What Happened to the Menendez Brothers Money? Did the Menendez Brothers Inherit their Parents Money?
by V Gomala
Updated Sep 25, 2024
What Happened to the Menendez Brothers Money?
Audiences of Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story wonder what happened to the brothers' inheritance money.
Interest in the Menéndez brothers' case increased after the release of the new season of Monsters. While many people know that Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, fewer are aware of what happened to the inheritance they tried to claim.
After their parents were killed, Lyle and Erik inherited about $14 million. They quickly started spending this money on luxury items. Lyle bought a Porsche, a Rolex, and even a restaurant, while Erik spent his money on tennis lessons and travel. Within just six months, they had spent almost $700,000, which raised suspicions about their true motives for the murders.
Once they were convicted, their inheritance was quickly used up due to taxes, legal fees, and poor financial choices. According to probate records, they spent nearly $10.8 million, mostly on their legal defense and other bad investments. When the records were made public, all that was left of their fortune was a house in Calabasas, a condo in New Jersey, some jewelry and furniture, and about $651,948 in cash, which wasn’t enough to cover their debts.
Even if Lyle and Erik had been found innocent, they wouldn’t have received any money. Because they were convicted of murder, California law prevents anyone who kills another person from inheriting anything from their victim. This law, known as the California Slayer Statute, treats them as if they had died before their parents, meaning any inheritance would go to someone else instead.
Did the Menendez Brothers Inherit their Parents Money?
The home sold for more than $3.6 million in 1991. Attorneys said the money that was left after meeting mortgage and closing costs went directly to the Internal Revenue Service. By 1993, TV mystery writer William Link, a cocreator of Murder, She Wrote, reportedly acquired the home in 1993 for an undisclosed amount. Telecommunications executive Sam Delug then purchased it for $3.7 million in 2001. He reportedly gave it a major interior renovation in 2002 but generally left the exterior unchanged.
In March 2024, Delug sold the home for a whopping $17 million after initially listing it for nearly $20 million. According to Robb Report, records show the current owners are the Lahijanis, a wealthy Iranian family.
Who are the Menendez Brothers?
Erik and Lyle Menendez shot their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. During their trials, the brothers claimed that years of abuse from their parents caused them to do it, and they still maintain this reason.
However, the prosecution argued that the brothers were motivated by the desire to inherit their family’s wealth. Their father, José, was an entertainment executive, and their mother, Kitty, was a teacher before becoming a stay-at-home mom. In 1996, the brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Where are the Menendez Brothers Now?
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is a series that focuses on the 1989 shotgun murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home, as well as the trials of their sons.
Joseph “Lyle” Menendez, who is now 56, and Erik Menendez, now 53, were found guilty of killing their parents in 1996 after two trials. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and are still in a California prison today.
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