Lyle and Erik Menendez admittedly killed their parents, José and Kitty Menendez , in 1989. The brothers have spent over three decades in prison and are currently incarcerated at California’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, but a parole hearing could bring them closer to a potential release after they were resentenced in 2025. Now that the case has garnered renewed interest decades later, many are wondering why Lyle and Erik went through with the murders.

Keep reading to go behind Lyle and Erik’s story, and find out why they shot their parents.

What Did the Menendez Brothers Do?

The Menendez brothers fatally shot their mother and father in their Beverly Hills home with shotguns in 1989. The siblings weren’t initially suspects, and they spent several weeks spen

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