‘Monsters’ season two explores the Menendez brothers’ case as new evidence may lead to a retrial

‘Monsters’ season two focuses on the Menendez brothers' case, as new evidence could lead to a possible retrial.

Netflix's true crime anthology Monsters returns for a second season, focusing on the notorious Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, who were convicted in 1996 of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. The brothers, played by Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch, shot their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989 and initially claimed they found them dead after returning from the cinema. They later admitted to the killings but claimed it was in self-defense after enduring years of abuse.

Prosecutors argued that the brothers murdered their parents to gain access to their wealth, pointing to their lavish spending following the murders. After two trials, they were sentenced to consecutive life terms in separate prisons. In 2018, Lyle was moved to the same facility as Erik at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

New developments in the case have emerged, potentially paving the way for a retrial. In 2023, attorneys for the Menendez brothers filed a petition, citing new evidence, including a letter from Erik to his cousin Andy Cano, written a year before the murders. The letter allegedly detailed Erik's fear of his father, suggesting ongoing abuse at the time. The petition also references claims from Roy Rosselló, a former member of the boy band Menudo, who accused José Menendez of sexual assault when Rosselló was 14 years old.

As the brothers await a judge's decision on the potential retrial, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available for streaming on Netflix.