Upamanyu Biswas
‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ revolves around the Menéndez brothers, Lyle and Erik, who murdered their parents, José and Kitty, in 1989 in their Beverly Hills Estate. The show provides an inside look into the crime by zeroing in on the exploits of the brothers during and after the event. The story grew to become a national interest topic in the eyes of the public and media, with people debating about the various ins and outs. To handle the case’s intricacies, Detective Les Zoeller of the Beverly Hills PD led the investigation into the death of the married couple. Subsequently, Zoeller had a pivotal hand in the eventual arrest of Lyle and Erik.
Les Zoeller Suspected the Menéndez Brothers From the Get-Go
Soon after the discovery of José and Kitty Menéndez’s bodies on August 20, 1989, Marvin Iannone, the Chief of the Beverly Hills Police Department, called Les Zoeller to inform the detective that he was being appointed the head of the investigation. At the age of 38, Zoeller was considered the top investigator at the Beverly Hills Police Department. He had previously worked on the “Billionaire Boys Club” investigation and the investigation for Zsa Zsa Gabor’s “slap heard around the world.” When Zoeller arrived at the Elm Drive mansion, he noted that nothing had been stolen from the place nor that there was any sign of forced entry. In the subsequent months, Les Zoeller and his partner, Detective Tim Linehan, tried to establish several theories regarding the murder.
Like his fellow police investigators, Zoeller was witness to the brothers’ spending spree following the death of their parents. It led to a growing suspicion that they were the ones responsible. On October 24, Zoeller interviewed Erik Menéndez at the Beverly Hills mansion, where Erik allegedly mentioned that his brother, Lyle, was spending too much money. Later, on November 17, Zoeller and Linehan interviewed Erik’s friend Craig Cignarelli and learned that Erik had told him a series of events describing how he and his brother killed their parents. However, the admission became murky when Cignarelli added that “it could have happened” as Erik and he used to play mind games with one another.
A breakthrough finally appeared when Zoeller discovered several tapes recorded by Dr. Jeremy Oziel capturing the details of the murder from the mouths of the brothers themselves. Lyle and Erik were arrested soon after. He continued to build the case around the brothers even after their arrest. During both trials, Zoeller took the stand to provide his testimony on the case and his investigation. Zoeller told the Los Angeles Times that he had always suspected the brothers from the beginning, but it took a while to prove it. Following Lyle and Erik’s sentencing, Zoeller was “pleased the brothers finally are apart” when the California Department of Corrections separated them on September 10, 1996. The detective also added, “I think that by putting them together, everybody’s at risk.”
Les Zoeller Eventually Retired From the Force
Les Zoeller continued to work as a top investigator in the Beverly Hills Police Department after the resolution of the Menéndez case. While no other case came close to the high-profile nature of José and Kitty Menéndez’s case, he still had a significant part to play in the department’s overall running over the following years. He had joined the department in 1976 from the city of Gardena, California. After more than 25 years of service, Zoeller finally retired from the department in 2002. Despite his exit from the force, he was a vocal presence across several interviews and documentaries on the Menéndez case.
In 2017, Zoeller expressed his displeasure at the questioning style employed by Megan Kelly, who was working for NBC News at the time, while interviewing Lyle Menéndez. “I thought the whole thing was self-serving to Lyle, with questions like, ‘When was the last time you saw your brother Erik?’ and ‘You’re married now—how does that work out?'” Zoeller said. The former detective was 65 years old at the time and working as a corporate and private security consultant. He mainly criticized Kelly’s “softball questions,” which, according to him, allowed Lyle to frame the murders as a crime of passion rather than a premeditated one.
Les Zoeller Passed Away in 2021
On July 9, 2021, Les Zoeller suffered a major stroke, sustaining a brain bleed as a result. He was subsequently placed in a coma and did not recover consciousness. Zoeller passed away on August 4, with his wife, Lisa, and children, Ashley and Kyle, surviving him. The former detective was honored by the Beverly Hills community on October 17, which was attended by friends, family, and community members. The gathering took place in the Boat Court on North Rexford Drive. According to Beverly Hills Police Captain Max Subin, the speakers included a former Beverly Hills police chief, a judge, Zoeller’s widow, and friends from the police department and district attorney’s office who had worked with Zoeller in the past.
In an interview, Subin talked about the memorial service by saying, “It was [at the department] to honor his life when he was a detective, of course. His widow wanted his memorial service and celebration to happen here at the PD because being a police officer [and] police detective was so important to him. He was a great detective. He was diligent, persistent and he took his job incredibly serious, which is always a great attribute to have.”
Read More: Anna Eriksson: Who is Lyle Menendez’s First Wife?
