S2E12 The Menendez Brothers

Switchblade Sisters Social Club

This case came up in our episode with the gorgeous Adam from Graveline Tours, when he took us all on a virtual true crime tour of LA and showed off his most excellent hair. We also learned a lot about postcode snobbery in LA.

So what case is it today? It’s the Menendez Brothers!

This is a controversial criminal case involving Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. The brutality of the murders was highlighted by the fact that the parents were shot with 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns, resulting in their bodies being almost unrecognisable.

The case gained notoriety not only because of the gruesome nature of the crime but also because of the complex legal and emotional issues involved. The brothers initially claimed that they acted in self-defence after enduring years of sexual and emotional abuse. This claim of abuse became a central aspect of their defence during the trials.

So help us answer our age-old (since April this year) question: when does the abused become the abuser? At what point are you no longer a victim, but a perpetrator?

Randa Safieh-Angeles is a social media manager and content creator and Dee Safieh is a writer.

Visit our socials or⁠⁠⁠ ⁠website ⁠⁠⁠⁠for more info and to work with us! And check out⁠⁠⁠ ⁠our merch⁠⁠⁠⁠! One more thing, check out⁠⁠⁠ ⁠our Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ for unedited videos of each of our episodes, as well as bonus content.