One of the Menendez brothers convicted of the fatal incident of their parents, Lyle Menendez, is of mixed ethnicity, a blend of Cuban and American roots from his paternal and maternal sides. They are serving a life sentence at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
The new Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story showcases the 1990s case of the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik.
The Menendez brothers were found guilty of the fatal incident of their wealthy parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home in 1989.
Initially, the brothers claimed they were innocent, but later, to everyone’s surprise, the Menendez brothers admitted to the crime.
Their reason for the fatal incident has been nothing but a subject of debate. Lyle and Erik said their intent was in self-defense and driven by years of their father’s emotional abuse.
Later, a letter Erik wrote in 1988 led to the legal effort to get the brothers released from prison. The letter includes the claims from former boy band member Roy Rosselló, who said their father abused him.
Lyle Menendez’s father from Cuba moved to the U.S. at 16!
Lyle’s father, José Menendez, was born in Havana, Cuba, and reportedly immigrated to the United States at age 16. His mother, Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, was of American lineage, likely with European roots.
This gives him a Hispanic-Cuban background from his father’s side and a broader American-European background from his mother’s.
His father, José Enrique Menéndez, was born in Havana, Cuba, on May 6, 1944. Shortly after the end of the Cuban Revolution, he moved to the United States at age 16.
Jose met his wife, Mary Louise “Kitty” Andersen, during his days at Southern Illinois University. Later, they tied the knot in 1963 and moved to New York City.
Who are the real monsters?
— Netflix (@netflix) September 19, 2024
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is now playing. pic.twitter.com/wiND3EE4b7
Jose and Mary extended their family of two to three on January 10, 1968, with the arrival of Joseph Lyle.
Lyle’s mother quit her teaching job after he was born, and the tight-knit family of three moved to New Jersey from New York City.
Two years later, on November 27, 1970, after Lyle’s birth, Erik Galen was born in Gloucester Township.
Lyle confessed to Diane Vander Molen, one of the Menendez brothers’ cousins, that his father, Jose, would physically abuse him during her stay at their place in the summer of 1976.
Vander Molen told his mother about his unanticipated confession, but she ignored it and backed up with her husband, citing Lyle was lying.
Additional Information
- The Netflix documentary “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” showcasing Lyle and Eric Menendez’s story released on September 19, 2024.
- Despite new evidence and legal motions, the Menendez brothers are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
- After their conviction, the Menendez brothers were initially sent to separate prisons. In 2018, they were reunited at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
