Teenagers across the globe have become obsessed with TikTok’s most recent trends. While most things trending amongst teens include style and aesthetics, there is one peculiar thing that teens have become interested in: true crime. But even more specifically, the case of the Menendez Brothers. 

In August of 1989, Jose Menendez, a successful businessman, and his wife, “Kitty” Menendez, were found shot dead in their Beverly Hills home. Many officials at that time had concluded that the Mafia was the culprit of the brutal murder, but after a few months of investigating, this changed. In March of 1990, Erik and Lyle Menendez, the sons of Jose and Kitty, were arrested on suspicion of murdering their parents. In a tearful testimony, both Lyle and Erik revealed that their father, Jose Menendez, had been sexually assaulting and verbally abusing his sons since they were children, and they murdered them to escape the abuse. 

The brother’s prosecution argued that they acted in self-defense, but at the end of the trial, the Menendez brothers were charged with first-degree murder. 

At the time of the murders, Erik was 18 years old, and Lyle was 22 years old, which is the age of many of us college students. Lyle was even attending university but was put on academic probation due to poor grades. It is hard to put yourself in their shoes because what happened to them and what they did was unimaginable, but knowing that they are around our age provides a bit more insight. Although we may claim that we know everything, college-aged students are still maturing and learning the ways of the world. 

This case occurred over thirty years ago, so many may wonder – why do we care now? On Sept. 19, Netflix released a series called “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Case.” Just weeks after that release, Netflix released another feature of the case, this time, a documentary called “The Menendez Brothers.” In this documentary, audiences get to hear Erik and Lyle’s points of view and comments on the case, over 30 years after it unfolded. 

After the release of these two Netflix programs, many have shown interest in the case. But after hearing about the abuse, flocks of people have come to the boys’ defenses, arguing that the brothers should be released because they faced years of abuse and were acting in imperfect self-defense. According to NOLO, imperfect self-defense is “The law of self-defense allows people to use force, and sometimes deadly force, to defend themselves from an imminent threat of harm.”

With these arguments being brought to light, true crime fanatics and internet sleuths have been trying to answer the big question; should the Menendez brothers be released, or should they be forced to fulfill their lifetime sentences? 

No child should ever be put into an abusive situation, so the fact that the brothers were put through years of tortuous abuse is, in my opinion, truly despicable, but there are other ways to get out of abusive situations other than murder. Amidst the trial, the boys painted the picture that the only way out of the abuse was to kill their parents. During the trial, the boys never discussed any alternative ways to get out of the abusive home like running away or trying to shy away from their parents. While no child should ever be put in the situation of abuse, and the treatment the boys faced was despicable, the fact that the boys’ only idea of getting out of the abusive home was to murder their parents is concerning.

There are many things victims can do to escape the abuse. Many institutions provide individuals with abuse aid. Before the murders, Lyle Menendez, the eldest brother, attended Princeton University. Students at the coveted New Jersey Ivy League school can contact the SHARE program if they are ever in an abusive situation. SHARE stands for “Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education.” According to Princeton University’s Health Service’s website, “SHARE offers a wide range of trauma and culturally-informed supportive services, which may be short-term or longer-term depending upon the needs of each student client who chooses to access SHARE.”

This is just one way that the boys could have found help for their struggles. 

A case that can be compared to the Menendez brothers is the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case. Blanchard gained popularity for her role in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee, following years of abuse and medical fraud in which her mother falsely claimed she was severely ill.

There are many people who believe the brothers should be released, just like Blanchard, due to them suffering from severe abuse from their parents. While Gypsy may have been released, the circumstances of the case were much different than the Menendez brothers. For starters, Gypsy Rose did face abuse from her mother, but it was not sexual abuse. Gypsy’s mom had FDIA, also known as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another, or previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. This disorder led Gypsy’s mother to make Gypsy appear sick when she was actually in good health. This forced Gypsy to be wheelchair bound and it forced Gypsy to be under the strict control of her mother. The brothers didn’t face this type of abuse, but they did face years of sexual assault and verbal abuse from their father. 

Another key difference in the cases is that Gypsy Rose didn’t commit the murder herself, but was the guiding hand in planning it. By no means is planning a murder okay or acceptable, but actually killing someone is worse in my opinion. The Menendez brothers actually went through with shooting their parents, which is something Gypsy Rose didn’t do. 

Throughout their trial, the boys explained the love they had for their parents despite the abuse, but the savage nature of the crime brings up the question of how much love they really had for their parents. The wounds the parents were left with have me personally wondering if they really loved their parents the way they said they did. 

I mean, how much could you really love your parents if you can leave them with such brutal gunshot wounds?

Questions such as this one are brought up, but I fortunately have never been in an abusive situation so I don’t know the hopelessness that the boys felt. The boys faced years of relentless abuse, which arguably led to the murder of Kitty and Jose’s deaths. The boys have spent the last 30 years in prison, and I think it is time to consider their release. 

What they did to their parents was awful, but what their parents did to them was also despicable. While there could have been other alternative methods of escaping the abuse, I think the boys should have another chance to go on trial and to fight for freedom. If Gypsy Rose was released for planning the murder of her own mother, I think the boys should at least be given the chance to retell their stories for a possible release. I’m not saying that the boys should definitely be released, but I do think they should be given a retrial, giving them an opportunity to possibly be free.

I think a retrial will allow for a fresh set of eyes to be on the case by a new jury. If Gypsy Rose was released after planning a murder due to abuse, I think the Menendez brothers should be given the same chance at freedom with a retrial. 

Whether it is your first year or your last, I think I can speak for many college students when I say that we have all made decisions that overall, were just dumb. While murder is a very bold choice to make, the boys were young and dealing with an issue that was taboo at the time. During the time of the crimes, male sexual abuse victims never talked about the abuse they faced because it was very taboo. The fact that the stuff they were dealing with wasn’t talked about, and with the fact that the boys were immature and young, they ultimately made a stupid decision that landed them in prison for the rest of their lives. 

At the end of the day, there are many ways to get help when you are in an abusive situation that doesn’t include murder. Many institutions provide abuse help and abuse centers for victims of abuse. Here at Rowan, students can call 866-295-7378 to “Reach a Confidential, Trained Sexual Violence Advocate call,” according to Rowan University’s website. 

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