Netflix Monsters: Killer brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez' life now and mystery around motive

Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison for the gruesome murders of their parents José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' - however their true motive is still being questioned

Monsters on Netflix explores the true story of the troubled Menendez family - which saw two sons kill their parents.

Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of the murders of their dad José and mum Mary Louise 'Kitty' and were sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. The months and years leading up to the 1989 double murder are portrayed in the new Netflix show Monsters - however youngest brother Erik dubbed the series as a 'dishonest portrayal'.

The 10 episodes also cover the brothers' trials that followed in the early '90s. They were tried separately, and both of which resulted in two hung juries. They then had a joint retrial and were convicted in 1996.

The sons had lied about their whereabouts on the night of the murders on August 20, with Erik finally confessing to his psychiatrist. While there is no doubt about who killed José and Kitty, the motive behind the gruesome killings is still shrouded in mystery.

One theory is the pair committed the crimes to get their hands on a $14 million dollar inheritance - they were even dubbed the 'trust fund brat brothers' at the time. Soon after the killings, the pair went on shopping trips and holidays, along with buying homes.

However the two have both said it wasn't about the money, and that they feared their dad was going to kill them after allegedly subjecting them to years of sexual abuse. After moving to the US from Cuba, José went on to become a successful record executive.

On the night of August 20, 1989, the husband and wife were in the 'den' of their family Beverly Hills mansion, sitting in front of the television. Kitty was filling out Erik's college application when the two brothers burst in - shooting their dad six times and mum 10.

The murder scene was so messy that a Beverly Hills medical examiner said it was the first crime scene he'd ever walked into where he needed an umbrella. The pair, aged 22 and 19 at the time, claimed to have been out at the movies and had returned home to their parents dead.

The officers failed to conduct gunshot residue tests, which could have immediately placed the boys at the scene of the crime. In the weeks that followed, they launched a mega shopping spree, splashing out on neighbouring apartments in Marina Del Rey, California, a restaurant in New Jersey, and expensive gifts, including a Porsche and a Rolex.

Erik's confession came in March 1990 during a routine therapy session with Jerome Oziel, who violated doctor-patient confidentiality by telling his mistress Judalon Smyth about the chilling tale. However, when their relationship ended, Judalon went to the police, leading to Lyle's arrest.

Erik surrendered himself just three days later. The Supreme Court of California eventually ruled that only the tape in which Erik discussed the killings was valid, leading to the brothers being formally charged with murder by a Los Angeles County grand jury.

The younger brother testified that several weeks before the fateful night, he had confided in Lyle about the sexual abuse they were suffering at home, leading to multiple confrontations with their alleged abusers. According to the brothers, their father threatened to kill them if they revealed the truth to anyone, with the final argument occurring just minutes before the shotguns were drawn.

Two family members testified in support of these characterisations. The boys' cousin Brian Andersen gave a statement saying how he witnessed father and son taking a shower together, which he found strange.

He hinted that mum Kitty turned a blind eye to what was going on. "As soon as Jose took either one of the boys into their room the door was locked behind him, and Kitty made clear you did not go down that hallway," Brian added.

But the witness statements didn't convince everyone. High profile Criminal Defence Attorney Alan Dershowitz said: "I do not believe the Menendez brothers were molested.

"I do not believe they were in fear of their parents who were sitting there eating ice cream when their kids blew their heads off. I'm not so easy on allowing excuses." The prosecution's theory that the murders were motivated by financial gain was contested by the defence, who argued that the brothers were not even aware that they would receive a substantial inheritance.

Since the new Netflix show came to light, Erik Menendez has publicly called out producer Ryan Murphy, who is also behind the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer series. There was already controversy about the show before it even came out with people criticizing the exploitative nature of the adaptation, as well as concerns about the sexualization of the brothers and their relationship.

Lyle had testified during the 1995 retrial that he molested Erik while they were children. However, the series portrays their sexualized interactions while they are adults and as apparently consensual acts.

On Friday, Erik released a statement on his Facebook page slamming the 10-episode series as a 'dishonest portrayal'. He wrote: "I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.

"I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent. It is sad for me to know that Netflix's dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women."

Both brothers are presently serving time at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.