Lyle Menéndez and Erik Menéndez killed their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez , in August 1989 after suffering from alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse in their household. Though the brothers initially weren’t suspects in the case, police received a tip from one person whom the siblings hadn’t met before. Find out how the Menéndez brothers got caught, below.
How the Menendez Brothers Got Caught Erik confessed his and Lyle’s crime to his therapist, Jerome Oziel , but the doctor didn’t immediately tell the police. Instead, the psychologist informed his mistress at the time, Judalon Smyth , and he recorded some of his, Erik and Lyle’s discussions. After Jerome broke up with Judalon, she informed authorities about his audiotapes of the murder confession.
Although doctor-patient privilege was initially at play, a judge accepted the tapes as acceptable evidence for the brothers’ trial because Jerome claimed that Lyle threatened him. What Did Judalon Smyth Say At the Menendez Trial? According to the Los Angeles Times , Judalon claimed during the Menéndez trial that Jerome “brainwashed her, programmed her and left her victimized, frightened and traumatized.” “She said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and compared herself to a prisoner of war,” the publication reported in 1993.
“From the stand, Smyth described once faking a suicide so Oziel could find her. She said she once made him an IOU for 500 sex acts. She once sent him a .