The Menendez Brothers, Erik and Lyle, have been in prison since 1996 due to their conviction of two counts of first-degree murder of their parents. In 1962, her senior year at SIU, Kitty had met Jose Menendez, a freshman who was three years younger than her, and they were soon in love. Kitty started getting very agitated and started keeping shotguns in her wardrobe. Jose was a businessman whose family migrated from Cuba to Illinois after. After that Vander Molen told Kitty Menendez and she did not believe what Lyle said. [44][45], On June 12, 1999, Erik married Tammi Ruth Saccoman at Folsom State Prison in a prison waiting room. Try again later. According to Jamie, Kitty was very nice to her and never once indicated her dislike since Kitty would take Jamie out to eat and sometimes would attend Jamies tennis matches to support her. The brothers then stated that their father closed the den's door at that time, which was unusual. How old are the Menendez brothers? When Jose took a job offer from LIVE Entertainment, he had to move the family to California much to Kittys dismay. You thought you hated your parents. On Aug. 20, 1989, 21-year-old Lyle Menendez and his 18-year-old brother Erik stormed into their Beverly Hills mansion. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. As Police later reconstructed the killings, both boys wanted their inheritance worth several million dollars and conspired to kill their parents to get it. Then, learn about Evelyn McHale, the woman behind the most beautiful suicide., The Tragedy Of Kitty Menendez, The Beverly Hills Mother Killed In Cold Blood By Her Own Sons. As her husband climbed up the corporate ladder, their life looked idyllic on the surface. The next evening, the brothers burst into the family room armed with shotguns and began firing. When Jose and Kitty Menendez were killed in Beverly Hills on a summer night in 1989, their violent deaths shocked Los Angeles. The crime committed by the Menendez brothers shocked our country in the late 20th century. Both brothers were indicted on Dec. 7, 1992, and tried for first-degree murder separately. Because of the hostile divorce, Kitty was withdrawn and often depressed while growing up, and she would have nothing to do with her father. "[27] Diane Vander Molen, another cousin of the brothers, stated that she once told Kitty about Jos's molestation of Lyle, although Kitty told her that it was false. You can always change this later in your Account settings. On August 20, 1989, Jos and Mary "Kitty" Menendez were shot to death in their Beverly Hills home. The Menendez brothers used a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun to shoot their father Jos in the back of the head. Simpson and Scott Peterson are . November 27,1970. They spent the next day shark fishing with their parents. They used shotguns to shoot Jose Menendez in the head and Kitty . After graduating from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Jose took his CPA and worked as an executive for RCA in California. After learning about the murder of Kitty Menendez at the hands of her own children, read about Devonte Harts murder at the hands of his adoptive mother. It's so frightening I just haven't come to terms with it. During the evening of August 20, 1989, brothers Lyle Menendez (aged 21) and Erik Menendez (aged 18) murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, with a 12-gauge shotgun in their lush Beverly Hills mansion. Lyle had been held at Mule Creek State Prison in Northern California but made a request to transfer to the Richard J. Donovan facility to be closer to his brother. 2 of 5. [3], The couple's first son, Joseph Lyle Menndez, who goes by his middle name, was born on January 10, 1968, in New York. You spoke at the memorial service, didnt you? she asked. Kitty Menendez was born to a middle-class family in suburban Chicago, where her father owned an air-conditioning business. [46], Tammi also stated that she and her daughter drive the 150mi (240km) every weekend to visit Erik, and that her daughter refers to him as her "Earth Dad". On October 24, 1995, (the retrial of Lyle and Erik Menendez) Amanda Grier testified that she had sold Erik two 12-gauge Mossberg shotguns two days before the murders. The family were living in Beverly Hills while an state Jose had bought near Malibu was being renovated. But he was experiencing marital problems and his relationship with both sons was deteriorating. They deserved it with all the abuse they were coping they were basically living in hell those boys. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Jose has been described as demanding, overbearing, and tyrannical, and during the trials, the defense interviewed six former teachers, six relatives, five neighbors, four tennis coaches, a swim coach and a soccer coach, who all recounted unpleasant memories of the victims, writes the New York Times in 1993. On a warm summer evening, the two brothers crept into the den of their home where Jose and Kitty Menendez were sleeping and fired into their skulls. He was also an unfaithful husband, with a string of mistresses. Brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted in 1996 of the brutal double murders of their parents after two explosive trials. It was the most awful devastation. They used shotguns to shoot Jose Menendez in the head and Kitty in the face and stomach. The family only stayed in Calabasas for two years. Married to Jose Menendez (1963- 1989; their deaths), Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California, United States. What day did the murder happen? During the trial, prosecutors argued that the brothers murdered their parents to inherit their familys fortune according to the NY Times, Jose and Kittys will made their sons the sole beneficiaries of a $14 million estate. See trial video 48 at 1:01:41 - 1:10:22. It would be the last family outing, as they opened fire on their parents half-asleep watching television two days later. Oct. 30, 1993 12 AM PT TIMES STAFF WRITER Kitty Menendez was suicidal over her husband's eight-year extramarital affair, and Jose Menendez was "the ultimate control freak," two witnesses. Despite her initial unhappiness, Kitty moved with Jose and Erik to Calabasas, California. Jose Menendez came from a wealthy family that lost much of its wealth to the communist government during the Fidel Castro uprising. "Kitty Menendez was a former beauty queen, and her husband, 45-year-old Jose Menendez, a Cuban-immigrant who worked his way up to a top executive position. The unit where they are housed is reserved for inmates who agree to participate in education and rehabilitation programs without creating disruptions. Embittered, she turned into a moody and depressed child and had few friends. When the first Menendez trial began in July 1993, the . The trial began July 20. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The Menendez brothers claimed to have killed Jose and Kitty after being subjected to years of abuse by their father. We Asked, You Answered: What Would You Pick For Your Last Meal On Death Row? That was a very lonely night. [43], On July 2, 1996, Lyle married Anna Eriksson at a ceremony attended by Abramson and his aunt Marta Menndez, and presided over by Judge Nancy Brown; they divorced on April 1, 2001[4] after Eriksson discovered that Lyle was allegedly cheating on her with another woman. [38][39][40], On February 27, 1998, the California Court of Appeal upheld the brothers' murder convictions, and on May 28, 1998, the Supreme Court of California declined to review the case, thus allowing the decision of the appellate court to stand. They also investigated potential mob leads. Jose and Kitty Menendez's net worth was estimated to be around $14.5 million at that time. Her father, Charles Milton Andersen, was a United States Army veteran who started his own air conditioning and heating company. She graduated a year after Brian in 1959. Jose's work so impressed the upper management that they offered him a job as the company's comptroller. The pair were inseparable, which confused their peers as Kittys friends disapproved of Kitty being with Jose because he was Latin. Jose was a businessman whose family migrated from Cuba to Illinois after the Fidel Castro uprising happened. By the age of four, both had grown up in the opulent Beverley Hills. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? He is known to the public, alongside his wife Kitty, as the victim of a double homicide committed by their sons Lyle and Erik in August 1989. As in their pretrial detention, the California Department of Corrections separated the brothers and sent them to different prisons. Following high school, she attended Southern Illinois University, working in the school's broadcasting department, where she learned to produce dramas for radio and television. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. The couple had two sons, Joseph Lyle and Erik, and in 1968 the family moved to Beverly Hills. Jose y Kitty Menendez son asesinados en su casa. Additional post-mortem images of Kitty and Jose Menendez and crime photos. The family was there for only two years until Jose resigned from his position after which the family moved to Monsey, New York when Jose worked for Hertz. This is rare footage of the actual crime scene and of the bodies being carried. Murder In The Family: Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents, Jose and Mary Louise https://t.co/ZCQIu8oXIU pic.twitter.com/OCheAI2E6b, Bonnie Kernene (@mylifeofcrime) November 24, 2015. September 1993. To this day, there are people still fascinated by the murders of Jos and Mary "Kitty" Menendez. Crime scene . Inside The Curious Question Of The Great Emancipator's Race, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Sus hijos, Lyle (entonces de 21 aos) y Erik (entonces de 18 aos), fueron condenados y condenados a cadena perpetua por los asesinatos. He was known among show business celebrities and had a successful career in the industry. But in 1959, this seemingly idyllic life was uprooted. He said his mother washed his body until he was 13. Photo: Courtesy of Lifetime. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Additionally, video of the full trial from 1993 can be found on YouTube. Trivia. The security in Beverly Hills was decent, and although the house had a security system, Jose often left it off. Jose and Kitty Menendez, parents to killer siblings Lyle and Erik. I love my mother, and I still cry over my mother, and I dont forgive her, said Lyle Menendez. They will never be released from the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. None of the allegations of sex were ever provenor reported to authorities prior to the witness stand defense. Fidel Castro overthrew the ruling government and seized the property of the wealthy and upper-middle class. [24], The Menndez case became a national sensation when Court TV broadcast the trial in 1993. After killing their parents, the two men picked up the spent shell casings, and calmly went to see the movie in order to establish their alibi. GREAT NEWS! concerned for lack of conscience, narcissism, and sociopathy they exhibit.". A Calabasas house. Her mother, Mae Helen, worked in an airport before meeting her husband. He was known among show business celebrities and had a successful career in the industry. When it started to get serious, some of them just threw up their hands. Menendez was a successful businessman who was also an executive for RCA. [28], A photograph was presented as physical evidence by the defense, showing Lyle and Erik's genitalia allegedly taken by their father when they were children. Crime scene . Atty. [17] Erik hired a full-time tennis coach and competed in a series of tournaments in Israel. In their early married life she was an elementary school teacher, but after giving birth to her children, Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez, she became a full-time homemaker. Ultimately, Jose and Kitty Menendez were buried on August 25, 1989, in the Princeton Cemetery in Mercer County, New Jersey. While Kitty was still a child her father abandoned the family to move in with a mistress. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? The couple were known for their affluent lifestyle in Beverly Hills. A 1962 picture of eighteen-year-old Jose Menendez and older sister, Terry (Menendez) Baralt (R), with their goddaughter, baby Marta, the daughter of Marta Cano (L) Jose Menendez with sons Erik (L) and Lyle (R). Lyle Menendez is one of the convicted murderers of the 1989 killings of Jose and Kitty Menendez. Video related to jose and kitty menendez: 5 fast facts you need to know, wrote an article for Vanity Fair in 1990 titled. Echoing the testimony of those before, Cox said Kitty Menendez was dependent on drugs and alcohol, depressed and obsessed with appearances. [20] Erik eventually confessed to his psychologist Jerome Oziel, who then told his mistress, Judalon Smyth. Lyle and Erik, as well as their cousins, testified that Jose would beat Kitty with a belt. In 1960, a 16 year-old Jose left the country to live in the United States, flying with his sister's fianc. His father was a well-known soccer player who owned his own accounting firm. Kitty was upset because she had built a life for herself in New Jersey and didnt want to have to start over by moving to California. Add to your scrapbook. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. cemeteries found in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Jose Menendez was born to a prosperous family in Havana, Cuba. 1. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Jos Menndez Birth Name: Jos Enrique Menndez Birth Date: May 6, 1944 Birth Place: Havana, Cuba Death Date: August 20, 1989 Place of Death: 722 N Elm Drive, Beverly Hills, California Age: 45 Cause of Death: Homicide - gunshot wounds Cemetery Name: Princeton Cemetery Claim to Fame: Crime and their Victims Associates: Kitty Menndez Im going to take this dog company and make it No. Since the brothers had disposed of the physical evidence, there was nothing connecting them back to the homicides. When asked if they forgive Erik and Lyle for murdering Jose and Kitty, with . Their deaths seemed to come at the hands of burglars, which left locals in mortal fear until months later when authorities realized this hadnt been a robbery gone wrong, at all. January 10,1986, November 27,1970. He moved to the US when he was 16, and met Mary Louise Kitty Anderson at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. From the looks of it, the family wanted for nothing. Lyle and Erik Menendez were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Following their conviction for premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder, both boys were given consecutive life sentences without benefit of parole. It would be at college at Southern Illinois University where Menendez would fatefully meet her husband. When affluent Beverly Hills couple Jose and Kitty Menendez were found murdered in their home on Aug. 20, 1989, an entire nation waited for answers. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? #AmericanScandals pic.twitter.com/yE4Bah2S6r, DiscoveryID (@DiscoveryID) November 24, 2015. Lyle is the oldest brother, he was born in 1968, and his brother Erik was born in 1970. In high school, he was a high achiever and won an athletic scholarship, but could not afford to attend an Ivy League college. Their deaths seemed to come at the hands of burglars, which left locals in mortal fear until months later when authorities realized this hadn't been a robbery gone wrong, at all. Erik stated, "As I went into the room, I just started firing. [8], In 1986, Jos's career as a corporate executive (he had recently joined the company then known as International Video Entertainment) took the family to Beverly Hills, California. But Lyle and Erik Menendez would later claim in court that their father had been abusive. They also testified that their father threatened to kill them if they did not keep the abuse a secret. The brothers returned to the house later that night and Lyle phoned the police, shouting, "Someone killed my parents! There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1153/kitty-menendez. Embittered, she turned into a moody and depressed child and had few friends. On July 2, 1996, Weisberg sentenced the brothers to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and also sentenced them to consecutive sentences for the killings and the charges of conspiracy to commit murder. After graduating, he passed the CPA exam and he became a successful businessman. Jose Menendez, 45, and Kitty Menendez, 48. Although Kitty didnt seem to have much of a problem with Eriks girlfriends, she had great distain for Lyles girlfriends, especially Jamie Pisarcik. What was Jose Menendez's net worth? There are no volunteers for this cemetery. She was concerned that Erik may be gay, so she gave him a deadline to find a girlfriend when he started school at Calabasas High School a deadline which Erik barely met. She was described by Joses sisters as not a very carrying or protective mother. Hope there rotting in hell right now! He would often humiliate her in public, put her down, and tell her to shut up. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. [16], In the months after the killings, the brothers began to spend extravagantly on luxury items, businesses, and travel. According to a memorial bio written by Kit Benson(a Law Enforcement Officer and Detective in NC for ten years) and Morgan Benson(a member of the Civil Air Patrol, The Retired Officers Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Society of American Military Engineers), Kitty was born on October 14, 1941, in Cook County, Illinois. Kitty Menendez's brother, Brian Andersen, was the most vocal family member speaking out in defense of Jose and Kitty. (@HorrorHoneys) November 26, 2013. Lyle's prosecutor, Pam Bozanich, argued that "men could not be raped because they lack the necessary equipment to be raped. She had one older sister, Joan (b. 1931), and two older brothers, Milton (b. 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