Yes, Erik Menendez did confess to murdering his parents Kitty and Jose Menendez to his therapist.
Erik Menendez is the son of Jose and Kitty Menendez and the brother of Lyle Menendez. He is infamously known for killing his parents in cold blood with the help of his brother Lyle on the night of August 20, 1989. For the gruesome murder of their parents, Erik along with his brother Lyle are serving life sentences at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California.
However, the Menendez brothers are once again under the spotlight after American producer Ryan Murphy made a crime-drama show based on their case, called Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. As of 2024, post the show becoming a hit on Netflix, their highly publicized trials received international media attention which led to the creation of numerous documentaries, dramatizations, and books.
Who did Erik Menendez confess to?
As mentioned above, Erik Menendez confessed to his therapist about murdering his parents along with his brother Lyle. The Menendez brothers, who were 21 and 18 at the time, killed their parents on August 20, 1989. After killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, the brothers lied to the authorities and spun the story saying they found their parents’ bodies and were suspicious of mafia involvement.
However, the police began getting suspicious about the Menendez brothers due to their luxurious spending spree after their parents' murder. It was after two months that Erik Menendez confessed about the murders to their therapist Dr. L. Jerome Oziel.
As per official reports as well as the show, after Erik made his confession, Oziel made him call his elder brother Lyle to his office for the same. At the time, to ensure his safety the therapist called his girlfriend Judalon Smyth (with whom he was having an extramarital affair) to the office too. On October 31, not just Jerome Oziel but also Smyth heard Lyle and Erik’s confession of shooting their parents to death.
Read More: Where can I watch Monsters the Lyle and Erik Menendez story
How did Erik and Lyle get arrested after their confession?
It was Jerome Oziel’s girlfriend Judalon Smyth who played a key role in getting the Menendez brothers arrested. As mentioned earlier, Lyle and Erik’s therapist recorded the sessions he had with the Menendez brothers of their confession. Dr. Oziel kept the tapes to himself, but he wasn’t the only person who knew the truth. Judalon Smyth, Oziel’s then mistress not only overheard Lyle’s confession but also knew about these recorded tapes. It was after her heated breakup with Oziel in March 1990, that Smyth went to the police on March 4 and told them everything she knew, leading to Lyle and Erik's arrest four days later.
FAQs on Erik and Lyle Menendez
A. Erik and Lyle Menendez murdered their parents with shotguns, as per official reports.
A. American criminal defense attorney, Leslie Hope Abramson, was Erik and Lyle’s attorney during their trial.
A. Lyle Menendez was arrested on March 8, 1990 and his brother turned himself in on March 11, 1990 after returning to Los Angeles from Israel.
