Docuseries Sheds Light On Infamous Jersey-Raised Menendez Brothers

NEW JERSEY — It's been nearly three decades since the Lyle and Erik Menéndez were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing their parents. A new docuseries sheds light on the Menéndez brothers — former New Jersey residents at the center of a controversial murder case.

The brothers killed José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez in 1989 in California. During the trial, they stated that their father threatened to kill them after his sons said they'd expose him for years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

Erik and Lyle were convicted of the murders in 1996 and incarcerated in separate prisons until 2018, when they were re-united in the same facility. A new Peacock series, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed," unpacks their lives and the highly publicized trial.

The brothers spent much of their childhood in the Garden State. José and Kitty moved from New York City to New Jersey after Lyle was born in 1968. Two years later, Erik was born in Gloucester Township. In New Jersey, the Menendez family lived in Hopewell Township, and the brothers attended Princeton Day School.

Lyle also attended Princeton University but was suspended for plagiarism.

In 1986, José's lucrative career as a corporate executive in entertainment took the family to Beverly Hills, California. On the night of August, 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik entered their family mansion's den carrying shotguns and killed José and Kitty.

During their trials, the brothers insisted they were victims of José's abuse — that he was a pedophile, and Kitty encouraged his violence. Two family members supported the allegations during their testimonies. The prosecution, however, argued that they committed the murders to inherit their father's multimillion-dollar estate.

Tried separately, both juries deadlocked, which resulted in mistrials. In their second trial, where they were tried together, a jury found them guilty, leading to their life sentencings without the chance of parole.

They appealed the convictions in state and federal courts. But the California Court of Appeal upheld the rulings in 1998, and the State Supreme Court declined to review the case, deferring to the appeals court. In 2005, a federal appeals court denied their habeas corpus petitions.

"Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed" premiered Tuesday on Peacock. Netflix also plans to center the Menendez brothers in the second season of "Monster," which featured Jeffrey Dahmer in Season 1. "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" is slated to premiere in 2024.