After Lyle and Erik Menendez were charged with the murder of their parents in 1989, their story became a national media sensation.
The brothers testified that they killed their parents out of self defense, saying their parents physically and sexually abused them for years. They said they thought their parents were going to kill them to hide the secret.
The prosecution argued that the brothers, who were 18 and 21 at the time, murdered their parents for their wealth.
In 1996, the prosecution won over the jury, and the brothers were sentenced to life in prison.
Even close to 30 years after the Menendez brothers' trial concluded, production studios and streaming services continue to capitalize on viewer interest in the trial.
In September, Netflix jumped on the trend with the release of the second season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's "Monsters" anthology series. "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" has spent the past two weeks at the top of the streamer list and has garnered over 30 million views, Netflix data shows.
True crime stories at large have proven to be big business for Netflix. The first season of the same show, "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," is Netflix's third-most-watched English series of all time, the streaming service said. Various other true crime shows have also thrived on the platform.
But "Monsters" is facingcriticism from fans, Erik Menendez, and the family of the Menendez brothers, who have alleged the series includes scenes that are not truthful. Murphy, the co-creator of the show, has defended the show.
Amid the controversy, Netflix released "The Menendez Brothers" documentary this week. In it, the Menendez brothers, multiple family members, reporters, and attorneys share new insights into the brothers' trial.
If you want to know more about the case, here are seven other shows and documentaries to put on next.
"Suburban Nightmare: The Menendez Brothers"
The streaming service Tubi has released three installments of their 'Suburban Nightmare' documentary film series. The second installment focuses on the Menendez brothers' case from the perspective of their alleged abuse.
"Suburban Nightmare: The Menendez Brothers" is available to stream on Tubi.
"The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All"
A&E's 2017 docuseries "The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All" included new interviews from the prosecutors, family friends, and reporters from the trial. Erik Menendez also gave an extensive phone interview about the murder and his life after the event.
"The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All" is available to stream on Freevee and Discovery+.
"Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers"
Lyle and Erik Menendez during their trial in 1994.
Ted Soqui / Sygma via Getty Images
Premiering in 2017, "Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers" was an ABC special documentary that tried to determine whether it was greed or abuse that motivated the brothers to kill their parents. The special included interviews with friends and family of the Menendez brothers.
"Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers" is available to buy on Amazon Prime Video.
"The Menendez Brothers: Sins Of the Children"
Erik Menendez and his brother Lyle Menendez at a pre-trial hearing in 1992.
Vince Bucci / Getty Images
A&E's "The Menendez Brothers: Sins Of the Children," released in 1996, is one of the earliest documentaries about the case.
"The Menendez Brothers: Sins Of the Children" is available to stream on AppleTV.
"Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed"
"Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed" is one of the most recent documentaries about the Menendez brothers. In the 2023 documentary, former Menudo boyband member Roy Rosselló alleges he was drugged and raped by José Menendez, Lyle and Erik Menendez's father.
The documentary attempts to draw a link between the abuse the brothers say they experienced and Rosselló's allegation. The Menendez brothers are currently using the allegation to appeal their life sentences.
"Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed" is available to stream on Peacock.
"Law & Order True Crimes: The Menendez Murders"
Edie Falco plays Leslie Abramson, the attorney defending Erik Menendez in "Law & Order True Crimes: The Menendez Murders."
Justin Lubin / NBC
In 2017, NBC premiered a one-season "Law and Order" special that dramatized a true crime. They picked the Menendez brothers' case.
The series was more sympathetic to the brothers, and Edie Falco, who played the brothers' attorney, was nominated for an Emmy in 2018.
After the series aired, Lyle Menendez told the Today talk show host Megyn Kelly in September 2017 that the show was "painful to watch" but "surprisingly accurate."
"Law & Order True Crimes: The Menendez Murders" is available to buy on Amazon Prime Video and AppleTV.
"Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals: Menendez Brothers"
Barbara Walters is a journalist.
Toby Canham / Getty Images
The renowned journalist Barbara Walters, who interviewed the Menendez brothers after their sentencing in 1996, hosted a docuseries in 2015 about notable crime trials.
Season one, episode four, focused on the Menendez brothers' trial and included a never-before-seen letter from Erik Menendez.
The Menendez brothers episode of "Barbara Walters Presents American Scandals" is available to stream on Discovery+.
