Both Menendez Brothers Went to Jail for Murder — Which One Actually Shot Their Parents?

As one of the most highly publicized murders in U.S. history, a lot is already known about the killing of Jose and Kitty Menendez, the parents of Eric and Lyle Menendez. The brothers were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in 1996, five years after their parents were shot dead, and have spent the last 35 years behind bars. Coming from wealth, Eric was 18 and Lyle was 21 when their parents were killed in their Beverly Hills mansion.

While the case faded from the headlines after their conviction, renewed interest arrived when their story became the focus of Netflix’s Monsters Season 2, released in 2024. The Menendez brothers continue to make headlines from jail as they pursue a pardon, clemency, or parole. We all know both brothers were present at the murder, but which one actually pulled the trigger?

It was actually both. The Menendez brothers went out and purchased two Mossberg shotguns at a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in San Diego, spending $200 on each gun just two days before murdering their parents.

Court documents suggest that Eric was the one who made the purchase, using a license under the name Donovan Jay Goodreau, a man who had lived with Lyle while he attended Princeton in 1989 and had left behind his wallet. At the time, Eric provided a different address than the one listed on the license, claiming he had moved but hadn’t updated it.

Then, on Aug. 20, around 10:30 p.m., the brothers entered their parents’ den, where Jose and Kitty Menendez were sitting and watching TV, and began shooting the guns they had purchased two days earlier.

Both brothers have claimed they killed their parents in self-defense. Erik stated that he had been sexually abused by his father from age 6 to 18, and when he finally disclosed this to Lyle, they became convinced their parents were plotting to kill them. Erik also said he feared his mother because she “condoned” his father’s behavior, according to court documents.

In the A&E documentary The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All, per People, Eric recalled the events leading up to the shooting. An argument reportedly broke out between Lyle and his mother because he wanted to go out that night and was told he couldn’t. Their father then entered and told Eric to go to his room, at which point Lyle reportedly said, “You’re not going to touch my brother.”

When their parents retreated to the family den, Lyle ran upstairs to warn Eric, saying, “It’s happening now,” as they believed their parents were ready to carry out their plan. Erik recalled how he felt at that moment, saying, “I felt like my heart was going to explode; it was just pounding, and I felt like — I felt like my life was over right then.”

But when the brothers entered the den with guns in hand, their parents were simply eating and watching TV, and the brothers opened fire.