Lyle Menendez

Lyle Menendez was born to a to a Cuban-American business executive, Jose Menendez and a schoolteacher, Kitty Menendez. After his birth, his mother became a full-time homemaker and his father immediately set about making sure his oldest son was even more successful in business then he was and give him a good name in the process. In achieving that goal, Jose became a stern, domineering, perfectionist father who controlled what Lyle would eat, who he could associate with, what books and television shows he was exposed to, and even tried to control his thoughts. Starting in grade school, Jose would question him about current events at the dinner table and berate him for unsatisfactory answers. His mother supported his father's methods, and in addition was subject to dramatic mood swings that her sons had to endure. The pressure took a toll on Lyle, who developed a bed-wetting problem at the age of 14 and suffered from insomnia. He also came to have a fierce temper. In high school his father ordered him to find a sport at which to excel, one that didn't involve being on a team. Lyle chose tennis, and was the highest-ranked member of the tennis squad. His grades were only average, however, which caused further tension at home. After graduating high school he was rejected by Princeton University and attended a local community college. He fell in love with a girl and wanted to open a restaurant, but his parents disapproved and their interfering ended the romance, engendering enormous resentment in Lyle. He was accepted into Princeton on his second try, but shortly afterwards was suspended for plagiarism. He returned a year later and fell in love with a model, but again his parents put an end to his romance. Lyle disliked school and only went through the motions, and his low grades led to academic disciplinary action. The brothers' home life became, to them, more tense and unbearable by the day, and the result was that on August 20, 1989, they killed both of their parents in their living room with a shotgun. They then went on a spending spree until Lyle's arrest in March of 1990. The ensuing trial caused nationwide publicity, as the brothers said they killed their parents after years of horrific abuse, particularly from their father. Also disturbing was Lyle's statement to a psychiatrist that their father would be proud of them for committing such a brutal, efficient murder. Their testimony was so compelling that the first trial ended in a hung jury. However, in the second trial, both were convicted of first-degree murder, though spared the death penalty. They were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.