Upamanyu Biswas
The 1989 murder of Jose and Kitty Menéndez by their sons Lyle and Erik serves as the primary basis of the second season of Netflix’s Monster series, titled ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.’ The story became a national sensation owing to the manner in which Erik and Lyle killed their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. Since the Menéndez family’s occupation, the California property has garnered massive interest from the public. While its history is blotted with a dark crime, the house’s grand and majestic design is brought to the fore even more in the show.
The Undiminished Grandeur of the Menéndez Family House
Despite the resolution of the Menéndez case in 1996, when Erik and Lyle were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the house in which they killed their parents has continued to generate huge obsession from people. Situated at 722 North Elm Drive in Beverly Hills, California, the mansion still stands as a reminder of the crime that took place many years ago. Before the killings took place, it was viewed as a real estate gem in the area. Erik and Lyle’s father, Jose, bought it in 1988 for $4 million. It is a 9,063-square-foot estate with a Mediterranean aesthetic featuring seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Erik and Lyle Menéndez killed their parents to get their hands on their father’s multimillion-dollar estate, which included the house.
It was originally built in 1927 and had seen several owners and a couple of redesigns before the Menéndez family landed on its doorstep. The family was living in the mansion while waiting for the construction of their estate in Calabasas to be finished. In 1984, real estate mogul Mark Slotkin remodeled the building. He also testified for the defense during Erik and Lyle’s trial, stating that the maid’s testimony of hearing the family fighting on the premises could not be possible as he had installed soundproofing in the building. Slotkin was a confidante of Jose and Kitty Menéndez and a close friend of Erik and Lyle. Following Jose and Kitty’s murder, the house lost its sheen in the eyes of prospective buyers despite being fitted with a swimming pool, private tennis court, and a detached guesthouse.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the lawyers for the Menéndez family’s estate said that “it was widely believed by the home-buying public and the real estate brokers and agents that this house had bad ‘karma,’ and was one to be avoided.” In 1991, the house was put up for sale at $4.1 million but was eventually sold for $3.6 million. It then reportedly came into the possession of William Link, the co-writer of ‘Murder, She Wrote.’ In 2001, it was sold to Sam Delug, a telecommunications executive, for $3.7 million, who renovated the house’s interiors extensively. In 2024, it saw a surge in interest as it was sold off for $17 million, which was less than the asking price of around $20 million. The owners are reportedly the Lahijanis, a wealthy Iranian family based in Beverly Hills.
As most of the house’s exteriors have been left untouched, public tours around the city often roll by the house to allow people the chance to glimpse the site where the Menéndez family murders took place. The palatial estate is equipped with all manner of luxurious amenities, ranging from backyard rose gardens, a wine cellar, a private balcony, an attached garage, and dual bathrooms. Its rise in popularity happened right after the Menéndez murders, and it will likely continue to capture the public imagination because of the enduring nature of the crime that took place in its confines.
Read More: Les Zoeller: What Happened to the Detective in the Menéndez Brothers Case?
