Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ focuses on the story of two brothers who are accused of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, at their home in Beverly Hills. Instead of focusing on whether or not they did it, the defense focuses on the why behind the murders, which opens a Pandora’s box of secrets and lies within the Menendez family. What’s more interesting is that the guilt of the Menendez brothers wouldn’t have come to light if Erik hadn’t decided to confess everything to his psychologist, Dr. Jerome Oziel.
When Oziel discovered what the brothers had done, his first instinct was to protect himself and his loved ones. As an insurance policy, he brought his mistress, Judalon Smyth, into the fore while making the brothers talk about the murder during their sessions, which he recorded on tape. Later, when his relationship with Smyth fell apart, the woman reached out to the cops and gave up the brothers and their secret, which, in turn, led to the infamous trial that the Netflix series revolves around. Oziel became a crucial part in proving the brothers’ guilt, but once the trial was over, he had his own problems to deal with.
Jerome Oziel Lost His Licence Shortly After the Menendez Trial
While Jerome Oziel became a pivotal point in cracking the case of Jose and Kitty Menendez’s murder and the conviction of their sons, the revelations about his personal life and medical practice landed him in quite a bit of trouble. In July 1993, he found himself in court over the allegations made by the state board, where he was accused of letting Judalon Smyth become privy to their sessions, which were supposed to have been bound by patient confidentiality. The accusation also factored in the part where he made copies of the session tapes. Oziel was also accused of having a sexual relationship with a babysitter whom he also allegedly improperly prescribed medication and assaulted. Oziel denied any complicity in such actions and did not agree to any of the charges levied against him.
These allegations culminated in him being found guilty of “breaking confidentiality rules and having sex with female patients,” due to which his license was officially revoked in January 1997. Oziel decided not to contest the decision, as he claimed that he had already moved outside of California and was focusing on new endeavors. Trying to have the decision overturned would have required him to move back to California, leaving behind his new business as well as his family, who were well-settled in their new home. Moreover, he said that he had decided not to come back to California, so going back to court for something that was meaningless now didn’t make sense to him. At the same time, he also claimed that “no agency ever found [he] did a thing that was improper or wrong,” so he didn’t have anything to feel guilty about.
Prior to his infamy due to the Menendez case, the doctor had lived in South Carolina, having received his doctorate in 1972 in clinical psychology from Arizona State University. Mostly dealing with sex-related disorders, the doctor had appeared in TV shows like ‘The John Davidson Show’ and ‘48 Hours’ as the psychology expert. In 1980, he coauthored a book called ‘Sexual Medicine and Counseling in Office Practice: A Comprehensive Treatment Guide.’ He was sought out by the Menendez family following Erik’s involvement in a string of burglaries in 1988, which eventually led to the session where the brothers ended up confessing to murder.
Jerome Oziel Now Lives a Quiet Life
Now in his 70s, Jerome “Jerry” Oziel lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Laurel, with whom he has two daughters, Stacey and Alyssa. Following the revoking of his license as a practicing psychologist, he turned his career towards other endeavors, which mostly consisted of hosting seminars on relationships, sex, and marriage. In the 2010s, he briefly lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he worked as a marriage therapist for a company called Marital Mediation, which offers mediation as a way to curb divorce, and therefore, enhance marital relationships. Following his move to Portland, he founded Relationship Gifting Seminars, continuing his endeavor of giving relationship advice, particularly targeted toward women. He is also said to have worked on books and other business projects over the years.
Following the publicity of the Menendez brothers case, Oziel has lived out of the public limelight and has rarely come forward to talk to the media or given any interviews, if at all. In 2017, he talked to Bustle about the portrayal of a character based on him in ‘Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.’ He revealed that he wasn’t happy with the way the show painted him, saying that the series tended to be more on the fictional end of the spectrum. He called the show a “junk soap opera,” which did not have “one characterization that bore any relationship whatsoever to the truth or facts.” He also claimed that he had taken the issue of how the show presented him to court.
In the same conversation, Oziel also talked about his displeasure with the case being brought up again and again by different iterations brought to the TV, bringing his name back into the limelight with it. He said that he had moved on from the events of the case decades ago and its outcome has had no impact on his life whatsoever. He said he had “a great life,” which he took charge of despite the hurdles in his path and he didn’t allow his identity to be stuck with the case or to let it define his life. He prefers to keep it that way, living privately and peacefully with his loved ones.
Read More: Rebecca and Tammi: Where Are Lyle and Erik Menendez’s Wives Now?
