Menendez Brothers Timeline of Events: A Complete Timeline of the Entire Menendez Brothers Murder Case From Lyle and Erik’s August 20, 1989 murder of their parents through their March 1996 conviction. The newest season of Netflix’s true crime series, Monsters, dives into the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers who were found guilty of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. Lyle and Erik said they committed the crime out of fear. The boys testified that they’d been sexually abused. Instead of following a straight timeline, the nine episodes bounce around different points in their story. To help clear up any confusion about the order of events in Monsters: the Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, here’s a the full timeline of the Menendez murders, starting from their burglaries in 1988, the actual murders in 1989, their arrests in 1990, the two trials, and wrapping up with Lyle and Erik’s sentencing in 1996. 1988: Before the murders took place. Erik and Craig Cignarelli write a screenplay called ‘Friends’. Erik and his best buddy from high school, Craig, came up with a movie idea about a rich kid who offed his parents for cash. Kitty is said to have typed up the screenplay. Although it didn’t make it into evidence during the trials that followed, it’s still an important piece of the puzzle. Burglaries: The brothers burglarized the homes owned by parents of their friends. Lyle got kicked out of Princeton for plagiarism and found himself back in California. While he was home, he and his brother pulled off two big burglaries. As Dominick Dunne mentioned in Vanity Fair, “These burglaries were significant; they involved cash, valuables, and some serious bling, totaling around $100,000, taken from neighbors’ safes. One of Erik’s buddies, who figured out the combo to his friend’s dad’s safe, was in on the first job. That same friend got left out of the second heist and ended up snitching on them.” He went on to say, “Jose decided that Erik, who was still a minor, would take the blame for both of them. Thanks to a deal their lawyer worked out, Erik ended up with probation and mandatory counseling.” Erik then started seeing Dr. Jerome Oziel, and he signed a confidentiality waiver so Oziel could share anything he learned with Jose and Kitty. Lyle starts at Princeton. In 1987, Princeton accepted Lyle’s second application. He was accepted to the college more because of his background and tennis ability, over his actual academic successes. Lyle had pretty average high school grades. Lyle is accused of plagiarizing an assignment in his Psychology class, and then suspended for a year. 1989: The murders and confessions to Dr. Jerome Oziel. July 30, 1989: Erik and Lyle watch ‘Billionaires Boys Club’. Billionaire Boys Club is a two-part television film that aired on NBC in 1987. It told the story of the Billionaire Boys Club, and its founder, Joe Hunt, who was convicted in 1987 of murdering con-man Ron Levin. This drama, inspired by real events, tells the story of Joe Hunt, a cutthroat investor who will stop at nothing to build his wealth through shady tactics. When con artist Ron Levin (Ron Silver) gets tangled up with Hunt’s dubious operations, their partnership takes a dark turn. Before long, Levin ends up dead, and Hunt believes he’s escaped the consequences of his actions. However, Hunt’s relentless ambition and greed may ultimately lead to his downfall. Prosecutor Lester Kuriyama later claimed that the film’s storyline mirrors what the brothers did to their parents, and they had seen it just before the events unfolded. August 19, 1989: The Menendez family shark hunting boat trip. In episode four of Monsters, it’s revealed that the day before the murders, the family hired a charter boat named Motion Picture Marine for a shark fishing trip. The captain later mentioned that the brothers mostly hung out at the front of the boat, keeping their distance from Jose and Kitty. August 20, 1989: The Murders - Lyle and Erik kill their parents. Lyle, who was 18, and Erik, at 21, tragically took the lives of their parents, Jose and Kitty, on Sunday, August 20, 1989. They used 12-gauge shotguns and shot their parents a total of 14 times. SPECIAL FEATURE 39 Menendez Brothers Timeline of Events
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