The high-profile murder trials of Erik and Lyle Menendez in 1993, followed closely by O.J. Simpson’s “trial of the century,” were two of the most talked-about media events of the 1990s, fueled by the rise of televised court cases. Both cases shared similar roots, involving brutal murders in wealthy neighborhoods of West Los Angeles.
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| Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez in 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.' Miles Crist/Netflix |
That’s why it’s no surprise that Netflix and Ryan Murphy’s new controversial series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, references moments from Simpson’s widely-watched trial in the background. Simpson himself even makes an appearance in the second-to-last episode, just after his 1994 arrest following the notorious Bronco chase.
This appearance leaves viewers questioning if the scene was fictionalized for the Netflix series. But in reality, Simpson and the Menendez brothers did cross paths.
While Erik Menendez was being held in Los Angeles jail after being arrested alongside his brother for the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, Simpson was placed in a cell next to Erik’s for a considerable period. What is depicted in the series as a brief interaction was actually a series of conversations that took place over roughly 10 days.
As Robert Rand details in his book The Menendez Murders—an authoritative account of the killings and trials, now featuring new evidence that may aid the brothers' legal defense—Simpson and Erik Menendez were not strangers before their unexpected jailhouse meeting in June 1994.
During the Menendez brothers’ childhood, their father José Menendez was rising through the corporate ranks and worked as an executive at RCA’s Hertz company. Simpson, who famously appeared in Hertz advertisements, even visited the Menendez home a few times, where he met the brothers as children.
Though the Netflix series compresses these 10 days of interactions into just a few moments, many details reported by Rand in a 1995 Playboy article are left out. One key detail omitted was that Erik, young and somewhat naive, advised Simpson against befriending the jail guards or getting too close to the staff, warning they were not as trustworthy as Simpson seemed to believe.
“I remember Erik telling me O.J. was very friendly with all the deputies, and the deputies, you know, came around asking for signed pictures,” Rand told Reporter. “They were used to having celebrities like O.J. in custody. Erik would call me every night with updates. I got the sense O.J. appreciated the friendship and advice.”
One moment that did make it into the Netflix series is Erik advising Simpson in episode eight’s final scene to take a plea deal. While this works as a setup for the next episode, it wasn’t Erik who gave the advice in real life—it was Lyle.
“O.J. and Lyle Menendez spent many hours together in the jail’s attorney room while waiting for their lawyers or witnesses,” Rand wrote. “During 100 hours of contact, they spoke openly and exchanged letters. Lyle advised O.J. to consider a plea deal, which O.J. briefly considered but later dismissed, telling Lyle it would ruin his reputation and he’d never work again.”
Ultimately, the series condenses much of this, turning the Simpson arc into a brief segment, with Erik predicting that this NFL star would become the next big media sensation, overshadowing the Menendez case—and that’s exactly what happened.
