Since we originally published this episode in May 2024, there has been significant developments for Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in the early 1990s. On October 24th, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón requested that the brothers be resentenced. We are replaying this episode in its entirety because it provides the context you need to understand how we got here.

Lyle and Erik Menendez, two Beverly Hills brothers, were convicted of murdering their parents in a tabloid case that captivated the nation in the 1990s. But in recent years, they have captured the attention of a new generation, becoming unlikely social media stars despite being in prison for the last 34 years. In this episode, Susie and Jess look at the dedicated fan accounts advocating for a new trial and the new evidence that might actually free them.

FOR MORE:
The New Menendez Defenders (The New York Times)
Ex-Member of Menudo Says He Was Raped by Father of the Menendez Brothers (The New York Times)
New evidence may back Menendez brothers’ sexual abuse claims. But can it free them? (The Los Angeles Time)

Since we originally published this episode in May 2024, there has been significant developments for Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in the early 1990s. On October 24th, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón requested that the brothers be resentenced. We are replaying this episode in its entirety because it provides the context you need to understand how we got here.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, two Beverly Hills brothers, were convicted of murdering their parents in a tabloid case that captivated the nation in the 1990s. But in recent years, they have captured the attention of a new generation, becoming unlikely social media stars despite being in prison for the last 34 years. In this episode, Susie and Jess look at the dedicated fan accounts advocating for a new trial and the new evidence that might actually free them.
FOR MORE:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2021%2F02%2F09%2Fstyle%2Fmenendez-brothers-social-media-defenders.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7CDerrickClements%40iheartmedia.com%7C0025b7fc43de49beba3808dcf506dc3c%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638654657034602821%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=UVpHNlhJnfV5D46Gj6YPnBhFCJPGKuDG2GcUMvUjZow%3D&amp;reserved=0">The New Menendez Defenders (The New York Times</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2023%2F04%2F18%2Farts%2Ftelevision%2Fmenendez-brothers-menudo-roy-rossello-documentary.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7CDerrickClements%40iheartmedia.com%7C0025b7fc43de49beba3808dcf506dc3c%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638654657034626618%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=aYy%2FojEQCnc7NU7mnn4BNPfSq5Q1D%2BG%2FdjGo1W%2BOtHg%3D&amp;reserved=0">Ex-Member of Menudo Says He Was Raped by Father of the Menendez Brothers (The New York Times)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fcalifornia%2Fstory%2F2023-07-17%2Fmenendez-brothers-vacate-convictions-new-hearing-evidence&amp;data=05%7C02%7CDerrickClements%40iheartmedia.com%7C0025b7fc43de49beba3808dcf506dc3c%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C638654657034644245%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=FQn16%2B5UUxVig6v4Q1NMxBIrnz3Y9gOWzEGIRyY9jPE%3D&amp;reserved=0">New evidence may back Menendez brothers’ sexual abuse claims. But can it free them? (The Los Angeles Time)</a></li>
</ul>

Is there a cultural moment from your past that looks different in retrospect? Maybe it’s a scandalous tabloid story seared into your teenage brain or a political punchline that just feels wrong now. It might be a very specific red swimsuit that inspired a decade of plastic surgery (see: “Baywatch”) or the inescapable smell of an entire generation of prepubescent boys (Axe body spray, anyone?). Each week on IN RETROSPECT, Emmy-winning journalist Susie Banikarim and New York Times editor Jessica Bennett revisit a pop culture moment from the 80s and 90s that shaped them — to try to understand what it taught us about the world, and a woman’s place in it.

Talk to us at @inretropod, @susiebnyc and @jessicabennett on Instagram. New episodes each Friday.

Is there a cultural moment from your past that looks different in retrospect? Maybe it’s a scandalous tabloid story seared into your teenage brain or a political punchline that just feels wrong now. It might be a very specific red swimsuit that inspired a decade of plastic surgery (see: “Baywatch”) or the inescapable smell of an entire generation of prepubescent boys (Axe body spray, anyone?). Each week on IN RETROSPECT, Emmy-winning journalist Susie Banikarim and New York Times editor Jessica Bennett revisit a pop culture moment from the 80s and 90s that shaped them — to try to understand what it taught us about the world, and a woman’s place in it.
Talk to us at @inretropod, @susiebnyc and @jessicabennett on Instagram. New episodes each Friday.

In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett

Update: Why the Menendez Brothers May Go Free

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d0d775fe-0f02-49d1-96f5-b2140155583a/transcript

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