This Netflix miniseries from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan doesn’t definitively conclude that Lyle and Erik had been abused nevertheless it does lend some actual credence to their claims. Murphy himself advised Entertainment Tonight that “if you watch the show, I would say 60-65% of our show center around the abuse, and what they claim happened to them. We do it very carefully and we give them their day in court, and they talk openly about it.”
While Monsters can’t provide up a closing reply on the subject of the Menendez’ motive, it does no less than elevate the query once more in a compelling means. With that in thoughts, we thought it may be time to try that query ourselves. With Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story as a leaping off level, right here is all the pieces we all know concerning the Menendez Brothers’ true motive and whether or not their claims have benefit.
Other sources consulted for this piece embody: This Reddit thread compiled by u/kimiashn, CNN’s Court TV archives, and trial footage.
Lyle Menendez’ Hair Loss Could Be Evidence of Abuse
Younger viewers experiencing the Lyle and Erik Menendez story for the primary time have been captivated by one component specifically: Lyle’s hair loss. As depicted by Monsters‘ Lyle actor Nicholas Alexander Chavez, the real life Lyle Menendez wore a hairpiece so expensive and realistic that his brother supposedly didn’t even understand it was a wig till his mom snatched it off Lyle’s head 5 days earlier than the murders.
No definitive rationalization has ever been provided up as to why Lyle started to lose his hair at an unusually younger age (reportedly round age 16). None of the opposite males within the Menendez household seem to have skilled untimely balding, suggesting that it wasn’t a hereditary situation. It’s been well-documented, nonetheless, that stress can contribute to hair loss at any age, together with stress associated to sexual trauma.
Lyle’s hair loss as a symptom of abuse was introduced up by the protection throughout his trial. Expert witnesses, including Dr. Ann Tyler, additionally pointed to behaviors like hypersexualization, sensitivity to the touch, and performing out as proof of Lyle having been abused. Expert testimony isn’t first-hand proof and must be weighed appropriately. Additionally, it was totally established that each Menendez boys skilled vital ranges of stress on account of their overbearing father on the whole, so Lyle’s hair loss may very well be attributed to that and never sexual abuse.
