Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who was horribly abused, in a big fancy house, by parents who were extremely well respected and appeared very normal to everyone outside of the family—I don’t doubt abuse for one second with murder of parents.

Occum’s razor — they were pushed to the edge by abuse? Or so spoiled they shot their parents multiple times at close range with a shotgun? I’m not saying they aren’t sociopaths; I’m saying even if they are it is highly unlikely they’d kill because they are spoiled.

They didn’t seem particularly remorseful. Spending money and having a good old time on their ill gotten gains.

What does that have to do with anything? They should feel remorse for having killed the people who made their life hell?

And they spent a bunch of money? So what, everyone in Beverly Hills spends a bunch of money.

It’s not ok to kill people and spend their money. Even Gypsy Rose Blanchard got 10 years and she didn’t even murder her mom herself. Not sure what kind of lenience people think the Menendez brothers would get for their crime. You can’t just kill people who did you wrong.

It depends on the wrong. If I found out somebody was sexually abusing my young children, yeah i would kill him or her to ensure that person doesn’t live long enough to sexually abuse another child, maybe yours. Women sexually abuse children as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Murder is justifiable if you are getting abused

But the brothers weren’t being abused at the moment. So their punishment is appropriate.

You are misunderstanding the point. It is not about setting them free or forgoing punishment, but about the difference between premeditated first degree murder and the legal definition of second degree murder.

The spending spree was not that much out of line for people raised in Beverly Hills or that money bubble

Except the vast majority of people don’t murder their parents in order to do it. There is something really wrong with these brothers. And if you say blame the parents then you might as well dig into the parents’ past to see what skeletons were in their closets. Was the father also abused?

Yes. Apparently the father was sexually abused by his mother. And she was abused by her father. It was generational sexual abuse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Murder is justifiable if you are getting abused

They didn’t report anything. Not over the years and not after the incident. Granted those were different days and one bro had Hollywood and Presidency eyes.

Erik reported the abuse to a cousin almost a year before the murders. That letter was not admitted into evidence. Another cousin testified that the father used to take showers with his sons and then go into their bedroom and lock the door behind them. Mother protested her husband and not her children. There’s a special place in hell for her.

Anonymous wrote:Even if they were abused I don’t believe you can justify killing their abusers in the manner in which they did. It was completely premeditated and not in self defense.

The manner in which the parents were killed made me believe at the time it was about rage and hate, not money. So at the time I believed the parents were monsters who raped and abused the mini-monsters they created. I think it was more second degree murder of a depraved heart and they served their time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone watching the special on TV?

Monsters, 2024 mini series, Netflix

+ am on episode 3 of 6 or 7.

It is well done, all characters are revealing themselves. I assume witness statements were taken long ago, helpfully along the same lines of questioning as the Netflix series is presenting. If not then trials back then were shoddy and just didn’t easy angle to wrap up.

I’m not reading news on the true story yet. If in the 1980s I was a toddler or in elementary school.

I went back and read the stories by Dominick Dunne in Vanity Fair. Fascinating, especially the one called Nightmare on Elm Drive.

Dunn was extremely biased. He was traumatized by the murder of his daughter and the weak and disgusting sentence the judge imposed on her murderer. The murder of his daughter led him to believe that all suspects were guilty. And if a jury came back with a verdict of not guilty it was because the defense attorney was deceitful and the jury gullible and dumb.

I haven't watched the Netflix special - don't need to, I was in college when they killed their parents and saw exhaustive coverage on TV over the course of the two trials.

At this point they should just commute their sentences and release them. At least one of them was being regularly raped by the father, and more likely both of them. Their mother knew and did nothing.

They were young and emotionally distressed and the crime was an act of passion/distress.

The father raped at least one other boy and who knows if there are other victims too ashamed to come forward.

It is highly unlikely that either brother poses a risk to the public at large. They killed a child rapist and his enabler. I guess we can't give them a medal, but let them out to live their lives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who was horribly abused, in a big fancy house, by parents who were extremely well respected and appeared very normal to everyone outside of the family—I don’t doubt abuse for one second with murder of parents.

Occum’s razor — they were pushed to the edge by abuse? Or so spoiled they shot their parents multiple times at close range with a shotgun? I’m not saying they aren’t sociopaths; I’m saying even if they are it is highly unlikely they’d kill because they are spoiled.

They didn’t seem particularly remorseful. Spending money and having a good old time on their ill gotten gains.

What does that have to do with anything? They should feel remorse for having killed the people who made their life hell?

And they spent a bunch of money? So what, everyone in Beverly Hills spends a bunch of money.

It’s not ok to kill people and spend their money. Even Gypsy Rose Blanchard got 10 years and she didn’t even murder her mom herself. Not sure what kind of lenience people think the Menendez brothers would get for their crime. You can’t just kill people who did you wrong.

They’ve already served 30 years. Don’t act like a punishment has not already been handed out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who was horribly abused, in a big fancy house, by parents who were extremely well respected and appeared very normal to everyone outside of the family—I don’t doubt abuse for one second with murder of parents.

Occum’s razor — they were pushed to the edge by abuse? Or so spoiled they shot their parents multiple times at close range with a shotgun? I’m not saying they aren’t sociopaths; I’m saying even if they are it is highly unlikely they’d kill because they are spoiled.

They didn’t seem particularly remorseful. Spending money and having a good old time on their ill gotten gains.

DP. They grew up with a ton of money. Having killed their abusive parents isn’t going to transform them into middle class boys wanting to live the simple life. Also one of my ILs was sexually and physically abused by their father. They were also well off. It’s a lot more common than you think. There are tons of spoiled kids amongst the wealthy. There are even some psychotic spoiled kids who kill for money but have you ever heard of another case where, in the absence of abuse, both siblings work together just to kill both of their parents? Seems unlikely

I think they'll be re-sentenced and eventually let out. I don't think that they're going to be a danger to the public. Normally the victims family comes forward to try to keep people locked up but they are the victims family so I do think they'll get out. I don't know when but I don't think they'll die in prison.

Anonymous wrote:As a person who was horribly abused, in a big fancy house, by parents who were extremely well respected and appeared very normal to everyone outside of the family—I don’t doubt abuse for one second with murder of parents.

Occum’s razor — they were pushed to the edge by abuse? Or so spoiled they shot their parents multiple times at close range with a shotgun? I’m not saying they aren’t sociopaths; I’m saying even if they are it is highly unlikely they’d kill because they are spoiled.

I agree with that. I mean, it’s hardly surprising that there was something seriously seriously wrong in that house when you have two young men who would brutally murder both parents, even if it was “for the money.” So the abuse is extremely credible. I think it’s their age that gets them so much less sympathy and (to a lesser extent) the money. One of the brothers at least had already moved across country. Even after failing out of Princeton, he could have gone to some community college and gotten a job like any other schlub and never seen his parents again.
What’s more amazing to me is that trafficked teenage girl who shot her rapist and still got convicted and is in prison. I mean, she really didn’t have other good options and was still in the captured mindset. The menendez brothers had already been largely out of the house for a good period of time.

I might also be more sympathetic if they only killed the dad — like they didn’t want him to molest anyone else. But was there any suggestion the mom was a more general danger to other kids?

Anonymous wrote:What’s up with the goody grin and bald head the older brother was sporting in one of his more recent mug shots? He looked absolutely deranged.

goofy

What’s up with the goody grin and bald head the older brother was sporting in one of his more recent mug shots? He looked absolutely deranged.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can a kind soul give me a summary of why they are back in the news and what's happening with their case (if anything)?

Netflix has a true crime drama about the brothers called Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Nothing is going on with their case.

Not entirely true. There’s a hearing scheduled for November 29 to reevaluate their sentencing based on physical evidence of their molestation claims.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/10/03/us/prosecutors-review-new-evidence-menendez-brothers-murder-conviction

Netflix is also releasing a new documentary next week (on top of the Monsters mini-series.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Murder is justifiable if you are getting abused

But the brothers weren’t being abused at the moment. So their punishment is appropriate.

You are misunderstanding the point. It is not about setting them free or forgoing punishment, but about the difference between premeditated first degree murder and the legal definition of second degree murder.

The spending spree was not that much out of line for people raised in Beverly Hills or that money bubble

If what you said is true, what a disgusting, vile lifestyle to teach kids. Why would anyone think that's the way to raise kids with good character traits and decent values?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who was horribly abused, in a big fancy house, by parents who were extremely well respected and appeared very normal to everyone outside of the family—I don’t doubt abuse for one second with murder of parents.

Occum’s razor — they were pushed to the edge by abuse? Or so spoiled they shot their parents multiple times at close range with a shotgun? I’m not saying they aren’t sociopaths; I’m saying even if they are it is highly unlikely they’d kill because they are spoiled.

They didn’t seem particularly remorseful. Spending money and having a good old time on their ill gotten gains.

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