The Menendez Brothers’ Beverly Hills Mansion: Everything You Need to Know

Hollywood hitmaker Ryan Murphy is back with a new true crime miniseries. The second part of his Monster Netflix franchise, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez storytells the story of a notorious double murder in 1989, in which José Menendez and his wife Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez were found shot multiple times at close range in the study of their Beverly Hills mansion. After investigators initially suspected mafia involvement, they blamed the couple’s sons, Lyle (21) and Erik (18), for the murders. The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

Since the nine-part series was released this month, the 35-year-old case has been making headlines due to the controversy surrounding the dramatization; viewers (numbering in the millions, as the show shot to No. 1 on the platform this week), Murphy and Erik himself have all spoken out about the style of storytelling.

Today, the siblings are still in custody – but what happened to the crime scene, the Menendez family mansion? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Beverly Hills property.

When did the Menendez family move into the villa?

The Menendez family purchased their Beverly Hills estate in 1988. The mansion on North Elm Drive was originally built in 1927. It was redesigned in 1984 by real estate mogul Mark Slotkin and his wife, actor Robin Greer. They remodeled the home, creating six bedrooms and eight bathrooms with a total of 850 square feet of living space. After the couple divorced, Slotkin sold the home in 1988 for $4 million to José Menendez, a successful businessman and family friend.

What does the Menendez Villa look like?

The exterior of the Menendez family’s former mansion remains largely unchanged to this day. Located in the coveted 90210 zip code, it is designed in a Mediterranean villa style. According to a now-closed listing on Realtor.com, the home currently has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. It reportedly features high ceilings and a spiral staircase at the grand entry, a two-story foyer with imported Italian limestone flooring, a living room with large Palladian windows, and a renovated kitchen with high-end appliances and a walk-in pantry. The master suite has two bathrooms, while the rest of the home is filled with a number of amenities: a pool, outdoor deck, two-story guest house, private tennis court, and wine cellar.

At the time of the murders, the mansion had soundproof walls, according to LA times. At Lyle and Erik’s trial, Slotkin testified on behalf of the defense that “due to the soundproofing, it was unlikely that the maid could have heard loud voices (the family’s shouting arguments) coming from an upstairs bedroom.”

What happened to the Menendez mansion after the murders?

After the murders, the house remained uninhabited for years. 1994 LA Times It was reported that the sale was made for $3.6 million at a loss of $1.2 million.

After the money was used to pay off the remaining mortgage and closing costs on the family’s Beverly Hills mansion and Calabasas home, the rest of the Menendez family’s $14.5 million fortune went directly to legal fees, miscellaneous expenses and the IRS, according to Jose and Kitty’s attorneys. The family’s attorneys stated in official court filings that “there was a widespread perception among home buyers and real estate agents that this home had bad ‘karma’ and was to be avoided.”