Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ fictionalizing the true tale of how two brothers killed their parents in their family home in 1989, we get an original unlike any other. That’s because this drama encapsulates all aspects of the horrific ordeal while also shining a light upon how most criminals are not born but rather formed from their individual circumstances. However, arguably the most intriguing person throughout this issue is actually Judalon Smyth, whose statements to the police ultimately led to José and Kitty Menéndez’s murderer’s arrest.
Judalon Smyth’s Romantic Involvement Led to Her Ties With the Menendez Family
It was reportedly in the 1980s when St. Maur French International School graduate Judalon’s whole world turned around as she first came across Dr. Jerome Oziel in her home state of California. According to records, this owner-operator of a tape duplicating company was working with some audios on relationships when she heard of his practice, soon resulting in her making contact. Little did she know he would actually suggest one-on-one therapy sessions to her, only for them to inadvertently act as a catalyst for their intimate relationship despite him being married.
As per the aforementioned show, Judalon and Jerome had essentially ended by the fall of 1989 since he didn’t want to leave his wife, yet his lover was the one he called after Erik confessed. Therefore, she rushed to his workplace, where she initially claimed to have heard part of the brothers’ subsequent combined statements herself through the door, that is, until she was almost caught. She then purportedly grew so afraid of Lyle and Erik coming after her that she even managed to convince her lover to let her move into his family home’s guesthouse, where she lived until March 1990.
That’s when Judalon and Jerome split up for good, shortly following which she informed authorities of the confession as well as the fact the doctor had even audio-taped one of their sessions. Thus, as a result of her vehement statements plus additional evidence from the details she had revealed about where they had bought guns from, Lyle and Erik Menendez were arrested for their parents’ murder. However, by the time it came time for their case to go to court, she had recanted her statements and was instead doubling down on her apparently manipulative estranged partner.
Judalon and Jerome’s Relationship Was Far From Perfect
Apart from the fact that Jerome was married when he began his connection with Judalon, she later testified that he brainwashed her into making claims against the Menendez brothers. She told the court she had never heard the brothers confess; she only knew second-hand information through her ex, who was planning to get some evidence against them. As per her account, he wanted their words recorded not only as a safeguard to his life but also his wife’s. Plus, he wanted to ensure they sounded remorseful if caught, as he believed he could benefit from their money too.
As if that’s not enough, Judalon even went as far as to assert her ex-boyfriend had raped her, forcibly prescribed her Xanax as well as Prozac, and was often abusive too. In fact, not only did he once apparently tell that her mother was a witch plotting to feed her a poisoned apple, but he also attempted to hypnotize her, using the word “thorns” as a trigger phrase. Furthermore, she asserted he grew violent with each passing day, violent enough to give her blood blisters at the back of her throat, leading to his discrediting and him losing his psychotherapy license after being accused of breaking client confidentially, having sex with female patients, and assaulting another woman he was having an affair with.
Judalon Smyth Has Since Happily Moved Forward in Life
While Judalon had a significant role to play in the Menendez brothers’ first trial, she chose to lead a life well away from the spotlight in the ensuing years so as not to face any more public scrutiny. We say “anymore” because she did have to face a lot of backlash in the 1990s. She once told People, “There was one newscaster that called me a ‘nutball’ on the radio. It was frightening. Someone comes forward, and then you crucify them.” She also said, “I really didn’t understand the attack I was going to come under for doing the right thing… I mean, it took a long time for me to do the right thing. But ultimately, I did.”
Coming to Judalon’s current standing, from what we can tell, she is currently leading a quiet life in Colorado, where she loves being surrounded by loved ones as well as nature to feel whole. On a more professional level, it appears as if this Los Angeles native, former entrepreneur, and career-long travel consultant is now a retired NREMT-certified Emergency Medical Technician( EMT) specialist. The now 72-year-old attained most of her experience in this industry in the ambulance or by being the medical personnel on call on various television, films, and ad sets.
Read More: Leslie Abramson: Where is Erik Menendez’s Lawyer Now?
