The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menendez Family and the Killings that Stunned the Nation
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Discover the definitive book on the Menendez case—and the primary source material for NBC's Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. A successful entertainment executive making $2 million a year. His former beauty queen wife. Their two sons on the fast track to success. But it was all a façade. The Menendez saga has captivated the American public since 1989. The killing of José and Kitty Menendez on a quiet Sunday evening in Beverly Hills didn't make the cover of People magazine until the arrest of their sons seven months later, and the case developed an intense cult following. When the first Menendez trial began in July 1993, the public was convinced that Lyle and Erik were a pair of greedy rich kids who had killed loving, devoted parents. But the real story remained buried beneath years of dark secrets. Until now. Journalist Robert Rand, who originally reported on the case for the Miami Herald and Playboy, has followed the Menendez murders from the beginning and has continued investigating and interviewing key sources for 28 years. Rand is the only reporter who covered the original investigation as well as both trials. With unparalleled access to the Menendez family and their history, including interviews with both brothers before and after their arrest, Rand has uncovered extraordinary details that certainly would have changed the fate of the brothers' first-degree murder conviction and sentencing to life without parole. In The Menendez Murders: The Shocking Untold Story of the Menedez Family and the Killings That Stunned the Nation, Rand shares these intimate, never-before-revealed findings, including a deeply disturbing history of child abuse and sexual molestation in the Menendez family going back generations, and the shocking admission O.J. Simpson made to one of the Menendez brothers when they were inmates at the L.A. County Men's Central Jail. Read more
Publisher : BenBella Books
Publication date : September 4, 2018
Language : English
Print length : 376 pages
ISBN-10 : 1946885266
ISBN-13 : 65
Item Weight : 1.05 pounds
Dimensions : 6.02 x 0.94 x 9.02 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,121,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #300 in Crime & Criminal Biographies #356 in Murder & Mayhem True Accounts
#300 in Crime & Criminal Biographies:
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
As a long time supporter of the Menendez brothers (having watched every day of the first trial on CourtTV and read many books about them), I was both excited for and dreading this book. I knew author Robert Rand had been covering this story for nearly 30 years and knew more about it than just about anyone. I believed him to be a very credible expert on all things Menendez and knew he’d do a remarkable job revisiting the story one more time...but I, myself, dreaded having to revisit it. It was just so heartbreaking- knowing the boys weren’t just victimized once (by their parents) but twice (by the DA’s office and their zest to win at all costs and the media - who tried and convicted them in the press long before they even had their first day in court). I’m glad I did though. Rand is a thorough, detailed, masterful author and story teller. He literally takes you from Cuba to Princeton, New Jersey to Calabasas and Beverly Hills…and finally, right inside to the courtroom itself. He spares no punches - sharing with you the good, the bad, and the ugly. What comes across is a remarkably honest and compelling story. I know Robert to be a supporter of the boys and very instrumental in helping to change the narrative as of late (think Law & Order miniseries). However, he doesn’t set out to sway his readers one way or another. Instead, he lets the facts speak for themselves. In other words, the truth is the truth. It takes no sides. So, in that vein, he presents you with everything that was said by both the prosecution and the defense in court and all of the backstories and lets you reach your own conclusions. With that said, I don’t think there is any way you can read this book or know anything about this story without believing the boys’ accounts. It is nothing short of a miracle that he and Lyle and Erik's Aunt Marta were able to uncover this letter from Erik to Cousin Andy before the killings, again referencing the sexual molestation that was going on. It's difficult to think of all the "what if's"....if only that letter would have been shown to the jurors...what different outcome there might have been. I think it is hard, especially as a parent, to read or even believe that TWO parents could be so unimaginably cruel and sadistic to their own flesh and blood. We have a hard time with that. We think - well, maybe one but definitely not both. This book leaves little doubt, however, that it was just as the boys and family members said it was. Sure - the boys weren’t perfect. At times, they weren’t always likable and did some bonehead things that hurt their own defense, but I believe every word they said about their lives and the events leading up to the murders with every fiber of my being. Having been in an abusive relationship once upon a time in my younger years, I can assure you - you are always looking from cues from your abuser - and you usually interpret those cues much, much differently than someone not in your situation would. It is my deepest hope and prayer that they will be granted a new trial…that the system that strove to vilify and victimize them will finally have mercy. They and their family members have suffered enough. Hats off to author Robert Rand for keeping this story alive and refusing to accept the easier version of events that many of his colleagues tried to push upon us (i.e. rich kids kill for daddy’s money). He has spent a large chunk of his life researching and advocating for the truth. And a extra special hats off to all the relatives (and attorneys) who stood steadfastly by these boys. Your love and support for them has been immeasurable, and I am so sorry for all that you have suffered and lost through all of this. Please buy this book. Tell your friends to buy it. Promote it - because in doing so, you are helping all victims of sexual assault and violence. You are removing the stigma so many face (especially boys). You are helping to change the narrative. We all know better now…so it is time we do better…and that starts with this book and this case.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2018 by Ronald B.
Format: Paperback
Good afternoon, I'm the author Robert Rand and I want to express my thanks to everybody who has taken the time to read or listen to my book, "The Menendez Murders" since it was released in the fall of 2018. I was contacted by a reader this afternoon who posted a review on Amazon Canada that apparently can't be seen on Amazon US or any of the other foreign Amazon sites. I believe "Darknoir" has written an insightful, concise overview of the #MenendezBrothers story. I appreciate her kind words about my book which she has given me permission to share and post below - "I have been awaiting this book for some time, and it did not disappoint. I have read two other books on the case - "Bad Blood" by Don Davis and "Blood Brothers" by Ron Soble and John Johnson. Both are biased in favor of the prosecution but did include some insight into the Menendez family dynamic. However, both books ended with the conclusion of the first trial. Robert Rand is the only journalist who not only covered both trials but was writing about the case even before Lyle and Erik Menendez were arrested for killing their parents, so his information is much more detailed and precise than many other authors. First, let me mention that there have been many misconceptions about this case that have been distorted in the mainstream media and LA County Prosecutor's Office, as well as outright lies. Even before the brothers were arraigned, the Beverly Hills Police Department was telling the reporters that money was the motive for the crime, despite the fact that there was no evidence to support that; the grand jury refused to cite monetary gain in relation to the murder charges. Yet, the prosecution continued to present this theory as fact; and the surviving prosecutors maintain that money and hatred was the motive. Rand's exhaustive research and interviews reveal not only a dysfunctional family but a cycle of abuse that was generational. The majority of the brothers' family members remain supportive of them and even testified on their behalf in the first trial, along with teachers, coaches etc. It was the defense attorneys' contention that years of abuse - physical, emotional, psychological and sexual, and fear that their parents would resort to murder to keep them from exposing the family secret - was what ultimately lead to the then 21-year-old Lyle and 18-year-old Erik killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez in August 1989 in Beverly Hills. The prosecution mocked this, and continually re-victimized both defendants during their testimony; something that in today's world, particularly with the rise of the #metoo movement, is appalling and outrageous. The first trial ended in hung juries and due to the embarrassment of both failing to get a conviction not only in the Menendez case but also that of O.J. Simpson, as well a chance for political and career advancement, the second trial was a farce. The judge and new prosecution team did what was possible to block evidence and witness (including psychiatric experts who had examined the brothers) until the penalty phase. This resulted in a conviction for first-degree murder. Some of the blocked defense witnesses were permitted to testify to determine sentencing, but the core of the Menendez brothers' defense was suppressed. A miscarriage of justice no matter how you look at it. While Rand contends that he can't confirm or deny the sexual abuse, he does present evidence that was not only brought up at the first trial but also from interviews he conducted before with Erik Menendez, family members and one of Lyle's friends and Princeton, Donovan Goodreau who confirmed in three separate interviews that Lyle had told him about the sexual abuse before the killings and at least two years before the first trial. Finally, it cannot be ignored that Jose Menendez exhibited narcissistic and abusive behavior, in business and toward family members. This was someone who masked his insecurities by bullying and attacking others to not only get ahead but to feel superior; he did not see his sons as individuals but rather as extensions of himself. (In recent years, there have been allegations that he may have sexually abused other young boys). Kitty was emotionally and mentally troubled, and was more concerned with keeping her husband (who was also unfaithful) and her lifestyle than protecting her children. Having witnessed domestic violence in her own childhood, and not given the love and nurturing she needed, she became an undemonstrative and distant parent, unable or unwilling to give her sons the guidance and care that they so desperately needed. This kind of cycle is extremely destructive and can lead to terrible tragedies. Just because a family appears to "have it all" and can put up a front in public does not mean that mistreatment is not happening behind closed doors. Kudos to Robert Rand for giving a fuller picture of this case and for clearing up the misconceptions that have been so often presented. The Menendez brothers deserve to be heard and to be given a fair trial, something that they have so far been denied."
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Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2019 by Robert Rand, author "The Menendez Murders"
Format: Kindle
Like someone else on here, I had a problem with this book on my Kindle. I was able to read it up to a certain point and then the book was stuck in a Table of Contents merry-go-round. However, I have the Kindle app on my Android tablet and I was able to access the book with no problem that way.
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2024 by Regina S. Flanagan
Format: Paperback
Journalist Robert Rand provides a complete and moving portrait of the multiple family tragedies that comprise the Menendez story. The story gripped the country and gained global attention in the early 1990s, when the first Menendez trial was televised live on Court TV. Rand had begun covering the family well before the trial began, and covered not only both lengthy trials and the legal machinations during the years between, but he also interviewed members of the family years before and since the trials. Trigger warning – sexual, emotional and physical child abuse graphically depicted, transcribed directly from testimony. The complexity of the case was difficult to grasp at the time, and the media circus surrounding it resulted in significant political pressure on the District Attorney and the sitting judge to obtain convictions. The first lengthy trial resulted in two hung juries, evenly split. The fix was in for the second trial. I watched the first trial on Court TV, and read the transcripts of the second trial as they were released daily. I listened to the media coverage and was unable to recognize what I had seen or read happening during each day of trial. The media misrepresented the case in a simplistic manner that caught on like wildfire, but was proven false. The media coverage resulted in public pressure that resulted in the DA and judge railroading the second trial. These things are not supposed to happen in this country, and I remember them happening quite clearly and being exceedingly distressed by it. When I began to read Rand’s comprehensive accounting, it comported exactly with everything I remembered. This well-written and moving book illustrates not only a complex, touching, and very sad family tragedy, but also the insidious nature of the media in high-profile cases and the insidious intersection of politics with our justice system. Rand lays out a compelling argument for release of the Menendez brothers from prison now, where they have already served more than 28 years.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2018 by Matt Y.
I absolutely loved this book. I knew a little bit about the case, but I was under 10 when the whole thing happened and the trial took place, so I wasn’t 100% familiar with it. Maybe that’s why I didn’t have a stigma going into it. I feel that people who watched the trial and knew what happened at the time tend to have different feelings than I do about it. I absolutely loved those back. I knew a little bit about the case, but I was under 10 when the whole thing happened and the trial took place, so I wasn’t 100% familiar with it. I appreciated that this was written by a reporter who actually sat in on the trial to see what all took place and what was said. I also liked that the chapters were kind of short so it didn’t feel overwhelming. The book was very well written and I felt that Robert Rand really did a great job presenting the information. It was very sad to read about the things that allegedly happened to the boys when they were kids, so be prepared for that.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2019 by ogsassytaco
I decided to read this after watching the Netflix series as well as other shows based on the menendez brothers. Though it did seem that the majority of what was included in the shows is in here, there were some interesting facts that were not included in the series. I felt this book to be very detailing and hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2025 by Brittany G.
Format: Paperback
Very compelling, well written. I wasn’t alive when the murders took place however my mom was. I grew up watching a lot of crime documentaries and one case that will always fascinate me is this one- and this book is a great look into their lives and everything that was going on.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024 by Alyssa Compton
Meh. Story drug on and on. Hard to get through.
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2021 by E. Clow