Kill Your Parents, Watch Batman, and Live Like a Prince
By: Akos Peterbencze
Tags: Murder, Family, Psychology, Crime, True Crime

TRUE CRIME

Kill Your Parents, Watch Batman, and Live Like a Prince

Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents and almost got away with it.

Photo: Murderpedia

In the late 80s, Lyle and Erik Menendez were living a privileged, wealthy lifestyle thanks to their highly successful father. The boys weren’t particularly good at school, but they were promising athletes. The financial and emotional support they received from their parents was something that most children could only hope for. They learned quickly that money and social status can erase almost every mistake, and life can become a playground with no rules.

Born into Wealth

José Menendez was an immigrant who fled from Cuba to America after the Cuban Revolution. He had nothing but ambition and confidence. He attended the South Illinois University, where he met his future wife, Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen. She was a former model and elementary school teacher coming from a broken family. In 1963, the couple got married and moved to New York City.

José climbed the corporate ladder quickly, and Mary became an exemplary housewife beside him. In 1968, their first child Lyle was born, and the family moved to New Jersey. In 1970, Mary gave birth to their second son, Erik.

José’s career took the family to California, where he became an executive at Paramount studios.

In school, the brothers’ grades were average, but they both prevailed at sports. So, their father asked them to choose one sport to focus on. According to friends of the family, once the boys had decided to compete in tennis, José became obsessed with the sport. He hired coaches, training partners, and he started studying the game religiously. As a father, he was strict and controlling but granted everything for their sons to succeed. Erik reached 44th in national ranking among junior players, and Lyle’s career was looking up too. He had an immediate impact on the local tennis team.

However, they both faced issues in California. Lyle had been placed on academic probation for weak grades and bad attendance. He was expelled due to copying another student’s psychology lab report. His father flew in from California to argue his son’s case. Money and status haven’t worked this time, and the expulsion stood.

From that point, Lyle purposely tried to get out of school and into tennis full time. He asked his dad to fund him on a trip to join his girlfriend on her tour in Europe. However, José said that if he’s not studying, he should work at his company. Lyle decided to join his girlfriend, anyway. When he returned to California, he started training hard and working for his dad at the same time.

Erik ran with the wrong crowd and began a series of burglaries. With his friends, they broke into several homes of their classmates. On one occasion, they had stolen over $100 000 in cash and property and have been pulled over for speeding with the stolen goods. In court, Erik pled guilty and was sentenced to probation and to attend therapy with Dr. Jerome Ozeil.

Motive for Murder

Despite José’s relentless efforts, his sons couldn’t live up to his standards. According to his brother-in-law, José’s disappointment made him think about taking Erik and Lyle out of his will, but he didn’t say who the money would go to. This would mean that the boys won’t inherit their parents’ entire estate and other assets worth over $14 million. Plus, with their parents’ possible death, the brothers would receive $600,000 in life insurance.

Once they found out about José’s plan by overhearing a phone conversation, Erik wanted to kill his mom and dad immediately to prevent them from changing their wills. But Lyle wanted to wait. Their greed to stay rich was stronger than the love they felt for their parents.

The “Perfect Plan”

On August 18, 1989, Eric and Lyle purchased shotguns at a Big 5 Sporting Goods chain store in San Diego. The following day they went shark fishing with their mom and dad.

On the evening of August 20, 1989, José and Mary were sitting on a couch in their living room watching television. Their sons burst into the house, carrying the firearm they bought two days ago. First, they shot José in the back of the head and then Mary in the leg while she tried to escape. After she slipped on her own blood and fell, Erik and Lyle shot her several times in the arm, face, and chest. Once their parents were dead, the brothers shot them in the kneecap to make the killings seem as they were connected to the mob. Later, the Wall Street Journal drew some links between Jose’s business and organized crime.

Once they executed the plan, the two went to see Tim Burton’s Batman in a local cinema, and shortly after, they headed to a festival at Santa Monica. This was supposed to be their alibi once they return home and call the police to report the murders.

Eight days after the killings, at the memorial service, Lyle read a letter he received from his father before. It said, “I believe that both you and Erik can make a difference. I believe that you will. I encourage you not to select the easy road. I encourage you to walk the road with honor, regardless of the consequences, and to challenge yourself to excellence.”

The Short-lived Victory

According to Community News, the insurance policy in Jose’s name was issued to the boys. In the months after the murders, they went on a spending spree. They had decided to stay in luxury hotels instead of the mansion that became a crime scene. Later, they rented a penthouse on the water in Marina Del Rey.

Erik purchased clothes and watches and lost thousands of dollars gambling. He hired a professional tennis coach for $60,000 and practiced ten hours a day. Later, he flew to the Middle East to compete in a tournament.

Lyle bought three Rolex watches that cost over $15,000. He also purchased a popular student restaurant for $550,000.

The two bought a Porsche Carrera, courtside seats at basketball games, and they went on lavish vacations in the Caribbean. Over six months, they spent $1 million on parties, travel, and shopping.

They thought they can do anything with impunity. An interview that Erik gave to People Magazine perfectly revealed how delusional they were because of their financial background. He said, “My brother wants to become President of the U.S., and I want to be a senator and be with the people of Cuba.”