What to know about real movie that Menendez brothers watched before brutally murdering their parents
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Following the release of Netflix drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, a lot of viewers have been left with more questions than answers - including the truth behind the film they're said to have watched before committing murder.
The controversial series, produced by The Jeffrey Dahmer Story's Ryan Murphy, explores the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were sentenced to life in prison without the eligibility of parole in 1996 for the murder of their parents, José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez.
José and Kitty were shot dead at their extravagant home 16 times with a gauge shot gun in 1989.
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Lyle, who was 21 at the time of the murders and Erik 18, evaded capture for more than five years until police honed in on them.
At trial, the brothers admitted murder, alleging it was a response to a lifetime of sexual, emotional and physical abuse at the hands of their father, who had also threatened to kill them if they told anyone - adding that their mother knew but did nothing to protect them.
One plot line in Monsters was that Lyle and Erik watched a film before killing their parents - suggesting it had given them some kind of inspiration for the slayings.
Reports suggest that this is in fact a true story - and they watched the 1987 film Billionaire Boys Club.
The Los Angeles Times wrote that during the trial, the chief witness for the prosecution stated Lyle and Erik got the idea to kill their parents 'on the BBC,' which caused confusion in the court.
People thought this was a reference to the BBC - but instead it was the 1987 film.
The chief witness in question was L. Jerome Oziel, the psychiatrist of the brothers.
The duo were finally arrested for their crime after Oziel's mistress reported their confession to the psychiatrist to law enforcement.
The Billionaire Boys Club film follows the story of Joe Hunt, the brains behind the 'BBC' operation.
As per Fugitives: "Hunt is under scrutiny for his (alleged) wrongdoings, and we get to see them in detail over the next three hours, through flashbacks."
Ultimately, a group of men end up on trial in Los Angeles as a result of setting up a Ponzi scheme in order to make a lot of money, killing people to get them out of the way as they go along.
Lawyer Monthly wrote: "Prosecutor Lester Kuriyama later claimed that the film's storyline mirrors what the brothers did to their parents, and they had seen it just before the events unfolded."
Life sentences without parole came for the pair after prosecutors argued the murder of their wealthy parents had been a cash-grab scheme.
After spending many years in separate prisons, they are both now held in the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Netflix, TV And Film, True Crime
Kya Buller