The Menendez brothers’ former mansion in Beverly Hills attracts onlookers: the police

As Erik and Lyle Menendez push for their freedom, a recent series about their case has led to a surge in unwanted attention and 911 calls related to the infamous Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, mansion where the brothers brutally murdered their parents in 1989.

In the few weeks after the publication of the Netflix true crime drama, “Monster: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez,” authorities received 12 calls about the mansion, Beverly Hills Police Capt. Max Subin told Fox News Digital.

“This house has been there since the murders, you know, so people would always drive by, you know, and look at the house from all the stars…when they got the star chart and when they got the tour buses,” Subin said.

Public fascination with the case has led to many people flocking to the property, usually in a quiet area of ​​the Beverly Hills Flats.

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“It obviously caused a lot more traffic,” Subin said. “I walked by there and there were a lot more onlookers or people looking at things and taking photos.”

“A lot of these are parking calls,” Subin said of 911 calls related to the home. “I don’t know of any criminals…for example, this person is committing vandalism or breaking in. I don’t think about anything like that. I’m thinking more about traffic problems and suspicious ‘circles’ and so on of things, people around the house.

The new owners of the infamous home, who bought it for $17 million, 28 years to the day after the brothers were convicted, According to Realtor.com, they are the wealthy Iranian-American Lahijani family.

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The side yard of the Menendez brothers’ former mansion in 1989. (Clark Fogg, retired Beverly Hill)

The mansion was originally purchased by Jose Menendez in 1988 for $4 million. The following year, his two sons fatally shot him and his wife.

Joseph Menendez, who is known by his middle name Lyle, and Erik fired so many shots that they had to return to the car to reload before firing the shot that killed their mother, who authorities say had tried to escape, after she was wounded.

The brothers were convicted in 1989 of shooting their parents, Jose and Mary “Kitty” Menendez. In 1996 they were sentenced to life in prison, but sought a reduced sentence following allegations that their father had sexually abused them.

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The Menendez brothers Erik (left) and Lyle sit on the steps of their Beverly Hills home in November 1989. (Ronald L. Soble / Los Angeles Times)

After the murders, the Menendez mansion sat on the market for several years, despite its grandeur and prime location in Beverly Hills.

Clark Fogg, a retired senior forensic scientist with the Beverly Hills Police Department who investigated the Menendez brothers’ case in 1989 and lived just a few doors away from their mansion at the time, told Fox News Digital that he remembered the ride Hollywood tour bus was heard passing by the house daily shortly after the murders.

“The house once had a gate, and now it doesn’t,” Clark noted.

A previous listing for the home on Zillow shows that it has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms and that it “features high ceilings, a grand entry with a dramatic spiral staircase, imported Italian limestone floors, a gourmet kitchen with high-end appliances, etc. and a walk-in pantry.” .

The listing also states that the home features a pool “surrounded by park-like grounds and a two-story guest house.”

The Menendez brothers, convicted of killing their parents, are defended by relatives as they fight for freedom

Exterior view of the Menendez brothers’ former mansion in 1989, overlooking the expansive pool.

In addition to the release of the popular television series leading to an increase in calls to police, Subin said, “Recent developments in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s investigation have resulted in more people viewing the home and more calls for help on our part.” .”

In 2023, the Menendez brothers’ lawyers announced the discovery of a letter written by Erik Menendez to a cousin, Andy Cano, eight months before the murders, detailing ongoing abuse at the hands of their father.

“I tried to avoid Dad,” Erik wrote in the letter. The brothers claim that this letter supports their original testimony during the first trial, which involved allegations of abuse.

The brothers’ lawyers argue they should have been convicted of manslaughter, not murder, and if so, they would have already been released from prison.

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Erik and Lyle Menendez listen during their trial in the 1990s. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said his office will review new evidence in the brothers’ murder. (Ted Soqui/Sygma)

The brothers’ family members gathered in Los Angeles this week to advocate for their freedom, saying the brothers were “abandoned” by the very people who should have protected them.

“The whole world was unwilling to believe that boys could be raped or that young men could be victims of sexual violence. Today we know better,” said Joan Andersen VanderMolen, Mary Menendez’s sister. “We know that abuse has long-term effects and victims of trauma sometimes act in ways that are very difficult to understand.”

This follows the recent announcement from the Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon that his office is reviewing the Menendez brothers’ case.

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The Menendez family’s former home in Beverly Hills, California. (Google Street View)

Fogg, author of “Beverly Hills Confidential: A Century of Stars, Scandals and Murders,” previously told Fox News Digital that he believes the brothers remain behind bars for good reason.

“You’re in prison, for life without the possibility of parole, just for one thing,” Fogg said. “You don’t Murder your parents. You’re not murdering anyone, period.”

A separate documentary about the brothers, “The Menendez Brothers,” premiered on Netflix on October 7.

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Despite all the attention the home-turned-tourist attraction appears to be receiving, Subin said Beverly Hills police will continue to do their jobs and respond to all incoming calls.

“Nothing has changed in our deployment or operations, but if we get a call there, we will respond like we do anywhere else in the city,” Subin said. “If someone calls, we will definitely answer… no call is too small.”