Menéndez Brothers & When the Narrative Shifts
Added 2023-08-01 12:00:15 +0000 UTCTW: CSA, Gun Violence, Parental Abuse, SNL Having Bad Takes
In the 90s, several televised trials/cases became part of the public imagination and heavily impacted how modern true crime looks. OJ Simpson, Tonya Harding, Lorena Bobett, and the Menéndez Brothers. All of these have been examined and re-examined in the past decade. Most recently, the Menéndez Brothers who were mocked for their claims of childhood abuse.
In 1996, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of the 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Due to their actions before and during the trial, the brothers were heavily parodied and mocked—especially Lyle for wearing a hairpiece. At trial, as part of their defense, the brothers expressed being emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by their father and feared for their lives.
The prosecution argued they did it for money, and their claims of sexual abuse were treated as a lie. For as long as I've heard about the Menéndez Brothers in many of the True Crime podcasts I've listened to, the narrative has always been: they were liars—the original "affluenza" brothers.
Except, due to new evidence, this might not be the case. And what I think is interesting about this new evidence is not so much the gotcha of "culture got it wrong" but what is the responsibility while it is being unfolded. How do we deal with something that was assumed correct for decades now having a new reality?
Sources:
The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation by Robert Rand
Popular Crime: Reflections on the Celebration of Violence by Bill James
https://abcnews.go.com/US/lyle-erik-menendezs-cousin-testified-sexual-abuse-speaks/story?id=44420173
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/monster-season-2-menendez-brothers-1235599246/
https://www.biography.com/crime/menendez-brothers-murder-case-facts
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-03/menendez-brothers-seek-overturn-convictions-cite-documentary#:~:text=Erik%20and%20Lyle%20Menendez%2C%20the,former%20underage%20member%20of%20Menudo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_and_Erik_Menéndez#Parody_and_dark_comedy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menudo_(group)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Lannert
Comments
Thank you for this. There is such a HUGE discrepancy in power dynamics, and the exploitation of those dynamics in courts of law. We need to create more nuanced laws around people who have been clearly abused.. That poor Munchhausen girl, my gawd, who can blame that poor woman that poor child? So like, when is it OK to kill your abuser? When is it self-defense? What is self-defense when it comes to being abused your entire life? We need answers to these questions.
Darla Teagarden
2023-08-06 01:18:41 +0000 UTCThanks so much for your research and hard work in making this video, Princess Weekes. I agree with Duck re: an abuse victim killing their abuser is self defense. It's so awful when people say abuse victims can 'easily leave' abusers once the abuse victim turns 18 years old. Jobs can be hard to find, and like you said - abusers make their victims so dependant that it can be extremely difficult for victims to leave their abuser.
sunlit_music
2023-08-05 09:31:47 +0000 UTCTrying really hard not to ADHD info dump, but I really do believe that if you are an abuse victim living with your abuser and you kill them, it's self-defense. Even if they're asleep or not "currently hurting you" or whatever. Especially when you're trapped or have been groomed. Especially on the basis that the abuse victim will very likely never kill again. This is such a reoccurring theme in books and media and people get it when it happens in a story, but when it happens in real life they can't imagine abuse as being real. "I was an abuse victim and I didn't hurt anyone" is really such a delusional attitude to take. When I first got out of my abusive situation, I was so volatile. Like a cornered animal. It takes time for that to settle. I since went on to become an EMT and help with other domestic situations and "cornered animal" is a very common place for abuse victims to be in. At least at the beginning. People are ultimately rational beings using the tools they have with them, and "rational" looks very different when you're being abused. Sure, most abuse victims are never going to use any sort of violence, but sometimes a little girl is going to have to kick out the step stool from under daddy's legs.
Duck
2023-08-05 01:28:27 +0000 UTCRight as I was wondering if the author was *that* Bill James, you tossed in the consulting for the Red Sox thing, and I cracked up.
Spielman
2023-08-03 18:07:15 +0000 UTCI just dropped in to let you know I enjoy your work and I thought I should help you out for the year. <3
HtownQueer
2023-08-01 21:27:59 +0000 UTCThis was super interesting and very sad. When I was growing up my family and I were into Menudo and alleged SA within their group was known.
Jax Monty
2023-08-01 15:01:34 +0000 UTCThank you, Princess!!
Meaghan Cloherty
2023-08-01 13:31:25 +0000 UTC
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