The question is not whether Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents. They admit that they did. Instead, the focus of the case has long been on why they did it. They say they killed out of fear and in self-defense after a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse suffered at the hands of their parents. Here's a look at the case.

Aug. 20, 1989: Jose and Kitty Menendez are murdered

Jose and Kitty Menendez photographed in New Jersey in the1980s. Robert Rand

On the evening of Sunday, Aug. 20, 1989, Jose and Kitty Menendez were shot multiple times at close range with a shotgun while in the family room of their Beverly Hills mansion.

911 call: "Someone killed my parents"

The Menendez home in Beverly Hills, California. Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office

Offi

See Full Page