Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ends with episode 9, "Hang Men." The second trial, hot on the heels of the OJ Simpson verdict, falls apart spectacularly and leads to a very different verdict for them.
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The episode begins with the reading of the verdict in the OJ Simpson case, with Dominick Dunne (Nathan Lane) sitting front and center in the audience. He is stunned at the result.
In 1995, Lyle (Nicholas Chavez) points out to Leslie (Ari Graynor) that OJ got off and he never even took the witness stand. She says the mayor needs a win, so they're looking to convict Lyle and Erik (Cooper Koch) no matter what. She tried to get him a new attorney but he didn't like him (he wants her to "call Cochran"); Leslie reminds Lyle he's out of money and she's working for free. Oh, and his big scheme to have people pledge money for his legal defense each month is only going to backfire because it's a bad look and he needs to stop writing letters because it can all be used against him. Lyle says OJ had it figured out, and he had a catch phrase. They need a catch phrase, like "if you've been abused, you cannot be accused."
Erik, who has been silent until now, starts laughing. Lyle reminds him they're there because of him opening his mouth. Erik grabs a copy of the book Norma wrote using Lyle's recordings, telling his brother that he sounds unhinged. He's terrified because everyone has turned against them and wants them dead, so Erik is trying to find a way to save them. Lyle says he's not dying in prison.
In court, the prosecutor addresses the jury. Leslie tries to object but the judge doesn't stop him from speaking. The prosecutor points out the brothers won't be testifying, but they don't need it because Lyle has a book that outlines everything. The prosecutor calls upon a car salesman to talk about the time Jose (Javier Bardem) bought Lyle an Alfa Romeo for graduation, which Lyle called a clown car despite the hefty price tag. Again, Leslie tries to object to the testimony but gets overruled. As the testimony continues, Leslie tries to object but the judge says she can't object to everything.
Persecution
Notably, Craig (Charlie Hall) testifies about the script he wrote with Erik and how Erik confessed to him about the crime. However, the details don't match up; Erik snuck in through another room to find Kitty (Chloë Sevigny) and Jose sleeping on the couch and that's when the brothers killed them. Leslie gets frustrated when the prosecutor asks Craig whether he was familiar with The Billionaire Boys Club? Craig responds it's essentially the same story as Erik and Lyle and that they were aware of the movie because their friend wrote it. When their friend takes the stand, he's asked whether Lyle wrote him a letter asking him to say certain things in his testimony.
Erik takes the stand and is asked whether they considered using a crossbow. He's caught off guard and admits it would have been easier to get a crossbow given all the challenges to getting a gun. Leslie objects and the prosecutor says this establishes motive; he knows she's upset because premeditation sets the brothers up for the death penalty. When she snaps and says there's "no love" in the courtroom, he holds up pictures of Kitty and Jose and says there's no love when you kill your parents. He presses on about the bullets used and how they said the mafia did it, and ultimately how they shot their mother up so much her skeleton was destroyed. He calls it "lying in wait." And despite Erik's claims that he was abused and afraid of his father, it still constitutes premeditation. The pool guy is called upon to testify that he overheard the brothers yelling at their parents the day before the murder and that there was no sign that they were afraid of them. The parents, he said, were afraid of their sons.
It doesn't help when the prosecutor calls upon the boat captain, the Menendez maid and Jose's assistant, all of whom state that Kitty and Jose were loving parents. The only medical evidence of abuse came from a doctor who said Erik's throat was bruised after an accident with a popsicle. The prosecutor cites the book When A Child Kills as the playbook for their plan to kill their parents. Leslie demands a mistrial but she's overruled.
The prosecutor closes by saying Leslie is weaving a story together because it worked for her previous case and the only people who can corroborate the story are dead. He adds, shockingly, that lots of people are abused by people they know, even among the jury, but it's not common to murder the people who commit the abuse. Leslie at this point gets in trouble for playing hangman with Erik. The prosecutor ends by talking about the brothers' love for money and how they were willing to kill for it. He accuses the brothers and the legal team of using abuse as their defense.
Verdict
At a dinner party, Dunne is asked whether he keeps in touch with the Goldman family? He says the family is "devastated" that OJ is a free man. He claims a legal team knows how to game the system using race or abuse to get away with anything. He says he's "over" the Menendez brothers but he reveals Lyle is in a serious, committed relationship. As for Erik, Dunne says he's been going through a rough time and has been held in solitary confinement. He's still in a loving relationship, too. Dunne predicts LA won't be able to handle another wayward verdict like Rodney King and OJ.
The verdict is read. Both brothers are found guilty of first degree murder, with Erik being found guilty of the special condition of lying in wait. Sentencing for first degree murder can only be life in prison or the death penalty.
In the jury room, the jurors face off about whether the brothers were abused or not. One woman in particular takes control of the room and won't let anyone challenge her very strong opinions, demanding the brothers are sentenced to death. She has a heart attack on the spot. When the alternate juror comes in, he's nervous but he points out there were never witnesses who said they were violent and their relatives all love them. He doesn't know what to believe but if they went through what they claim, he's not going to put them to death. He hopes everyone thinks about it because they will ultimately have to live with their decisions, too.
Before the verdict is read, Erik fixes Lyle's tie and Lyle gives his brother a quick kiss on the forehead. We jump to the prison dining hall, where the room full of Black prisoners groan when the life sentence is handed down. The prosecutor is disappointed while Leslie is happy they are still alive. Outside the courtroom, Leslie catches a detective and tells him not to separate them.
Erik tells the prison chaplain he's hoping people will change their minds in a few years and see they never should have been convicted. The chaplain points out that it's good he's going through the appeal but his life, for now, is in prison and he needs to find a meaningful life there.
Lyle is awakened in the middle of the night. They're being transferred. Erik is brought out and finds out he's going to Folsom Prison. Lyle is led to another car but they go in different directions. They're not moving on together.
We see Jose and Kitty on a boat. She's shocked to learn that they're shark fishing. Jose lied about shark fishing while trying to close a deal, so now he needs to learn about it. She's glad he didn't leave her at home with the boys the way he did when he was with his mistress. Jose feels terrible for everything he did and he says he has everything he needs with her. When it's time to throw chum into the water, they call for the boys but they are on the bow discussing their plans. Erik asks Lyle if he's still on board. They agree to "do it."
The entire season of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available to stream now on Netflix.
