understand the evidence myself, before believing what the dramatization depicted. This book was profoundly factual and interesting. Robert Rand’s reporting on the murders is unparalleled, his personal investment in the survivors of the narrative is inspiring. Even thirty years later, the Menendez brothers are provoking necessary conversation about sexual abuse, prison reform, and what defines a fair and just trial!
October 5, 2024
The inclusion of statements from the jurors and their reasonings for their verdicts across both trials was so, so interesting, particularly the divide between the men and women jurors and their beliefs about the sexual abuse. This book read like fiction and the inclusion of the new evidence was also beneficial.
January 17, 2026
as a social worker, i’ve always had a deep interest in crime & justice, as they go hand in hand. this book was one of the best true crime novels i’ve read. the author directly followed the case from the day it began, and still does today. despite the author developing a close friendship/sense of advocacy for the Menendez brother’s, his account is extremely factual and unbiased, and is the most detailed account i’ve read of this case. I learned so much from this, and i was someone who knew a great amount about this already. I feel so strongly about this situation, it was such a disappointment to see the court totally disregard the mental health and family history. my hopes are that the courts are run far differently in LA today. crimes like these can be prevented if mental health is taken seriously! I cried so much reading this. I’m so glad the brothers have done so much good for their prison community, and glad that they seem to continue to grow from their situation. Leaving this review with 3 quotes that stuck with me in the book.
“every day that Lyle was on the witness stand, he carried a different letter in his pocket from one of the abuse survivors who told him nobody had believed them when they were growing up”
“all four of them needed help. and there never was any help for this family”.
“several of the jurors told me later they would not have voted for murder if they’d heard more of the family history during the guilt phase of the trial”.
“every day that Lyle was on the witness stand, he carried a different letter in his pocket from one of the abuse survivors who told him nobody had believed them when they were growing up”
“all four of them needed help. and there never was any help for this family”.
“several of the jurors told me later they would not have voted for murder if they’d heard more of the family history during the guilt phase of the trial”.
May 18, 2025
what i appreciate about this book is that it essentially covers the “WHY” from an unbiased account and presents commentary and facts from both the defense and prosecution.
Robert Rand has been involved with the Menendez brothers, legal trials, and case in general since the very beginning so there’s no better source IMO.
with the recent Netflix series and the Menendez brothers reaching a new re-sentencing/probation trial - i wanted to educate myself more on the case and facts. this book does a great job laying out the facts and allowing the reader to formulate their own opinion.
absolutely mind boggling reading insight from the jury from both sides…. there are people out there who don’t believe that men can be physically and sexually abused??? but i do feel hopeful that society has changed since the 90’s.
it’s not an argument whether murder is wrong — because that’s a given.
however, it’s been 35 years. years of positive impact in prison, educational degrees reached, advocation from direct family members, and coming forth from Menudo. do with that what you will!
Robert Rand has been involved with the Menendez brothers, legal trials, and case in general since the very beginning so there’s no better source IMO.
with the recent Netflix series and the Menendez brothers reaching a new re-sentencing/probation trial - i wanted to educate myself more on the case and facts. this book does a great job laying out the facts and allowing the reader to formulate their own opinion.
absolutely mind boggling reading insight from the jury from both sides…. there are people out there who don’t believe that men can be physically and sexually abused??? but i do feel hopeful that society has changed since the 90’s.
it’s not an argument whether murder is wrong — because that’s a given.
however, it’s been 35 years. years of positive impact in prison, educational degrees reached, advocation from direct family members, and coming forth from Menudo. do with that what you will!
December 26, 2025
My heart breakes for this two boys or men as they are now. It's really amazing what they achieved in jail
September 24, 2024
This book reads like fiction, but is absolutely devastating.
This case has always sparked my interest in some way or another.
This book was brilliant but terribly sad.
The updated version includes the new evidence , which is good👍
Read if you can!!
This case has always sparked my interest in some way or another.
This book was brilliant but terribly sad.
The updated version includes the new evidence , which is good👍
Read if you can!!
May 14, 2025
One of my favorite things about this book was the layout. It was extremely well-organized, and the story (from beginning to end) was executed effectively. Each section was short, which made the book incredibly hard to put down.
I only learned about this case in October of last year, just a month after this updated version of the book was released. The story of the Menendez family and what happened to the brothers after the murder of their parents was absolutely fascinating. After watching the Monsters series on Netflix and the docuseries on Max, I knew I had to read this book too.
The book provided a lot of insight into events that were touched on in the shows, but it also included plenty of details that weren’t covered at all. It still blows my mind how wild this case became, especially involving Judalon and Dr. Oziel. Those two felt like the most random characters, yet they played such major roles in how everything unfolded.
I think Rand does an excellent job presenting all the facts from interviews and court proceedings, maintaining a neutral tone that lets the reader form their own opinion about the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez.
After finishing the book, my opinion hasn’t changed about what I believe happened. Still, it was a great read. Highly recommended for any true crime fan.
I only learned about this case in October of last year, just a month after this updated version of the book was released. The story of the Menendez family and what happened to the brothers after the murder of their parents was absolutely fascinating. After watching the Monsters series on Netflix and the docuseries on Max, I knew I had to read this book too.
The book provided a lot of insight into events that were touched on in the shows, but it also included plenty of details that weren’t covered at all. It still blows my mind how wild this case became, especially involving Judalon and Dr. Oziel. Those two felt like the most random characters, yet they played such major roles in how everything unfolded.
I think Rand does an excellent job presenting all the facts from interviews and court proceedings, maintaining a neutral tone that lets the reader form their own opinion about the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez.
After finishing the book, my opinion hasn’t changed about what I believe happened. Still, it was a great read. Highly recommended for any true crime fan.
August 20, 2025
Always believe the victims.
If there’s ever one book you want to read on this case, it should be this one. Robert Rand has done an incredible job of telling Lyle and Erik Menendez’ story from the beginning to present. This book is so incredibly detailed and in depth, it doesn’t miss a single beat of information.
If there’s ever one book you want to read on this case, it should be this one. Robert Rand has done an incredible job of telling Lyle and Erik Menendez’ story from the beginning to present. This book is so incredibly detailed and in depth, it doesn’t miss a single beat of information.
October 28, 2024
This is the kind of story that as you read, you don’t think it could get any worse….and then it does. Robert Rand does a phenomenal job of providing an unbiased, factual account of the Menendez murders. Just be prepared to cry and have your heart ripped out.
October 23, 2024
Very well done. I especially liked the chapters that explained what the jury was thinking. Literally know nothing about Menudo and haven’t watched that docuseries but the chapter that explained the new evidence went into enough detail about it that I didn’t feel like I was missing out. Definitely a must read if you seen the Netflix show Monsters as well as the newest doc.
November 10, 2024
If you're looking for a book about this case that is impartial and tells you everything, this is the one.
This was one of the hardest books I've ever read in my life. The amount of disgust I felt reading about the trials and then the jurors discussions (with some really questionable arguments being used by them) and then the anguish of knowing what was going to happen but still hoping it didn't.
The final, updated part was so disgusting regards to what it talks about and what we get to know, this whole story is so heartbreaking and as so much injustice in it.
Spoiler: I was shocked when I found out that Jose never sent Erik's application to other universities, he was planning for months to keep Erik in the house, to keep abusing him, and that just enraged me, how can a person be this cruel!?
This was one of the hardest books I've ever read in my life. The amount of disgust I felt reading about the trials and then the jurors discussions (with some really questionable arguments being used by them) and then the anguish of knowing what was going to happen but still hoping it didn't.
The final, updated part was so disgusting regards to what it talks about and what we get to know, this whole story is so heartbreaking and as so much injustice in it.
Spoiler: I was shocked when I found out that Jose never sent Erik's application to other universities, he was planning for months to keep Erik in the house, to keep abusing him, and that just enraged me, how can a person be this cruel!?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2025
This would be a great book club selection! Do you believe their accusations of abuse or not? A very riveting read!
November 13, 2024
“I believe him, which means one of two things. Either those two boys endured the most sickening abuse imaginable and their parents got exactly what was coming to them, or you were able to coach that performance out of a lying, murderous psychopath. I don't know which one of those possibilities scares me more.” - Dominick Dunne (Monsters)
October 16, 2024
if only ryan murphy read this book before the series it would have been even better. this book gives so much important information about the case and it’s eye opening.
December 1, 2024
I hope Lyle and Erik get the freedom they deserve. It’s the least that can be done.
January 10, 2025
free ‘em
November 21, 2024
i apologize because this review is going to be fairly long and i don’t think i’ve ever written something like this on here.
i think it is so interesting how profoundly impactful people you’ve never met can be on your life. when i was in high school, dateline released an episode about the menendez brothers. i had never heard about them before since i wasn’t alive at the time of the murder and trials, but as a teenager who was invested in the true crime boom of the 2010s i watched the episode. at this time i had also developed an interest in criminal justice because i had read in cold blood by truman capote (my favorite book of all time) in school. discovering the menendez brothers case at this exact point in my life completely changed who i was and shaped me into who i am today. i think most people who know me know i feel extremely strongly about the criminal justice system in this country and how we need to change how we view and treat incarcerated people, and while ive never said it out loud that is influenced heavily by erik and lyle.
the things erik and lyle have experienced resonate with me deeply. despite obviously not knowing them, i feel connected to them through my own experiences. it is unbearably sad to know that they were punished for sharing the darkest and most horrific things they had been through not only with that courtroom, but with the entire world. victims get told no one will ever believe them and erik and lyle had that proven to them on a scale so large it would make anyone else sick. i admire them both for their bravery. i don’t think they ever set out to do anything but share their story in order to protect themselves, but they had an impact on so many people who understood what they had been through and they realized it then and now. lyle bringing a different letter with him to court every day from someone who had written to him saying they also had been abused but never thought anyone would believe them is something i will think about for the rest of my life.
when it came out that the brothers were recommended for resentencing last month, i cried. in all those years since learning about the horrible injustice they’ve faced, i never imagined anyone in power would stand up for them. i didn’t think it was ever possible for them to be freed. things aren’t going the way i had hoped back in october, but i wont lose faith that someone will finally do right by erik and lyle. i want to see them free. they deserve to be free. i believe it would be a major first step towards some serious criminal justice reform but it would also be freeing, i think, for many people who have any shared experience with the brothers. all i want is happiness and peace for both of them for the rest of their lives.
i think it is so interesting how profoundly impactful people you’ve never met can be on your life. when i was in high school, dateline released an episode about the menendez brothers. i had never heard about them before since i wasn’t alive at the time of the murder and trials, but as a teenager who was invested in the true crime boom of the 2010s i watched the episode. at this time i had also developed an interest in criminal justice because i had read in cold blood by truman capote (my favorite book of all time) in school. discovering the menendez brothers case at this exact point in my life completely changed who i was and shaped me into who i am today. i think most people who know me know i feel extremely strongly about the criminal justice system in this country and how we need to change how we view and treat incarcerated people, and while ive never said it out loud that is influenced heavily by erik and lyle.
the things erik and lyle have experienced resonate with me deeply. despite obviously not knowing them, i feel connected to them through my own experiences. it is unbearably sad to know that they were punished for sharing the darkest and most horrific things they had been through not only with that courtroom, but with the entire world. victims get told no one will ever believe them and erik and lyle had that proven to them on a scale so large it would make anyone else sick. i admire them both for their bravery. i don’t think they ever set out to do anything but share their story in order to protect themselves, but they had an impact on so many people who understood what they had been through and they realized it then and now. lyle bringing a different letter with him to court every day from someone who had written to him saying they also had been abused but never thought anyone would believe them is something i will think about for the rest of my life.
when it came out that the brothers were recommended for resentencing last month, i cried. in all those years since learning about the horrible injustice they’ve faced, i never imagined anyone in power would stand up for them. i didn’t think it was ever possible for them to be freed. things aren’t going the way i had hoped back in october, but i wont lose faith that someone will finally do right by erik and lyle. i want to see them free. they deserve to be free. i believe it would be a major first step towards some serious criminal justice reform but it would also be freeing, i think, for many people who have any shared experience with the brothers. all i want is happiness and peace for both of them for the rest of their lives.
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October 30, 2024A very riveting and comprehensive book, seeing that Robert Rand dedicated 30 years to cover the Menendez brothers’ case. Tbh i only learned of this case in passing in 2020 since I distinctly remember that old photo of Jose Menendez carrying his sons on his lap while Erik is looking at a clearly uncomfortable Lyle to his left. With the release of the Netflix documentary film, I grew curious and so i watched it and came out DISTRAUGHT. The same way I felt so nauseated when i watched a few clips of Erik’s testimony of the abuse. The fact that he struggled to say the word “molested” and he couldn’t even say that he was “raped”, and called these disgusting acts as sex. He even had names for the classifications of sexual acts his father inflicted upon him. “Knees”, “Nice sex”, “Rough sex”….. fucking hell. How can a father do this to a child? How can a person do that to anyone?
Not to mention that he had to say this in front of the court and then be televised….. and to be continuously mocked and ridiculed…. up to this day, mind you. They are strong people. I feel great empathy for people who went through abuse. To say it is so difficult. To acknowledge that it happened to you. Saying it out loud makes it painfully real. I guess it hurt me on a deeper personal level because I have experienced harassment once or twice in my life (that is in no way even comparable to theirs), and i understand how difficult it is to say it. To recount the humiliation while a thousand eyes scrutinize and judge you. I can’t even imagine having to tell it to the world just to not be believed. The system really failed them. God… that second trial most especially. The OJ Simpson trial, the politics, the exclusion of key testimonies, homophobia… and many more factors that led to their verdict. They just kept piling up, and the brothers were wronged at every turn. Leslie even said that Erik has had the worst karma of anyone she’s ever known.
“The brothers have spent more than thirty-four years incarcerated since their arrest in March 1990—more than half their lives.” - Robert Rand
Despite the depressingly hopeless sentence, it’s admirable how they both became productive individuals by pursuing college degrees and advocating for fellow inmates and SA survivors through art, self-development programs, as well as taking care of the sick, elderly, and persons with disability. They did really well given the circumstances. I do hope things go their way this time. They deserve to be free. What a great tragedy this really is if they don’t get out after the enormous hope they’ve been giving the brothers lately. “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” 34 years is a long time for hope not to be as devastating.
Not to mention that he had to say this in front of the court and then be televised….. and to be continuously mocked and ridiculed…. up to this day, mind you. They are strong people. I feel great empathy for people who went through abuse. To say it is so difficult. To acknowledge that it happened to you. Saying it out loud makes it painfully real. I guess it hurt me on a deeper personal level because I have experienced harassment once or twice in my life (that is in no way even comparable to theirs), and i understand how difficult it is to say it. To recount the humiliation while a thousand eyes scrutinize and judge you. I can’t even imagine having to tell it to the world just to not be believed. The system really failed them. God… that second trial most especially. The OJ Simpson trial, the politics, the exclusion of key testimonies, homophobia… and many more factors that led to their verdict. They just kept piling up, and the brothers were wronged at every turn. Leslie even said that Erik has had the worst karma of anyone she’s ever known.
“The brothers have spent more than thirty-four years incarcerated since their arrest in March 1990—more than half their lives.” - Robert Rand
Despite the depressingly hopeless sentence, it’s admirable how they both became productive individuals by pursuing college degrees and advocating for fellow inmates and SA survivors through art, self-development programs, as well as taking care of the sick, elderly, and persons with disability. They did really well given the circumstances. I do hope things go their way this time. They deserve to be free. What a great tragedy this really is if they don’t get out after the enormous hope they’ve been giving the brothers lately. “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” 34 years is a long time for hope not to be as devastating.
March 20, 2025
In the summer of 2024, my roommate came home for her lunch break one day, bursting through the front door and yelling down the hallway to me that “the results of the Menendez resentencing hearing are about to be announced!”
I had heard of the Menendez brothers before, but I didn’t know enough to know how I should feel about them. After a few minutes of Googling, I came to the conclusion that if you believe abuse victims, you believe the Menendez brothers. My roommate sat at our kitchen table while I stood in the kitchen, and we listened as it was announced that there would be a resentencing.
A few months later, I watched the Netflix show “Monsters” about the brothers and the murders. It was such a great show, I watched it twice.
Over the winter, I was a bookseller at B&N and saw someone purchase this book. The customer told me that it was supposedly the best and most accurate book written about the case, so I ended up purchasing a copy for myself. When I realized that the resentencing was happening soon, I decided that I should read the book in preparation.
Robert Rand did a fantastic job of laying out all of the details and evidence in a way that was almost completely unbiased. Although I do believe the brothers, and I do hope that they get to spend the rest of their lives outside of prison, I still found myself thinking, yikes, maybe the murders weren’t entirely justified, a few times. That is great journalism!
I am surprised that there was nothing said about the death of one of the jurors during the second trial that potentially was the difference between the brothers getting the death penalty or a life sentence.
This is without a doubt the book to read if you are going to read a book about the Menendez murders. It’s rare for a non-fiction book to keep me interested, but this one held my attention from page one.
I will be anxiously awaiting the resentencing.
I had heard of the Menendez brothers before, but I didn’t know enough to know how I should feel about them. After a few minutes of Googling, I came to the conclusion that if you believe abuse victims, you believe the Menendez brothers. My roommate sat at our kitchen table while I stood in the kitchen, and we listened as it was announced that there would be a resentencing.
A few months later, I watched the Netflix show “Monsters” about the brothers and the murders. It was such a great show, I watched it twice.
Over the winter, I was a bookseller at B&N and saw someone purchase this book. The customer told me that it was supposedly the best and most accurate book written about the case, so I ended up purchasing a copy for myself. When I realized that the resentencing was happening soon, I decided that I should read the book in preparation.
Robert Rand did a fantastic job of laying out all of the details and evidence in a way that was almost completely unbiased. Although I do believe the brothers, and I do hope that they get to spend the rest of their lives outside of prison, I still found myself thinking, yikes, maybe the murders weren’t entirely justified, a few times. That is great journalism!
I am surprised that there was nothing said about the death of one of the jurors during the second trial that potentially was the difference between the brothers getting the death penalty or a life sentence.
This is without a doubt the book to read if you are going to read a book about the Menendez murders. It’s rare for a non-fiction book to keep me interested, but this one held my attention from page one.
I will be anxiously awaiting the resentencing.
December 4, 2024
if i know you but your name is not ava,
this book sucked and i hated it. never read i’m telling you it was sooo bad
if your name is ava,
——————
“If my client’s name were Erica, would it make a difference? It shouldn’t.”
this book did not disappoint. i’ve never really been into true crime just because i’m insanely prone to nightmares and hallucinations, but i just couldn’t stop reading. first of all, i learned a lot about law—which i didn’t know anything about so that was cool—but this book was just so beautiful
i’ve never experienced nor read about abuse—domestic and sexual— but i think this book had a great representation of both of their feelings, and how it felt. I truly couldn’t imagine how it would feel in that situation. to be abused and be so excited to escape, but then being refused. just everything about jose made me sick. josé was the cause of everthing, in my opinion. I doubt kitty was as bad of a person before she met José. i mean—he was manipulative, he made her believe she couldn’t live without him and without his help. he made her think she was nothing but his wife. and he did that with his kids too—he made them think his “massages” were okay. we’re him showing love to them—but it was far from. it was sickening reading about him molesting them, for so long too. i mean they were six. six years old???? good LORDDDDD
I JUST CANT BELIEVE SOMEONE WOULD DO THAT. it’s so shocking to me i just can’t even fathom it. i love this book so much, though. and i LOVE LESLIEEEE WHAT. she’s so iconic and you could tell she truly cared for those boys. she gave them the care of a mother they’ve never gotten. but i mean thid book was just excellent i couldn’t stop reading, i felt so many emotions, it was just SO GOOD.
watch me become crazy abt true crime🤦♀️
this book sucked and i hated it. never read i’m telling you it was sooo bad
if your name is ava,
——————
“If my client’s name were Erica, would it make a difference? It shouldn’t.”
this book did not disappoint. i’ve never really been into true crime just because i’m insanely prone to nightmares and hallucinations, but i just couldn’t stop reading. first of all, i learned a lot about law—which i didn’t know anything about so that was cool—but this book was just so beautiful
i’ve never experienced nor read about abuse—domestic and sexual— but i think this book had a great representation of both of their feelings, and how it felt. I truly couldn’t imagine how it would feel in that situation. to be abused and be so excited to escape, but then being refused. just everything about jose made me sick. josé was the cause of everthing, in my opinion. I doubt kitty was as bad of a person before she met José. i mean—he was manipulative, he made her believe she couldn’t live without him and without his help. he made her think she was nothing but his wife. and he did that with his kids too—he made them think his “massages” were okay. we’re him showing love to them—but it was far from. it was sickening reading about him molesting them, for so long too. i mean they were six. six years old???? good LORDDDDD
I JUST CANT BELIEVE SOMEONE WOULD DO THAT. it’s so shocking to me i just can’t even fathom it. i love this book so much, though. and i LOVE LESLIEEEE WHAT. she’s so iconic and you could tell she truly cared for those boys. she gave them the care of a mother they’ve never gotten. but i mean thid book was just excellent i couldn’t stop reading, i felt so many emotions, it was just SO GOOD.
watch me become crazy abt true crime🤦♀️
February 3, 2025
I read this for my book club, but wouldn’t have necessarily picked it up otherwise. I’m pretty sure I did some sort of presentation on this trial in like 9th grade, but this definitely had a lot more info than what we were reading in the media in the 90s. It is an incredibly detailed account of the murders and the trials, and does make you sympathize more with the brothers. But I found the writing and overall organization of the book choppy and disjointed. I’ve read longer non-fiction books that didn’t have 60 chapters, and having that many chapters bothered me for likely irrational reasons. But rationally, I think it’s because the book doesn’t flow well. There are SO many names, so listening to the audiobook had me a bit lost at times. I think that’s also because the author jumps around. There were chapters that felt unfinished in his analysis or commentary, or just in clarifying the story, but then we jump to someone else. Much like the prosecution in the first trial, he also got hijacked and sidetracked by the doctor and Judelon Smith, and those chapters felt interminable.
Would recommend if you are specifically interested in the minutiae of the trial, but not if you’re looking for broader analysis or commentary.
Would recommend if you are specifically interested in the minutiae of the trial, but not if you’re looking for broader analysis or commentary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2025
It's hard to believe I've never read this.
I think, like most people, I was inundated with the case when it was happening and then called it good. I shouldn't have done that. This is far more than the news story of spoiled rich kids killing their parents to get even more money. It's a masterclass in how the press paints a picture that we as society are all too eager to take as given.
Rand does a good job filling in the background and laying out facts - I would have enjoyed a bit more depth and more of the brother's time in prison. But that might be another book.
I hope they get a new trial or a commutation or something. They've served their time.
I think, like most people, I was inundated with the case when it was happening and then called it good. I shouldn't have done that. This is far more than the news story of spoiled rich kids killing their parents to get even more money. It's a masterclass in how the press paints a picture that we as society are all too eager to take as given.
Rand does a good job filling in the background and laying out facts - I would have enjoyed a bit more depth and more of the brother's time in prison. But that might be another book.
I hope they get a new trial or a commutation or something. They've served their time.
October 26, 2024
Exactly what I wanted I've got all the details I need I would have liked a bit more about them in prison but to know what good they're doing in there is so lovely. They were failed by everyone man the second trial was a fucking joke. My man's will be free soon TRUST. The relationship between Erik and lyle reminds me very much of my own with my sister. It's the sister storylines. Believe victims. ❤️
December 27, 2025
You know I love me some true crime and this book was a good in depth look of the Menendez Murders. Written by reporter Robert Rand who was on site for the initial trial this book takes a look into the upbringing of the brothers, the therapist who turned them in and the trial that would take the world by storm
All I can say is for a heavy subject this was written very well and you can tell Robert spent a lot of time doing the research to get it right. If you want a book about this case this is the book for you
All I can say is for a heavy subject this was written very well and you can tell Robert spent a lot of time doing the research to get it right. If you want a book about this case this is the book for you
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