It just wasnt real. Theyre sociopaths and theyre pretty big ones. Chilling new details. Evidence never broadcast before. A letter, hinting at secrets too dark to imagine. This is so out of the norm, something is going on in that house. Did they kill in Cold Blood or in crippling fear . Oh man, it was gutwrenching. I want to the Bus Door down. They spoke the truth about would have happened. Hear from the brothers themselves. Lets go through this bit by bit. There is no way hes gonna let the secret Get Out. Silence destroyed our whole family. Here it was, the shining symbol of their success. Here, finally, an address worthy of their long struggle. Their amazing rise. Beverly hills, california. Beverly hills emergency. Careful what you wish for. Someone killed my parents all these years later, its still the case that has the power to shock. Its Beverly Hills. Its the movie business. Its kids killing their parents. What possess those two handsome young men, who had been given everything. A porsche or a rolex. They got pretty much what they wanted. Why did they give back murder . How do you plead . Not guilty. A sensational murder trial. Theirs was a case to usher in walltowall tv coverage. Even before o. J. I was just firing as i went into The Room, i just started firing. The kind of horror you couldnt stop watching. What was in front of you . My parents. Youll hear the real story, told by the investigators. His face was disfigured from the Shotgun Blast that he took to the back of the head. By the young men themselves. They werent real. Wax. I definitely would the real life details of the defense that shocked america. He would be in the bathroom and he would put me on my knees. If im looking to see is he telling the truth or not . Well ask the brother at the center of it all about truth. To this day im still dealing with, with the controversy of it. Obviously my own guilt and what can be what happened. What really happened and why. So to understand where to begin, how about here in illinois, the 1940s. Everybody who knows this story knows her is pretty if it wasnt her real name. No, it was mary louise. She was a baby of the family said her older sister joan vandermolen. It was one of their brothers who came up with a nickname that stuck for life. How did she get to be known as kitty . I think it was one brian went out to get her for dinner one Night Or Something and he said here, Kitty Kitty kitty. And she came. And then, when kitty was three, her dad left the family for another woman. And as that Little Girl watched her mother struggle, she imagined a way she could do better. Kitty grew up believing that she was gonna marry well, and have household help. How would she know such a thing . I think this is probably what my mother had maybe wanted for herself and never got. Kitty was pretty. In 1962, she was crowned miss oak lawn. You should be in show business, her mother told her. So kitty studied Radio And Television at southern illinois university. Was that wrapped up in the whole idea of, if youre in that field, youre more likely to meet a successful man . Yes, Absolutely. In college, she met a bundle of ambition named Jose Menendez. He had fled communist cuba at 16 with bold dreams of striking it big and business. Just the kind of Man Kitty was searching for. And so they married in 1963. They were stars in our family, Kitty And Jose. Diane hernandez was Kitties Niece and lift with Kitty And Jose for a few years. I bet you idolized kitty. Oh i did from the very beginning. And i was known as the Daughter Kitty never had. Of course, as the world would come to know, Katy And Jose had sons. Lyle and erik. They seem to get along . Did they like Each Other . Oh yeah, Absolutely. Very close . Yeah i think erik depended on lyle. Erik was quite introverted. Allen anderson was kittys nephew. He spent a couple summers with the Menendez Family and bonded with lyle. He was a mischievous boy, to say the least. He liked to Smile And Laugh and giggle. Oh, he loved to laugh and giggle. But with the menendez brothers did most, said allen, was practice and practice, and practice. Jose wanted his kids to be the best and especially in sports, i noticed immediately. Swimming, soccer, tennis. Jose pushed his sons to excel at everything. As his own career skyrocketed. In the seventies, jose was the General Manager at hertz, and impressed his sons by bringing the companys famous spokesman, o. J. Simpson, home to dinner. Jose was, of course, living The American Dream and he wanted his boys to continue that american dream that he had set forth for not only for himself, for his family. In 1986, jose took a job with Carolco Pictures in Los Angeles. The company that produced mega hits like basic instinct and the rambo series. Carolco just bought a Video Distribution Company from a man named Noel Bloom. And they gave jose the job of running it. So we think 1989 will be a tremendous year. We think we will be very happy with the growth of the company. That was the year, 1989, when robert brand, a reporter for the Miami Herald went to Las Vegas to cover a Trade Show for the Home Video business. He happened to meet Jose Menendez. What was your impression of the guy . Talk to him for maybe two or three minutes. Seem professional, dynamic. A high powered career. A beautiful family. And finally, The One missing piece of joses american dream the perfect home. Jose moved his family from calabasas, then prekardashian and relatively unknown enclave inside of Los Angeles to a more tony address. Joan was with her sister, the realtor called kitty. They had accepted joses offer, and kitty, youve got your zip code. And that made her so happy. 9 02 one oh. Absolutely. 7 22 North Elm drive. [interpreter] a six bedroom mediterranean style home. Swimming pool, guesthouse, Tennis Court. Elton john once lived in this very house. So did the saudi prince, and even prince himself. By august 1989, jose had truly made it. Now, to ensure his sons did, to. By then, lyle was a student at princeton. Younger brother eric was going to ucla in the fall. So perfect. So why did diane feel this way . I said, well i know this sounds crazy. But unless i am crazy, somebody whos really close to me is going to die. And its going to be horrible. Horrible . That it certainly was. Somebody killed my parents where they shot . Yes. Coming up, something chilling in the den. The first thing i noticed was Jose Menendez seated on the couch. It was grotesque, what happened. Questions from the very beginning. We didnt see any Shotgun Shells. What did they say to you . Somebody collected the Shotgun Shells, someone that didnt want fingerprints on the Shotgun Shells. When dateline continues. At lowes, spring is a season of possibilities. A time for growth. And a time for a fresh trim. Its where new projects begin. And Curb Appeal takes on new meaning. Stop by lowes first Annual Springfest before the fun and savings for your garden and total home are gone. Home to any budget. Home to any possibility. Alice loves the scent of gain so much, she wished there was a way to make it last longer. Say hello to your Fairy Godmother alice. And longlasting Gain Scent beads. Part of the irresistible Scent Collection from gain which shows will you be getting into tonight . How bout all of them. Netflix. Cause Xfinity gets you really into your shows. When one burns for someone who does not feel the same. Daphne, lets switch. From live tv to sports on The Go. Felix at the finish you can even watch your dvr from anywhere. Okay, thats just showing off. You get all of this on x1. So go on, get really into your shows. You need a breath mint. It was august 20th, 1989. Xfinity. Its a way better way to watch. Just before midnight, a 911 operator picked up a call from an apparently hysterical young man. His name was Lyle Menendez. Someone killed my parents . Where they shot . Yes. They were shot . Yes. What happened . Who was the person that was shot . My mom and my dad. Your Mom And Dad . My Mom And Dad. Okay, hold on a second. Less solar was a detective back then. One of a Grand Total of two detectives in the Beverly Hills Police Department who worked homicides. How many murders occurred and Beverly Hills in those days . In those days, approximately two a year. Detective solar was asleep that August Night when his boss called. And he said, come on in weve had a murder. And i asked him for some information and he said he gave me the address and of 7 20 to North Elm. He drove to the mansion, walked inside. It was eerily quiet. And when i went into the den library, the first thing i noticed was Jose Menendez seated on the couch. He was slumped to one side, his head was to The One side. It was bad. Very bad. I could immediately tell that his face was disfigured from the Shotgun Blast that he took to the back of the head. He was wearing shorts and he had a Shotgun Blast to his thigh. Blood soaked all the way down to the white couch. And then i noticed his wife, kitty, at his feet on the floor. She was curled into a fetal position. And, like her husband had been shot many times. Several times near her knee. And most horribly, kitty was shot Point Blank in the face. Shotgun killings are very messy and there were brains and blood everywhere. Back then, Pam Let Botanic was in l. A. County prosecutor in the Organized Crime unit. But nothing prepared her for this. Jose and kitty had been riddled with 15 shots. One image in particular lives with her still. They were as a Contact Wound on Kitty Menendez is face. It blew out her eye. I mean, it was grotesque, what happened to her. To investigators, it appeared Jose And Kitty had been relaxing in the den. An empty poll of cream and buries. And erics ucla paperwork were on the coffee table. The Television Set was on. There was no indication of a break in, but something did send out to Detective Zoeller. We didnt see any Shotgun Shells. What did that say to you . Someone collected the Shotgun Shells. But who does a thing like that, if theyve got a messy Crime Scene of that sort . Somebody that didnt want fingerprints on the Shotgun Shells, is the only thing i could think of. While investigators examine the Crime Scene, Lyle Menendez, then 21, and eric, 18, went to the station to speak to police. The brother said they were in and out throughout the day and then as evening approached, they decided that they wanted to go to the movies. They wanted to see a James Bond movie. But it was sold out, so they saw a Batman Movie which they had both seen before. So they decided to see that again. Curious. After the movie, they told the detectives that they plan to meet a friend for a drink at the key cheesecake factory, but they had to go back to the house to pick up erics fake i. D. And when they walked in, they said, they saw a haze in the air. They smelled gunpowder smoke, went into the den, and then filed 911. Someone killed my parents the News Spread quickly. I got a Phone Call from my brother. And i remember putting the phone down On The Table and walking around the house screaming. Reporter robert Rands Phone also rang. It was a friend who attended the Las Vegas Trade Show with him, ten days earlier. The friend had said, hey do you remember that guy, Jose Menendez . You know that you met briefly last week . And i said, sure. And he said, well he and his wife were blown away last night in Beverly Hills. Now that, thought rand, was a Story Tailor made for the Miami Community he was writing for. A rags to riches story, kept by murder. He worked the phones and soon met up with Joses Sister who told him you know, the family was so close. They were loving, they did everything together. She said you have to interview eric and lyle. I said of course, i want to interview eric and lyle. As he would find, getting to the brothers was not so easy. But then, they had just lost their parents. Lyle and Eric Menendez where the grieving sons. Allen Abraham Son is a Journalism Professor at u. S. See. Back in 1989, he was a reporter for the l. A. Times. Nobody quite knew who had killed the parents. Was it because of Joses Position in business . Had he been taken out by the mob . After all, both jose entity had been shot in the knees. A Mafia Signature perhaps . And then there was the Company Jose was running. Live entertainment distributed all kinds of movies, including childrens movies. But it got start in porn. A lot of pornography is Organized Crime backed, because its a great way to make a lot of money in an industry thats not, you know, very well regarded. And there was actually a homicide in the valley a few weeks before they were murdered. And jose mentioned to his sons, you know, this is what happens. This guy was in the Pornography Business and he was murdered. Plus, jose was known to be aggressive when it came to business. And investigators found two rifles in his bedroom. Was jose worried someone might come after him . Could lyle and eric be next . The brothers hired bodyguards. In an interview, Eric Menendez voiced his suspicion. , Noel Bloom sounds like the most logical possibility. If he did kill them, i know they hated Each Other. Noel bloom. The founder of the Company Jose was running and an unapologetic distributor of adult entertainment. The menendez boys were not alone and their suspicion about Noel Bloom. Coming up, rivals at the office. Was that a motive for murder . You didnt kill Jose Menendez . Absolutely not. Noel bloom speaks. And then, and now. Where you sort of daybyday waiting fruit to be taken in and put in handcuffs . Yes. When dateline continues. Teline continues ooh, thats a low price. Huh. That is a low price. Whats a low price . Ahh, thats a low price. Can you let me shop . Hmm, thats a low price. I can get you a new one tomorrow. At amazon, anytime is a good time to save. Youd never wash your dishes in this. Your Dishwasher Looks clean i can get you a new one tomorrow. But, when grease and limescale build up, its not as hygienic as you think. Use Finish Dishwasher Cleaner its Dualaction Formula Tackles Grease and limescale. Finish. Clean dishwasher. Clean dishes. Kitty menendez shot this Home Video in august 1989, capturing images of what looked like a happy family. Say hi everybody. 12 days later, kitty and her husbands murders were front page news. It was a big story from the getgo because it happened in Beverly Hills, california. The big story became a big problem for Carole Koch pictures. The company was getting beaten up in the media because all of the Media Stories were saying it was a Mafia Hit somehow related to shady dealings that this company was doing. Carol cohired a prominent publicist to help calm the storm. Sylvester stallone spoke warmly of jose. He was a true cornerstone of the this company, which i love. And joses Memorial Service was held at the Directors Guild of America Headquarters on sunset boulevard. All of which might have led people to believe he was a beloved hollywood insider. But the reality was Jose Menendez was not really known in the Hollywood Community at all. And most of the people at this memorial had probably never heard of him. Lyle and eric arrived late to the service. In a chauffeured limousine. They had spent the night before in the ultra chic hotel bel air. How they behave when they were there . Lyle menendez was very cool, calm, and collected. Kitties sister joan was at the memorial to and heard something disturbing about jose. Several men that worked with jose talked to me at that Memorial Service and told me how he loved to humiliate other men. Pretty shocking to hear at someones Memorial Service, isnt it . Yeah. Not very memorial. So, jose had made enemies. The brothers confirms it and knew where to point the finger. They indicated that their father was involved in some shady business contacts. And one in particular was a gentleman by the name of Noel Bloom. That name again, Noel Bloom had founded the company that became known as live entertainment and then wound up working uncomfortably with jose. They bickered about a lot of things. Well mostly it was because of the pornography. Jose did not like that at all. Did it seem to you that there was a motive there . Possible. We found this tape of bloom deep in the nbc archives. You didnt kill Jose Menendez . Absolutely not. And wondered what he had to say all these years later. What are you doing with yourself now . Well, im retired. Kind of like forced retirement. Oh, but your resume . Your resume is special. Might resume could scare people. No bloom, known for years to Law Enforcement authorities as a King Pin in the Porn Trade with alleged ties to East Coast mobsters. Why would they say you were involved with Organized Crime . Because people had a perception that people in the Adult Business were in Organized Crime, which is totally not true. At least i had, i wasnt. Where some of the people you are associated with members . There were a couple of companies back in New York that i believe was. In the 1970s, bloom was one of the biggest porn producers and distributors in the country. Then he made an unlikely turn to distributing childrens programming. Karen pairs for example. Along the way, you encountered this guy, Jose Menendez . Unfortunately. What was he like in the office . Jose could be very sweet, smile at you, even charming. . But he was very ruthless. He would scream at people. If he fired somebody in his office and fired them, even though he had no business doing so you would hear him laughing like it was a big joke. Jose fought was own family to, said no bloom. I met kitty several times. She was sometimes going into his Office Yelling and screaming and hollering, i mean really loud. Also they argue a lot . Oh yeah. I think a lot of it was about the kids. What was your impression of them . They were kind of quiet, they werent that friendly but it seemed like they were a bit troubled. I know they were afraid of him. Afraid of their father, jose. I saw him stare them down a couple of times. But after jose was murdered, lyle and eric seem to be afraid of Noel Bloom. They told police that they thought blue may have killed their parents and might want to kill them to. Bloom had been arrested before on obscenity charges, but never convicted. Still, with the brothers public accusations he was nervous. Where you sort of Day By day waiting for somebody to call you be taken in and put handcuffs yes. Oh, the cups would be calling and the investigation will take a turn. One that No One expected. Coming up. New questions about the case. It wasnt an Organized Crime. And about the grieving sons. I was like wow, the way he was Spending Money it was very strange. You begin to see a pattern here and begin to think of greed. When dateline continues. Whove got their eczema under control. With less eczema, you can show more skin. So roll up those sleeves. And help heal your skin from within with dupixent. Dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderatetosevere eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. Dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. Many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significantly less itch. Dont use if youre allergic to dupixent. 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Nexgard is the Flea And Tick protection thats 1 with vets. It even prevents the infection that causes lyme disease. Your vet trusts nexgard for her patients and her own dog. Plus, its delicious Beef Flavor is 1 with dogs. Ask your vet about nexgard. In the weeks after the melendez murders, one name, one whispered suspicion, Noel Bloom. I got a call from the Beverly Hills Police Department. They wanted to meet with me and asked me a few questions and i said, ive been waiting. That meeting, it turned out was all about it took. He was very cooperative. We could not determine that he had a motive at all. So Noel Bloom, was no longer a suspect. And the rumored Mafia Connection to the crime . Not a chance, said Prosecutor Pam bozanich. The number of shots would tell you that it was not an Organized Crime hit. Why would you say . That because they were torn apart. If you look at what the media portrays, or hollywood portrays is a mob, it would be. Its just a little hole in the back of the. Hit like a 22 or 38 to the back of the. Head but the knee capping,s the missing Shell Casings to investigators, those were signs it was staged to look like a mob hit. Hours after the murders, detectives solar looked at the scene it and was puzzled. Right around that time lyles showed up at the house, he said we want to get our tennis equipment. And i said, well where is that . And he said, its in the library where my parents were murdered. Was his Demeanor Zoeller . He was matteroffact and didnt seem very upset to me. Then zoeller we learned something very odd. Lyle and eric went to the bank, days after the murders, looking for joses safety box. Trying to find the family. Will that surprise . You that they would do it so soon . Oh definitely. So why would the brothers worry about the . Will zoeller the jose had threatened to disinherit them. Lyle have been caught cheating at princeton. Eric it fought with his father or tennis. There is a bigger issue too. Well in the first house, they took the whole safe. The second house they got into the safe. Lion air burglarized the homes of their friends wealthy parents. One of the burglaries was in the exclusive community of he hidden hills. Had you ever heard of a thing before . No. It was just because we could do. It look at what we could do. At the time, jose hired a prominent criminal attorney, who arranged for the Younger Brother Eric to take the fall. Because he was a minor, knowing that eric would probably not get any jail time, and part of the disposition that he contacted a therapist and incomes. Doctor jerry oziel, you want to remember that name. A Beverly Hills psychologist to specialized and phobias insects therapy. So therapy and no jail time for the burglaries. But where they were and out of the . Will they finally viewed get hold of. It and they discovered that jose had not in disinherited them after. Also now they stood to inherit the familys 14 Million state. But what the brothers did after the murders, shocked the whole country. They were just spending, spending, spending. Three rolex washes. A private Tennis Coach for eric. A porsche. Lyle even bought a Chicken Wing Restaurant. I love to. Shop but i think that i might even wait a day or two. Lyle went to visit his Cousin Allen in chicago after the murders. He ordered some of the most expensive shirts of ever seen in my life. He ordered some jewelry, ordered these shoes, these expensive shoes. And i was like, wow. The way he was Spending Money, for me was very strange. But to other relatives, the spending was just lyle and eric doing what they always did. Lai always grieving said Cousin Diane. People would, ask you know. People were like, whats he doing . And i would defend him and say, well everybody reacts differently when somebody dies. This is just his way of coping i guess. Their casual behavior after the murders, the hunt for the will, the spending spree, none of it was criminal. But it certainly caught the attention of the prosecutor. You begin to see a pattern here. And you begin to think of greed. But to police, lyle and eric kept repeating the same story they told the cops the night of the murders. They had no idea why happened. Really believable in those conversations as you recall . Yes. So they didnt seem to be lying . They answered our questions willingly. So, maybe they were spoiled and selfcentered. But it was a long way from that to killing their parents. Except another interview was coming, one that would reveal so much more. Coming up. Ive never seen my dad helpless. And emotional Eric Menendez, speaks out about his father, his family in a killer script. That story was about a young man who murders is parents and inherits 100 and 57 million. When dateline continues. When dateline continues Reporter Robert rand had been working the minute is story hard. He was writing a biography of Jose Menendez, but he could not complete it without talking to two people. Joses sons, lyle and eric. The blood had blown him off for several weeks. But finally, on October 20th 1989, exactly two months after the Murders Rand got his shot. I showed up at the menendez mention it three in the afternoon. And a young woman in her twenties answered The Door she said oh Erik And Lyle are out playing tennis. Theyll be back at some point. The woman invited rand him to tour the house. And immediately in front of me is The Room, The Room where jose in Kitty Menendez were killed. And i had a chill of my spine. I felt creeped out. He waited. They, arrived eventually. Eric and lyle came bouncing In The House wearing tennis waits, and looking tan. They were laughing and joking. As if nothing it happened. And im kind of torn up inside. Im just thinking to myself, i wouldnt be anywhere near this house if my parents have been killed here. Rand pulled out his Tape Recorder in no path. But lyle stopped him. Loughman it is said, hang on. He said we dont want to do the interview today. We just like to meet you and get to know you. The brothers had flaked On Rand before. He was annoyed, but obliged. They chatted informally and made plans to meet later that weekend for an official interview. But when rand arrived, lie on the left for New York on a Red Eye the night before. He had a problem with his Chicken Wing Restaurant in princeton. , eric however, was home. In this time he was willing to talk. Eric was emotionally appropriate. He would cry at times. And he was telling really lovely stories about how wonderful his parents were. Just an incredible man. And people were afraid of him. People were afraid of him because the he would walk in The Room and know that this man was powerful. This man was intelligent. Eric said his father wanted to get into politics. He was going to become a Senator Florida, and then he was gonna spend his life making cuba a territory of the united states. Now, with his fathers death, eric said he and his brother wanted to fulfill his fathers dream. I want to become Senator Florida and, my brother wants to become president of the united states. Then the mood shifted and eric described what he saw when he walked into the Family Den annexed august 20th. They were. Real until they were wax. They looked wax. Its something that, ive never seen my dad helpless. You know, i think that possibly have lyle and i would have been home, if we would have been able to do something maybe, maybe my dad would be alive. I definitely would give my life for my dads. In this was curious, eric also told rand about a screenplay he had written called friends. That story was about a young man who murders his parents and inherits 100 and 57 million. Fancy. That eric wrote the screenplay with a close friend of him of his names craig Cignarelli Cignarelli cignarelli. When Detective Zoeller interviewed craig, he learned that craig and eric often fantasized about committing the perfect crime. Which is their screenplay, became the Story Of A Man killing his parents and evading the. Policed they thought about the perfect. Crime in here their parents were murdered. We dont have a suspect yet, it looks like the perfect crime to me at that point. Zoeller begin to wonder. If Erics Fantasy could be playing out in reality. And then craig told zoeller about his visit to the Menendez House after the murders. Eric said, do you want to know a happened . And he describes shooting the parents and then he summed it up all by saying it could happen. And craig thought about it. And hes saying, well is he saying thats when things happen here at the house, or did they actually commit the . Crimes strange. As was the story the brothers told about discovering the parents bodies. The brothers said they saw this haze in the air, and smoke that they. Smelled like gunpowder smoke. I mean that dissipates pretty darn quick. While the officers got their right after they did, and they did not smell anything. The gunpowder smoke, and fantasizing about the perfect crime, in the screenplay, and even what might be called a confession. It all lead Detective Zoeller to start thinking the unthinkable. That the brothers had murdered their Mom And Dad. Any wondered, would eric tell the story of the shooting to craig again . This time on tape. They decided to wire up craig and go to this restaurant. But this time, eric was not talkative. Eric did not admit anything. But i think his conscience said, you better not talk too much about this. Not that, day. Anyway and not to craig cignarelli. But eric did talk, eventually, and what he said would change everything. Coming up. Lyle burst into The Room. She heard him say, why did you tell him. The explosive secret, hidden still. Now could you believe . It no. No it was Absolutely devastating, shocking beyond words. When dateline continues. When dateline continues Brad Apartmentsdotcom has the most petfriendly listings for pet loving renters. So you might say that weve brought more joy to more sweet, innocent and adorable little creatures than any other site. employee ow, stop it. Brad Apartmentsdotcom. The most popular place to find a place. Feeling sluggish or weighed down . It could be a sign that your digestive System Isnt working at its best Taking Metamucil Everyday can help. Metamucil psyllium fiber, gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down. It also helps lower cholesterol and slows Sugar Absorption to promote healthy Blood Sugar levels. So you can feel lighter and more energetic metamucil. Support your daily digestive health. And try Metamucil Fiber thins. A great tasting and easy way to start your day. Detective Less Solar had a very disturbing suspicion. That lyle and Eric Menendez had shotgunned their parents to death in the den of their Beverly Hills mansion. And then one day, he just knew. Was there a particular time when you thought, okay yes. Its them. Well, when we got a call from jewel on smith. A name he had never heard before. What did she have to tell you . Her whole purpose was to talk about this doctor and how he was her therapist and he was having an affair with her. Not relevant information to a homicide detective. But this was. What was his first name . Doctor, doctor gerry ozil. Doctor jean, at the Psychologist Eric was sent to after those blurrys. Two months after the murders, Julian Smith says that she was with Doctor Ozil when Eric Menendez called to schedule an emergency session. Smith Wouldnt Talk to us for this report but she did back then. And here is what she told us doctor owes you said after getting that call. Well, All Of A Sudden he is saying, you know, i hope im not going to hear what i think im going to hear. Smith told the solar that dr. Ozil was worried about what might happen at the session. And so he asked her to stay in the Waiting Room of his office while he met with eric on october 31st, 1989. She also told solar that from the Waiting Room, she overheard eric tell Doctor Ozil the very thing investigators had suspected for months but could not prove. Eric said that they shot their parents. And Doctor Oziel immediately says, we need to call your brother and have him come over here right away. Lyle menendez, who had been at the Elm High Drive home passing out candy to trickortreat ors, rushed over to Doctor Oziel office. And Lyle Burst into The Room. Jalen smith told zoeller that she heard lyle confront his brother. And she heard him say, why did you tell him . Were going to have to kill him now. Seriously . Yes. And eric said, i cant kill anymore. And he burst in tears and left. Wow, Lyle And Dr. Oziel more or less followed him. And lyle got to the elevator and Doctor Oziel said, am i endanger . And lyle said thats all i can tell you is have a good life, dr. Oziel. And it freaked him out. What followed was a strange and nervous dance. Oh Zeal Terrell lyle and eric to come back for Followup Therapy sessions. The brothers, Afraid Oziel might go to the police, agreed. During one of those sessions, they both confessed to killing their parents. And Oh Steele recorded the conversation. Due to launch smith learned about the recording and told to texas who promptly saved the tape. Just one problem, they werent allowed to listen to it because of Doctor Patient Privilege. How frustrating was that . Well, it was very frustrating. Yeah, a good piece of evidence and i couldnt even listen to it. Even though investigators didnt know whether theyd ever get to play that tape in court, they thought they had enough evidence to arrest the brothers. Today at approximately it was march 8th, 1990. Detectives arrested Joseph Lyle mendes for the August Murders of his mother and father. Eric was playing a Tennis Tournament in israel at the time. Eric menendez is being sought by detectives of this department. He surrendered to police three days later. Could you believe it . No. No. It was Absolutely devastating, shocking, just beyond words. Former l. A. Times reporter Alan Abrams. And who would imagine that these two young men of privilege, position, and power to be could kill their parents. Thats the kind of shakespeare wrote about. And yet it seems thats exactly what happens. A few weeks after the arrests, Detective Zoeller confirmed another tip that judo on smith gave them. Jubilant said that they were purchased at a Gun Store in San Diego and i was looking through Gun Records and i said this is it. The name on the sale was an old friend Of Lyles from princeton. But the front was not even in california when the guns were purchased and he was missing his i. D. We learned later that lilac had taken the wallet. It seems like overwhelming evidence that lyle and eric killed their parents. The news rocketed around the country. Much of the world. The suns themselves shotgun their own parents in their own home. To Rich Kids from Beverly Hills. Coddled, spoiled, greedy, had murdered their own parents in Cold Blood. Actually planned it. Tried to make it look like a mob hit. You stole an idea to buy the guns, tried to get away with it. And after . Once on a lavish nationwide spending spree. Public judgment came harsh and fast. How do you . Pleaded not guilty. They were smirking, they were smug. People were not predisposed to think kindly of eric and Lyle Menendez. They feasted on the story of the rich brothers who killed their parents for the 14 Million dollar estate. Hard to overstate the publics discussed with those young men. But on the other side of the country in an upscale new Jersey Town just a few miles from princeton, people comparing memories. Their home at the time was a tudor style home. It was on a lake. This is the home were lyle and eric grew up. Where Bill Curtain was a young Tennis Coach when he met Jose Menendez and he was certainly impressed. There were two clear skies of him. One was the very friendly, outgoing, joking person. The flip side was how driven and controlling he was. Jose engaged built to teach his son, lyle, and watched the lessons but didnt just watch. He would physically come on to the Tennis Court and start giving instructions to lyle while i was still there. That was very very strange, very uncomfortable. Only much later did bill learned that jose had hired several coaches for a while. That the ten year old was working hours every day to learn tennis. He was incredibly quiet. Especially when jose was president. Neighborhood memories. Not a successful, but slightly imposing family. Everyone seemed to look up to them but not draw closer to them. Alicia hertz was a friend of the Menendez Family. The minute they would come into a room, they took the air out. Wow. And we were all, you know, very very careful. Why would you be careful . He tended, when he drank a little bit too much, to become very derogatory in front of people. Oh. So people didnt want to be embarrassed by him. But then they started. Did you see any examples of that . And that Menendez House . It was like it was covered with a shield. Like it was impenetrable. The thing was, alicia was not just a neighbor. She was lyles Ninth Grade Spanish Teacher at the exclusive princeton day school. Was he a good student . He tried to be, but he was not particularly talented at the language. Once, she caught lyle cheating and she said eric cheated to. I think teachers understand deep down inside what they were going through. That they were being pressured strenuously from their parents to perform well. Right. And to alicia, it seemed to be taking a toll on lyle. She remembers more than once seen lyle outside of her office, staring blankly. I wish to this day that i had gotten out and said please come in, please come in. Did you talk to Katie Or Jose about this . Oh no, i didnt reveal anything to them. Now. And not anything that could get them in trouble. The Young Boys alicia remembered were now adults in serious trouble, charged with killing the parents who had expected so much from them. But their story of why they did it, had to leave the family and the rest of america speechless. Coming up. The battle begins with a powerful new Ally Standing by the brothers. How does he walk into a room with a shotgun . This kid. It doesnt add up. I mean, im totally, totally puzzled. When dateline continues. N dateline continues sounds great. Sure does. Shouldnt something, you know, wacky be happening right now . We thought people could use a break. Weve all been through a lot this year. That makes sense. Yeah. So. Nows not a good time 3 5ths of nsync. Are you sure . You have us booked all day. Read The Room, guys. Yeah. Right . My audible library is just like Scroll Scroll Scroll Scroll Scroll Scroll, its a lot. I downloaded audible and really, really enjoyed it. And then it kind of just became a lifestyle after that. Audible allows me to find a space for myself. You just get way more than you pay for, one of those rare things in life. Oh, the audible plus catalog is awesome. Its like having a streaming service, but just for audio content. Theres audible originals. Theres podcasts. Ive used some of the meditations, it helps me relax. Mythology, anthropology, a lot of the ologies. Audible recommended the right audiobooks at the right time. They pretty much have whatever you like. Its really enriched my life in so many ways. I can put on an audiobook, or a podcast, and be transported somewhere that is impossible to go, that is why i love audible. To start your free 30day trial, just text listen 11 to 500500. So youre a small business, to start your free or a big one. You were thriving, but then. Oh. Ah. Okay. Plan, pivot. How do you bounce back . You dont, you bounce forward, with serious and reliable internet. Powered by the largest Gig Speed Network in america. But is it secure . Sure its secure. And even if the power goes down, your connection doesnt. So how do i do this . You dont do this. We do this, together. Continuing our story. Bounce forward, with comcast business. Lyle and Eric Menendez are under arrest for the murders of their parents in the Family Mansion in Beverly Hills. It was grotesque what happened. Blood soaked. I had a chill up my spine. Could you believe it . No. It was Absolutely devastating just beyond words. The question now . What drove them to kill . How does he walk into a room with a shotgun . This kid, i mean im totally, totally puzzled. A Dark Secret was about to come to light. I just told him that i didnt want to do this. Something horrible is going on in the family. Oh man, it was gutwrenching. I wanted to bus the Door Down and say whats going on here . Lyle and Eric Menendez had been unthinkable. Murdering their mother and father. Alicia hurts, their former Neighbor And Teacher recalled two Young Boys whose parents seemed formidable, even to adults. Like many others, said alicia, she was careful around kitty and Jose Menendez. But there was one episode she found too disturbing to ignore. A Dinner Party at the menendez home. Jose told his guests that he had brought back a vhs tapes from a trip to brazil. And i have to show you guys this because its so unique. And so he puts it in and i dont remember the name. She said the film showed adults engaging in Sex Acts in front of children. And we saw a few seconds of it, a few minutes will and we made excuses. A lot of us stood up and said we have to leave. We couldnt stand to see it. To watch. But jose found this engaging . Hysterically funny. These stories of the Menendez Family had been buried for years. Until the sons were charged with murder and she signed on to defend them. Veteran criminal Defense Attorney Leslie abraham stun, known for her Brass Style in the courtroom and with the press. You want that . Thats what you get. Reporter robert rand, who wrote a book on the Menendez Ks who recalled the attorneys passionate devotion to her clients. Ive never seen anybody with the power of leslie ever some. Watching her in court was like watching great theater. And this old interview from our archives, Leslie Abrams and described how her Defense Strategy began to take shape. Im hearing a lot of very negative and at least heavily psychologically abusive things but its not answering whats wrong with this kid . Because he is incredibly sweet. How does he walk into a room with a shotgun . This kid . And it doesnt add up. I mean, im totally totally puzzled. And thats when i bring in victory. Doctor William Vicary, then a forensic psychologist in a graduate of Harvard Law School agreed to meet with the brothers in jail. He knew, going in, police believed lyle and eric killed their parents for money. But based upon the dozens of Parasite Cases that he had worked on in the past, thats the exception, thats the role. The rule is something horrible is going on in the family. And something was going on in the Menendez Family. Something very secret. But what was it . Coming up. New evidence seen on television for the first time. A letter from lyle To Eric hinting at the horrors in that house. You cannot go down the hall with jose is with his kids. Kitty didnt go down the hall either . No. Now. Oh man, it was gutwrenching. Just the screams and that data, dont hit me. Daddy, dont. You know, that kind of stuff. When dateline continues. Im every month with heartgard plus, the 1 choice of dogs. Digestive and neurological Side Effects have rarely been reported. Ask your vet for heartgard plus. Sweet pillows of softness this is soft Holy Charmin excuse me roll It Back Everybody Charmin Ultra Soft is so cushiony soft, youll want more but its so absorbent, you can use less. Enjoy The Go with charmin. Lyle and Eric Menendez, the boys of Beverly Hills sat in jail charged with Shotgun Murders of their parents and the great wells of Justice Ground slow. The main issue was the Confession Tape admissible or should Doctor Patient Privilege keep it out . The argument went all the way to californias highest court. We sat around for a couple of years, Waiting For The Supreme Court to roll. During which, the menendez brothers resided at the mens central jail or soon after their arrest, lyle slipped his brother a letter. Dateline obtained a copy. It had never been broadcast before. And it, loud wrote about their father and the murders. He bought two brilliant children, only to. They carry his name and his pride. We did not do anything for the money. He went on. We alone know the truth. We alone know the secrets of our families past. I did not look forward to broadcasting them around the country. I pray that it never has to happen. Secrets . At this point, even attorney Leslie Abrams than knew none of them. Lyle and eric revealed nothing. Not to Abrams In, and not to the Forensic Psychiatry she hired, William Vicary. What struck me in that initial interview was how together, the older Bile Brother lyle was. I mean he, was articulate. He made good eye contact. He had very thoughtful, organized answers. Eric, on the other hand, seems broken. He very rarely made eye contact. He was biting his fingernails. So i was thinking in my head, boy i sure hope i get to work with the older brother and not the younger brother because this is going to be a piece of cake with the older brother. How wrong he was. After a few sessions with a while, Doctor Vicary hit a wall and moved on To Eric who month after month seemed to stick to a kind of script about his wonderful father, his loving family. And the Minute Something would leak out, about maybe things werent so wonderful and the family he would start crying. And he would kind of dissolve and whimper and he just wouldnt go any further. Decree put eric on antidepressants. And slowly, a trust began to form. As the months rolled by, i got more and more pieces of information and i got worse and worse and worse, as to what was going on in this family. Until finally, the dam broke. Eric and lyles cousin, alan anderson, had lived with the Menendez Family and knew the public didnt understand. They just knew that, okay, we got these Rich Kids. Boom. Shot their parents. Now they think theyre multimillionaires. Thats not the case. Allen had begun thinking back to some very disturbing things he had witnessed at the Menendez House. As head cousin, diane hernandez. He would take their heads and push them underwater until they started panicking, and he would let them up again. Joses way of teaching his then quite Young Boys to swim. What did kitty seem to think about it . I mean, if jose did it or set it there was no questioning it. Absolutely none. Not by the boys. Not by katie. She became like his righthand man in enforcing things. Including, with Diane And Allen came to know as the single most important role in the Menendez House. You cannot go down the hall when jose is with his kids. Kitty didnt go how the whole either . No. Now. But they did hear things. Ive heard them being whipped. Oh man, it was gutwrenching. Just the screams. You know, daddy dont hit me. Daddy, dont. That kind of stuff. A disturbing series of stories. To the defense, it began to explain with those young men did their parents. But how do you get from disturbing stories to a double murder . The brothers lawyers began to connect the dots. Their defense would be unique and daring. Coming up. The prosecution versus the defense. The fireworks were about to begin. I felt that the brothers were evil, but not as bad as she was. When dateline continues. By working tirelessly to design 3d virtual tours that are so realistic it actually feels like youre there. But thats all thanks to ted, a man who possesses an innate understanding of dimension. Uh. Ted. ted sorry, i was in the zone. Also my name is brian. Brad Apartmentsdotcom the most popular place to find a place. Its a simple Fact Nothing kills more germs on more surfaces than lysol spray. Its a simple fact it even kills the covid19 virus. Science supports these simple facts. Theres only one true lysol. Hello im dara brown. Lysol. What it takes to protect. Heres whats happening. People are dead after a boat capsized near San Diego. Authorities suspect the vessel was used in a human smuggling operation. Boats operator is in custody. Over 1 Million americans are fully vaccinated just in time for summer and that could be partially why a new poll shows nearly two thirds of americans express optimism about the direction of the country. The last time we came close to that optimism was in december of 2006. Now back to dateline. To dateline even before the menendez brothers went on trial, the defense scored a big victory. The California Supreme Court ruled that the Confession Tape made by Doctor Oziel could not be percentage at as evidence. Of course, the Priest Id already conceded that Lyle And Erin could kill their parents. Nearly four years after the murders, july 1993, if convicted here, lyle and eric could face the death penalty. Their judge was Stanley Weisberg who had already presided over high profile cases. Notably, the Rodney King beating case whose results sparked the l. A. Riots. Judge weisberg ruled that each brother would have his own jury. And the electronic media that wants access to this Cart Room he allowed cameras in the courtroom. The idea that there was a camera in a courtroom in california was so new, so novel. Reporter Alan Abrams in, once an attorney himself, covered the trial for the l. A. Times. You werent just playing to the jury. You are playing to all of america. The Judges Decision turned a local l. A. Story into an international sensation. How big was it . The Menendez Trial was the case that put an entire network, court tv, on the broadcast landscape. Prosecutor pam began a new all of america was watching her every move. How did you feel as you prepared to make your Opening Statement . As i walk down the hallway, all the cameras with their hands i just threw up because i thought, oh god, this is really stressful so whats more, the prosecutor was going up against two fierce opponents. Leslie abrams, in defending eric. And Jill Lansing, defending lyle. These are three very smart, strong women. Definitely. Engaged against Each Other over these boys. Yes. I say boys, but they werent really boys, where they . They werent boys at all. In fact, thats what the defense wanted to hear. Was boys, these poor boys, these orphans. Orphans. An impression the defense tried to play up. Leslie abrams didnt wrap her arms around their shoulders. Had them trade theyre dapper suits for preppy sweaters. Everything that Jill Lansing and Leslie Abrams did was deliberate and calculated. Prosecutor steeled herself, department not to let the optics distract the jury. Based upon this evidence, it will become apparent that this murder was unlawful, unjustified, and holy premeditated. In basic english, the Prosecutions Case was this. Just the facts, maam. Fact number one. Lyle and Eric Driving down to San Diego two days before the murders to buy shotguns and with a stolen i. D. Why are you using the fake i. D. . Because you know youre going to be using the gun to do something he shouldnt be doing. That is evidence of intense. After the murders, the prosecution showed the brothers lied to the police for months starting from the very Moment Lyle called 911. Someone killed my parents. And they did it all for the family fortune, the state said. Remember, lyle and eric had searched for the will just days after their parents murders and went on a lavish, multistate spending spree. They were very aggressive about Spending Money as soon as possible. Yeah. Which i thought was very strange. It was very obvious, said the prosecutor. They did it for the money. At The End of the prosecution case, i was like ok. These two brothers are so guilty its not even funny. But then there was her. Miss Abrams In for the defense. Thank you. We had a joke. The investigator, myself, and my cocounsel, lester, the joke was you have a gun, you have two bullets, you go into the courtroom. Who do you shoot . Okay . So both the guys say that they would shoot lyle and eric. And my thing was im going to shoot leslie twice. I felt that the brothers were evil but not as bad as she was. Abrams and had a reputation for doing whatever it took. You guys havent been fair to these boys, and youre not fair to them now. And she had an unusual strategy for defending the brothers. A lot known as imperfect selfdefense. That is to say, under all the circumstances, it was reasonable to the person to think that they were acting in selfdefense. But the reality is that, that wasnt the case at all. In other words, an honest but unreasonable belief that once life is in danger. The defense argued that the brothers werent spoiled, they were damaged. Subject to years of abuse that made the decision to kill their parents seem to them, like an act of selfdefense against imminent danger. If the jury agreed, the menendez brothers would get manslaughter instead of murder. Our witnesses will paint a portrait of Jose And Mary Louise Menendez as parents, that will make understandable to you how they couldve died at the hands of their children. What they did to their children to bring this about. The parents were as much on trial as lyle and Eric Menendez were on trial. And while the prosecution tried to stick to a just the facts maam narrative, the Defense Strategy was a motion, a motion, a motion, a motion. The Defense Called Teachers and coaches and Family Members to testify about emotional and physical abuse. One of them was Cousin Allen. And would you see bruises on the boys after that . Yes. And above their Thigh Area for where about would be hit. And then, Cousin Diane took The Stand. And here came the most explosive issue of the trial. Diana testified that the abuse has a inflicted on his sons was not just physical, but sexual. He and his dad have been touching Each Other and he indicated that it was in his genital area. And diane told us she observed even more. Three of them would take showers together. Lyle was 15 and eric was 12. The prosecutor was, to say the least, skeptical. If my daughter needed me to life for her, Id Lie for her if it was a Life And Death thing, of course you would. If its your cousin that you grew up with, of course you would. Youre pretty sure that they were doing that . Im positive. One reason why . A relative came to me and said that she felt that the defense was made up and she had confronted lyle about it and he said to her thats the way its going to be. So we had to ask. Did the brothers ask you to life for them . No. Did they ask you to sort of shape things or tell certain stories and not other stories or anything like that . No. The defense contended the abuse was real and went on for years. And finally they came to believe that something terrible was about to break loose. Specifically, that their parents were going to kill them if they didnt kill their parents first. Mental health experts testified and said that was understandable. Eric and Loughman Undoes purchased the shotguns for their own protection. It was a High Stakes defense. And by far, the most important witnesses would be the brothers themselves. With the jury believe them . Would america . Coming up. My dad had been molesting me. I just told him that i didnt want to do this. And that it hurt me. Shocking then. Chilling, even now. Was it the truth . When dateline continues. Irresistibly delicious. Pour some almond breeze. For the maestros of the creamiestever, musthave smoothies. Its irresistibly delicious. More almond breeze, please my audible library is just like Scroll Scroll Scroll Scroll Scroll Scroll, its a lot. I downloaded audible and really, really enjoyed it. And then it kind of just became a lifestyle after that. Audible allows me to find a space for myself. You just get way more than you pay for, one of those rare things in life. Oh, the audible plus catalog is awesome. Its like having a streaming service, but just for audio content. Theres audible originals. Theres podcasts. Ive used some of the meditations, it helps me relax. Mythology, anthropology, a lot of the ologies. Audible recommended the right audiobooks at the right time. They pretty much have whatever you like. Its really enriched my life in so many ways. I can put on an audiobook, or a podcast, and be transported somewhere that is impossible to go, that is why i love audible. To start your free 30day trial, just text listen 11 to 500500. So what was it done . According to Leslie Abrams in, there was only one relevant question to consider and the menendez murders. Why did these killings occur . A question the brothers believed they could answer best. No one had ever seen televised testimony like this before. Say your full name and your last name. Joseph Lyle Menendez. The brothers testified in graphic, a motion will terms, about what they said with the darkest secrets of their family. Between the ages of six and eight, did your father have Sexual Contact with you . Yes. We would be in the bathroom and it would he would put me on my knees. And have Oral Sex with him. Did you want to do this . At some point, did he do some other things to you . Hed raped me. Did you ask him not to . Yes. I just told him that i didnt want to do this and that it hurt me. And he said that he didnt mean to hurt me and he loves me. What did he tell you about telling people . He just said that it was our secret. That bad things would happen to me if i told anybody. Loud testified his father stopped abusing him when he turned eight. But he said, four years, he had no idea his brother was a victim to. Then, eric took The Stand. He would have me give Oral Sex and he would stick needles or the tax into my thighs as he was doing this. Eric testified that when he refused to cooperate with his fathers demands he came back with the knife. He put it on my neck and said i should kill you, and next time i will. Reaction to the brothers testimony was to say the least, polarized. You either totally believed that the brothers had been abused or no, you have thought the whole thing was a complete crock of you know what. But the defense said the brothers explosive claims were just the lead up. The Back Story to what really prompted the murders. What do you believe was the originating cause of you and your brother, ultimately, winding up shooting your parents . Meet telling lyle that you telling lyle whats . Law was it you telling lyle about something that was happening . My dad. My dad had been molesting me. And had been right up until the murders, eric said. And he testified that his mother was aware of it all. She says, i know, ive always known. What do you think, im stupid . Lyles said he confronted his father several days before the murders. I told him i would tell Everybody Everything about him. I would tell the police, and that i would tell the family. Then, according to lyle, his father said something that sounded like a threat. He said, we all make choices in life, son. Eric made his. Youve made yours. I thought we were in danger. And so the brothers drove down to San Diego to buy the shot guns for protection, they said. Two days later, said lyle, he and his father had another argument about the abuse. After which, lyle said his parents went into the down and shut The Door. And . I thought they were going ahead with their plan to kill us. Remember, Jose And Kitty kept two rifles In The House. So what did you do . I ran upstairs to tell my brother that it was happening now. They ran out to the car, loaded their guns and burst through the den door. I was just firing as i went into The Room. I just started firing. In what direction . Was in front of you. My parents. At some point, was jurgen empty . Yes. I could see somebody moving, seemed like moving in the direction of where my brother should be. Lyle said he returns to the car, reloaded, and ran back into the house. And what did you do after you reloaded . I ran around, shot my mom. So, did they act well in the mistaken belief that they were defending their own lives . Yes, said the defense. A Classic Case of imperfect selfdefense. Perfect nonsense, said the prosecutor. She grilled lyle on cross examination. When you put the shotgun up against her left cheek and you pull the trigger, did you love your mother . Yes. And was that an active love, mr. Menendez . It was confusion, fear. You were afraid of her, at that point . They slaughtered their mother in a way that was so cruel, she got up to run and they went out and they reload it and they put the gun up to her cheek and blew her brains out. Im sorry. That is the height of cruelty. Whats more, observed Alan Abrams in. Lets count how many seconds it might take to go out to the car. Walk, walk, walk, walk. Grab the Shotgun Shell. Put the Shotgun Shell in. Run back in. Remember, time is ticking. Time is ticking. You put the barrel of that shotgun against her cheek and you pull. That is intent. No doubt about it. The prosecution believed the brothers were flat out lying about the abuse and the events leading up to the murders. And as it turned out, their testimony gave the state a big opening. They offered their mental state as a defense. And when you offer your mental state as a defense, you have raved your psychiatric patient privilege. The oziel tape. Remember that . By testifying, the brothers had put their mental state on Center Stage meeting the tape was not fair game. The defense played the tape to take the sting out of it. Whatever gun i did took courage beyond belief. Detective zoeller, remember, had never heard the tape before he was dumbfounded. This was supposedly a candid Confession Tape but on it the brothers never once mentioned the issue that was now at the very course of their defense. Why did you ever murder your parents . Oh, because they were sexually molesting us. That never came out. Why wouldnt he tell his therapist . Big deal . The prosecution thought so. But, Biden The Jury had already heard many hours of tearful testimony about abuse. And that is one, and december 1993, they retired to consider a verdict. We made a mistake, right off the bat. Hazel thornton was on erics jury. We took a Show Of Hands as to what level of guilt we thought that they were and it became immediate that it was men against women. Murder versus manslaughter. The main issue, said hazel, was the Brothers Story of abuse. The women believes them. The men did not. Did discussions get heated . Oh, yes. The public thinks that that women were emotional in the trial. It was the man who were emotional. They pounded their fists On The Table. They called us names. They yelled at us. Those tumultuous deliberations carried on into the new year. And then, a massive 6. 7 earthquake shook southern california. The backdrop against which the juries would deliver a decision that shocked the world. Coming up. O. J. Simpson. That explosive case is about to cast a shadow over this one. When dateline continues. Hey shaq. Oh what up fellas . Remember you were talking about The General being great insurance. And we disagreed with you, and we stopped letting you sit with us at lunch . I do. Well turns out you were right, we just misjudged them based on their commercials. 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Less painful, more comfortable. Invisalign. The court finds, based upon after six months of trial, two juries, one result. Therefore, i find that the jury is hopelessly deadlocked. And the court declares a mistrial. The juries could not make up their minds. Nearly half of them, on each panel voted for manslaughter. Said that he vowed to retry the case. We have an ethical, professional, and moral responsibility to go forward with this case as a first Degree Murder case. But before that second trial could begin, o. J. Happened. And suddenly the stakes were even bigger. When o. J. Simpson went home at The End of his trial, it was very hard on the das office. We were, you know, nationally considered to be kind of losers. The second Menendez Trial began just eight days after o. J. s acquittal, with Judge Weisberg presiding again. The same judge. The same case. But this time, the trial was fundamentally different. The first major ruling Judge Weisberg made was no Tv Camera in the courtroom. This time, one jury for both brothers. Judge weisberg also scaled Back Testimony about the brothers alleged physical and sexual abuse. Cousin diane, for example, was able to testify, just not about lyle telling her that his father was molesting him. One reason that couldnt come in because was this time around, lyle didnt take The Stand to lay the foundation about abuse in the first place. And between the two trials, there were allegations that he was asking people to fabricate testimony. Letters service after the first trial, and which light was alleged to have encouraged people to lie for the defense. So the defense decided they couldnt put him on the witness stand. So Eric Menendez had to carry the ball for both brothers and he was a good witness but he was not as strong as Lyle Menendez had been at the first trial. And that Expert Testimony about the impact of the alleged abuse of the Stud Other state of mind. Judge weisberg was severely limited the number of experts because he felt the testimony was repetitive. One not allowed to testify was Doctor Vicary. I was shocked. I said, well theyve got the defense. I mean, there is no defense without that. That specific ruling was in large part due to the objections raised by the new prosecutor leading the peoples case. Deputy da david khan. One thing that we have asked the judge to do is to limit the socalled abuse excuse. The approach that the prosecutor took was to attack at every turn and not give any free passes there. Andrew Wolf Burke is a lawyer today. Back then, he was the youngest member of the menendez retrial jury. At the time, the Defense Attorney said that this was a family that will win at all costs. That ends justify the means. To say that their parents had abused them was almost like The Ends justify the means. Lets make up this story about abuse. But one thing jurors figured was not made up was that Confession Tape. This time, the prosecution got to use that wildcard the way they want to, as their smoking gun. And they highlighted a section with the brothers seem to have no remorse about what they had done. You miss just having these people around . I miss not having my dog around. That really was just like a punch in the gut. And then, just before the jury went out, Judge Weisbergs last ruling. And quite possibly the most important one of all. The jurors would not be allowed to consider an imperfect selfdefense. Judge weisberg, basing his ruling on a california supreme Court Decision Ruling that came down after the first minute as trial, said imperfect selfdefense didnt apply because the brothers initiated the confrontation with their parents. Do you think, and rest respect, have you been offered imperfect selfdefense that you might have maybe started in a different place or come to a different conclusion . Im pretty confident that we would not have because we literally started from first Degree Murder. And when every element was satisfied, we were done. This time around, the deliberations were quicker. More congenial. In certain. The verdict is guilty on all counts with special circumstances. Guilty of first Degree Murder. But the fates Of Lyle and Eric Menendez were not the only headlines. More came in the penalty phase. Doctor vicary finally got to testify and under oath, he had to admit something. The drama involves this man, defend psychiatry hissed, William Vicary who disclosed that he delayed dozens of portions of his most because quote, Leslie Abrams told me this has to come out. With did it feel like to beat you in that particular circumstance of your life . Well, it was very traumatic. Traumatic, indeed. The doctor said Leslie Abrams and asked him to delete notes she felt could be viewed as evidence of premeditation. And reluctantly, he said, he agreed. The California Medical Board punished victory. 34 months probation. Abrams in disputed Victories Version of events and after investigations, the State Bar years later cited insufficient evidence of violations and closed her case. In The End, all her efforts did not spare the menendez brothers from a life sentence. I think fairness has been drained out of the system. Decades later, the question whether the second trial was fair, is still being debated. Its a tale of two trials. The trials could not have been more different. Cliff gardener was the attorney appointed to handle lyles appeal. So it was sort of a one two three punch. No source evidence, no Expert Testimony, and then your defense doesnt go to the jury. But it was the same judge in both trials. It was the same judge. So whats the explanation in the difference . Its a very good question. I dont have an answer to it. And this audio of laoss federal appeal hearing, a judge also question why so many key rulings changed in Trial Number two. I find it a little distasteful when the state doesnt succeed in convicting someone under one set of rules, it will sort of change the rules dramatically. Grounds to vacate their convictions . And what did the brothers have to say all these years later . Well ask Lyle Menendez next. Coming up. The outside world saw what they thought was evidence of premeditation. And have to say thats not really entirely accurate. When dateline continues. Continues so youre a small business, or a big one. You were thriving, but then. Oh. Ah. Okay. Plan, pivot. How do you bounce back . You dont, you bounce forward, with serious and reliable internet. Powered by the largest Gig Speed Network in america. But is it secure . Sure its secure. And even if the power goes down, your connection doesnt. So how do i do this . You dont do this. We do this, together. 2005, after years of failed bounce forward, with comcast business. Appeals them in undoes Brothers Case went to the federal court. It was their last chance. The court denied it. Maintaining the State Court mid reasonable rulings and light of the facts and did not violate federal law. Loughman and as was 49 years old and had spent nearly half his life in prison when he agreed to talk to us. Hello . Hello . So, here we are. We spoke with loughman and as for more than two hours. He was confident, articulate, and 28 years later, still eager to explain why he and his brother killed their parents. He shared intimate details about his childhood and a betrayal he said he felt one eric confided to him days before the murder that their father was still molesting him. My fathers rapes, i said nothing. And i just feel like part of that pact i had with my dad, and i am keeping the secret. And for you to have done this to my brother, like i kept my part of that sort of devils packed and you didnt. You know . And my mother just, you know, you let your children wake up in the home of a child molester, every day . Lyle testified and the trial that not only did his Mother Cover four husbands actions, she also sexually abused him. More than a Quarter Century after the murders, those feelings of Anger And Hurt were still close to the surface. My mother was very cruel. I believe she just very much resented my brother and i from early, early on. As if you and eric had come between her and your father . Yes, exactly. We reminded him of what his prosecutors still say about him. That lyle is still trying to avoid some level of responsibility by blaming abuse when the abuse doesnt appear to have been so bad as to cause a person to do that. I would trade my entire defense for a 30second Video of my father raping me. I would trade my whole case for it because i think its so sanitized and so easy to use the word abuse. Oh, abuse. The Abuse Wasnt so bad. Lets get down to the incident itself. When did you and eric decide to kill your parents . We didnt decide to do it. It was we finally just kind of got overwhelmed with hispanic and emotion and made the decision to run in that room. The outside world saw what they thought was evidence of a lot of premeditation. Using a friends Drivers License to, you know, hug the fact that you went to San Diego and got weapons. I have to say keep it. There is, you know, its just not really entirely accurate. I didnt have a california i. D. So there was no way to purchase a weapon other than my brother using his other kids i. D. But no disputing it, they did buy the guns in advance with a stolen i. D. And there was this irrefutable facts that the prosecutor pointed out. Lyle reloaded and fired that final shot at his mothers face while she was still alive and curling desperately to get away. They saw that as the evidence of premeditation and cruelty. I, certainly, in the Room Wasnt making kind of decisions in a chaotic situation like that but you know, reflecting afterwards, you know, it haunts me. It does haunt me. The other comment that would come out was, well, they you know, couldve just gone out got in the car and driven away. You know . They didnt have to do this. A person like my father is not going to allow you to just take something that will ruin his life that he has so carefully crafted. Hes not going to. Hes not going to. No but, you could have left. Thats the point im trying to make. But leave and do what . Leaving just wait for yourself to be killed in a Parking Lot . Leave intel who . They didnt believe anyone would help them, said lyle. Not even the police. Speaking of which, that 911 call while made . Who was the person that was shot . My mom and my dad. You were so, you know, grief stricken on that call and lying at the same time. Yeah, whats happened i dont think i was grief stricken. I think i was just Absolutely broken down with stress. Both of us were just in such a state of trauma that it just poured through on that call and made it easy to make that call, really. But you could have told them. Instead, you misled them. Why that . Well, i mean, i dont think i was going to tell the Beverly Hills Police Department that yeah, i killed my parents. And heres why. And they were going to go, oh, okay, go back home. So, just self preservation, at that point. While strongly denied the prosecutions claim that he an air killed their parents for money. Furthermore, he said he didnt think their case should be even gone to trial. This case should have been settled. There are like, 2 to 300 Parasite Cases a year where a parents are killed by their child and theyre almost all related to abuse and they are almost. All settled. This case they picked out is different. But lyle, it was different. Guys like you in places like you live and acts like you committed. I mean, this is a big splashy deal. Exactly. And i think it was very easy because it was Beverly Hills. My father had a lot of money. To sort of sell this headline that these brothers killed for money. You havent seen eric in how long . Wow. 1996 . Getting to be a long time. Yeah. I miss my brother, every day. Eric menendez declined our interview request. At the time, he had been married for 18 years. Lyle, for 14. And remember, eric had said both Eatonvilles Brother wanted to pursue careers in politics. In a highly unusual way, they have done it. Sort of. Eric started a Life Care and Hospice Program for inmates at the Richard Donovan correctional facility near San Diego. And 500 miles north, lyle was president of the Inmate Government at Mill Creek State prison. I know its going to be a suffering for me but i feel like i can find some purpose here. Then, in february 2018, a reunion of sorts. Lyle was moved to the same facility where eric was serving his sentence. They were even housed in the same unit. Lyles former Appellate Attorney told us, if the brothers can produce New Evidence of the abuse, it would be the first step forward towards perhaps getting a third trial. Even he admits its a long shot. But if it did happen, to people, surely, would not be there. Defense attorney Leslie Abrams it is retired from law and did not respond to our interview request. As for Prosecutor Pam bazanich. Do you think this kind of wrecked your career . Oh, of course it did. But its ok because if i had won the case i probably never wouldve been a mother. I probably wouldve gone on some Book Tour and i would never have been natalies mom. And so it does have a happy ending. Before she left the das office, Pam Bazanich took something with her. A picture of kitty. Not this one, no. She took one from the Crime Scene. She had Blue Eyes, and one little Blue Eye is open. And the other one is gone. You probably think im a little crazy to keep that picture but its a reminder of what those horrible children did to her. Can you imagine giving birth and then giving everything you have to these two kids and they kill you . The menendez brothers have supporters who hope they Get Out of prison one day. When we last checked, lyles facebook followers numbered more than 8500. Fair to say, Pam Bazanich is not one of them. Life in prison for those two is just fine. I hope they live a long, long life. This sunday, the return of big government. We have to prove democracy still works, that our government still works and we can deliver for our people. President biden proposing a huge increase in government spending. American Jobs Plan will be the biggest increase in Nonresearch And Development on record. 6 Trillion on social spending, infrastructure, climate change, Health Care and more. These are investments we made together as one country, investments that only The Government was in a position to make. Republicans push back, calling mr. Biden divisive and fiscally irresponsible. He could have walked up and said i want all of you to send every bit of your Money And Freedom to washington