Menendez Brothers: Could Freedom Be Near? Get the Latest Here
Remember the Menendez brothers? If you were around in the 1990s, you couldn’t look in any direction without seeing the story—reporters were digging into every grisly detail of the crime.
It was a lot. And people couldn’t stop watching. And now, decades after the frenzy died down, it’s back in the headlines.
Why? Because fresh developments could change EVERYTHING.
The American Criminal podcast just dropped a brand-new episode, “An Update on the Menendez Brothers,” exploring what’s happened since their original series on the murders aired last year.
Hosted by Jeremy Schwartz and featuring producer Joel Callen, this update opens up the latest twists—legal battles, shifting public views, and the real possibility of the brothers walking free.
(How would you feel watching THAT happening?)
That’s why NOW is the perfect time to revisit their gripping four-part series, which is being re-released to pull you back into one of the most unforgettable true crime stories ever.
Fuzzy on the details? Here’s the quick backstory: On August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez, then 21 and 18, shot and killed their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home.
At first, the brothers claimed they found their parents dead after a movie night, but in March 1990, they were arrested after Erik confessed to his therapist, who tipped off the police. Their first trials in 1993 ended in hung juries, but by 1996, a second trial convicted them of first-degree murder, landing them life sentences without parole.
Fast-forward to 2023, new evidence—like a letter Erik wrote to a cousin before the murders detailing alleged sexual abuse by José Menendez—sparked a push for resentencing.
Since then, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has been wrestling with the case, and the brothers’ fate hangs in the balance.
The new American Criminal update episode lays it all out, breaking down the three paths to potential freedom: resentencing, a habeas petition with new evidence, and a clemency bid to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Get all the details so you know what’s going on when one of the most intense legal decisions in human history is announced across the media.
The re-release of American Criminal’s four-part Menendez series is your chance to relive the full story—from the murders to the trials to the questions that still linger. Produced by Airship and written by Joel Callen, this series is a masterclass in true crime storytelling. Here’s what you’ll hear:
Episode Overview
The Menendez Brothers | Five-Year Plan | 1
Step into the world of the Menendez family—wealthy and successful on the surface, but fractured and dysfunctional under José’s iron grip and Kitty’s quiet despair. This episode traces the path to a desperate, bloody breaking point.
The Menendez Brothers | They’re Going To Kill Us | 2
Learn more about the family’s toxic dynamics, the brothers’ troubled upbringing marked by pressure and alleged abuse, and the escalating fears that led Lyle and Erik to buy shotguns and pull the trigger, believing they had no other way out.
The Menendez Brothers | Acts of Grief | 3
See how Lyle and Erik tried to cover their tracks with an alibi and crocodile tears for the police. Lyle points to their father’s shady business dealings as a motive, but their lavish spending of the inheritance raises red flags. No physical evidence links them—until Erik’s confession to his therapist unravels everything.
The Menendez Brothers | They Had It Coming | 4
Relive the trials, the defense’s focus on years of alleged abuse, and the 1996 conviction that locked the brothers away for life. Reflect on the discussion about how society’s views on abuse have evolved and how new evidence might shake up the case today.
We suggest starting with “An Update on the Menendez Brothers” to get the latest, then binge the four-part series to uncover every detail of this stomach-churning case that can fuel debates with friends, families, and neighbors for YEARS to come. American Criminal delivers it all with no fluff—just the facts and thought-provoking questions that keep you thinking.
Encore: Coming Thursday April 17
About American Criminal
From executive producer Lindsay Graham and Airship, the studio behind American Scandal and American History Tellers, American Criminal is a weekly true crime podcast that digs into America’s most notorious figures. Hosted by Jeremy Schwartz (the voice of Edwin Stanton in Airship’s 1865), it uncovers the real people behind the headlines—assassins, gangsters, killers, and con artists. Subscribe now to explore the Menendez brothers’ story and other infamous cases that shaped history.