Real-Life Details of The Menendez Brothers that Monsters Missed

Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story explores the Menendez brothers’ tumultuous lives and crimes but glosses over key aspects of their personalities.

Netflix’s Monsters season 2 laid out the real story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, but missed out certain details from their real life. Fans have been keen to notice and point these out, and so have we.

What Was Erik Menendez’s Tennis Talent Like?

Erik Menendez was a gifted tennis player. Alongside the immense pressure placed on him by his father, Erik ranked 44th among junior players in the U.S.

By skipping over Erik’s tennis career, the series misses a layer of the brothers’ experience, particularly their constant struggle to meet their father’s impossibly high expectations.

Why Didn’t Police Check For Gunshot Residue?

Javier Bardem, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Cooper Koch in Monsters | Source: IMDb

Another crucial detail the series overlooks is related to the police investigation. Initially, the police suspected mob involvement, and their focus on this theory led to a major oversight: they didn’t check for gunshot residue on Erik and Lyle.

Since Monsters is built on a dramatic narrative, this detail may have been neglected to heighten suspense. However, for true crime lovers, this investigative gap is significant in understanding how the case unfolded.

Did The Menendez Brothers Really Change Their Spending Habits?

The series also emphasizes Lyle and Erik Menendez’s lavish spending after their parents’ deaths, suggesting they were motivated by greed.

While this is partially true, some family members argue that their spending habits were exaggerated.

By leaving out this controversy, Monsters offers a less nuanced view of the brothers’ motivations and the family dynamics at play.

When Did Erik Actually Confess To His Psychologist?

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch in Monsters | Source: IMDb

Erik’s confession to Dr. Jerome Oziel is portrayed as a pivotal moment in Monsters, but the timeline differs from real life. In reality, Erik confessed after the police had already enlisted his friend, Craig Cignarelli, to get him to admit to the murders.

This change in sequence affects how viewers understand the impact of the confession on the investigation and trial.

What Did Prosecutor Pam Bozanich Argue About Male Sexual Abuse?

Cooper Koch in Monsters | Source: IMDb

During the trial, prosecutor Pam Bozanich argued that “men could not be raped.” This argument reflected outdated beliefs and overlooked the brothers’ claims of abuse.

Erik Menendez later criticized the show for not addressing this aspect, suggesting that it missed an opportunity to shed light on societal attitudes toward male abuse victims in the ‘90s.

The article emphasizes key aspects that Monsters left out, providing a more complete understanding of the Menendez brothers’ story.

How Long Were Lyle and Erik Separated After Their Conviction?

The show has multiple emotional highlights, but one of them that appears to stand out is the bond between the brothers, especially when they finally separated after their life sentences.

The series doesn’t really delve into the fact that they spent 22 years of their life living apart from each other, and that this extended isolation took a toll on their emotional health. This actually proved how separation was one of the harshest consequences of their own actions.

What Was the New Evidence that Emerged in 2023?

April 2023 saw a new twist in the case, when a former member of the band Menudo accused the brothers’ father (José Menendez) of sexually abusing him.

This pushed the attorney of the brothers to apply leave for a new hearing, placing a sound argument that this new piece of evidence could support their claims.

Why Did Lyle Get Married Twice During his Sentence?

Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny in Monster | Source: IMDb

Another detail of their story that was left out by the show was that Lyle Menendez had remarried during his incarceration.

His first marriage (to Anna Eriksson) had ended after five years when she had found out that Lyle was being unfaithful to her with other women.

The marriage that followed this was with journalist Rebecca Sneed, and the couple remains married to this day.

What Did Erik Menendez’s Wife Write About Their Relationship?

Speaking of marriages, there’s the talk about the memoir that Erik’s wife Tammi wrote.

Tammi Ruth Saccoman, the author of the memoir titled They Said We’d Never Make It – My Life with Erik Menéndez, was a detail that the show misses out on.

Although Netflix never really mentioned anything about this, a gentle reading gives insights into her marital commitment to Erik despite several obstacles.

The primary focus was on the drama of the whole story, which is why Monsters must have left out the details. But fans seem to digress and believe that these little details about the Menendez Brothers’ lives actually add fathoms of depth to their story, painting a fuller picture of the infamous murder case.

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About Monster Season 2
In the second installment of the Monster anthology series, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan tackle another high-profile case that captivated the nation in the ’90s. Coming to Netflix on Sept. 19, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story tells the story of two brothers who killed their parents on Aug. 20, 1989, and the events surrounding the brutal slayings. (Both were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Created by Murphy and Brennan, the first iteration of Monster, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story premiered in 2022 and chronicled Jeffrey Dahmer’s (Evan Peters) gruesome murders between 1978 and 1991. DAHMER was a record-breaking success on Netflix, reaching 1 billion view hours in its first 60 days. The 10-episode series is only one of four series, including Stranger Things and Squid Game, to achieve such a milestone. Hot off the first iteration’s success, Monster was picked up for two additional installments of following notorious figures who left their mark on society. Here’s everything you need to know about Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.