On Aug. 20, 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez entered their home and shot both of their parents. The brothers who were then 18 and 21 at the time, were charged with first-degree murder. Twenty-six years later, the eldest, Lyle, opens up about his account of the murder.
Jose and Mary Menendez were the parents of the brothers, who are of Cuban descent. The father, who was a business executive, was shot in his head and kneecap. The mother, once a homemaker and socialite, was shot numerous times in her torso, face and kneecap, as well.
Latina reports that the Menendez brothers reason for killing their parents was due to alleged abuse, but the trial questioned if they were after their parents’ inheritance. Lyle, who is now 48, relayed to ABC News in a phone interview from Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California that “it’s shocking to think … that I could have been involved in taking anyone’s life. It seems unimaginable because it seems so far removed from who I am.”
He added: “I am the kid that did kill his parents, and no river of tears has changed that, and no amount of regret has changed it. I accept that. You are often defined by a few moments of your life, but that’s not who you are in your life, you know. Your life is your totality of it. … You can’t change it. You just — you’re stuck with the decisions you made.”
Lyle Menendez admits he is “at peace” with his decision, accepting what has already been done. The full story of the Menendez brothers (Erik being held at a different prison) premiered Thursday night (Jan. 5), in a two-hour ABC special called, Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers.
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