In 1990, the Beverly Hills district attorney’s office didn’t mess around. They charged Lyle and Erik Menendez with two counts of first-degree murder each. That’s right—one count for their father, José, and one for their mother, Kitty. It’s like ordering a combo meal, but the only sides are "life in prison" or "death by lethal injection." The brothers allegedly thought the family business was "dysfunction," but the law called it special circumstances murder—which is fancy lawyer-speak for "you did it in a way that makes us extra angry."
Wait, There’s More? Of Course There’s More
But wait, it gets juicier. The prosecution also slapped them with conspiracy to commit murder. You know, just in case anyone thought they acted on a spontaneous whim, like deciding to get tacos at 2 a.m. Nope, the DA argued they planned this. They allegedly went to a gun store, bought shotguns, and then went home to blast their parents while they were eating ice cream and watching TV. Surprising fact: the brothers paused during the murder to reload—twice. That’s not a crime; that’s a commitment to the bit the prosecution couldn’t ignore.
Oh, and they were also charged with the attempted murder of the family dog—wait, no, that’s a joke. But they did kill the family’s VCR. Actually, that’s also a joke. The real third charge was illegal possession of a firearm (because, surprise, you can’t just buy shotguns in California without a 10-day waiting period and a therapist’s note—just kidding, but you get the picture). That charge was eventually dropped because, well, yeah, they had bigger problems.
