Diksha Sundriyal
Recounting the harrowing events surrounding the murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez, Netflix’s ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ takes us through the ups and downs of the trial of the Menendez brothers. Claiming self-defense, the brothers try to prove that the reason they killed their parents at their home in Beverly Hills is that if they didn’t do it, their parents would have killed them instead. They say a lot of things during the trial, delivering a rather fractured image of their family. The highly publicized case already has a lot going for it in terms of revelations, twists, and turns, but the earthquake throws another edge to it. Like almost every other thing in the show, this detail about the natural disaster is also plucked from reality.
The Earthquake Hit While Lyle Menendez’s Case Was Still Under Deliberation
The earthquake depicted in ‘Monsters’ is the Northridge earthquake of about 6.7 magnitude with an epicenter in the San Fernando Valley that hit LA on January 17, 1994, at around 4:30 PST. The largest earthquake to have been recorded since 1971, at the time, it cost the lives of 56 people, left more than 9,000 injured, and caused about $13–50 billion in damages. Reportedly, about 3,000 aftershocks, dramatically reducing in frequency with each turn, were observed in three weeks following the main earthquake. The Van Nuys courthouse, where the Menendez trial was taking place, was about four miles from the epicenter and caused major damage to the upper floors of the building.
Reportedly, the sixth and seventh floors of the courthouse received the worst brunt of it. It left behind damaged floors, ceiling tiles, and courtroom paneling. It was also checked for asbestos following the earthquake to make sure that the building was safe to use in the aftermath. The officials also closed the multilevel parking for the court staff and jurors across the street from the building. At the time, the jury was still deliberating on Lyle Menendez’s case. All twelve jurors lived in the San Fernando Valley. While they confirmed that none of them had experienced any injury due to the earthquake, they also revealed that they wouldn’t be able to report back for the next date, scheduled a couple of days later. In one of his articles on Vanity Fair, Dominick Dunne wrote that Lyle Menendez received minor cuts and bruises from being thrown off the top bunk to the floor due to the earthquake. Lyle, who hid under a metal table, also claimed that the prisoners were left behind while the officers in the prison left the building.
Legal Experts Believed the Earthquake May Have Impacted the Outcome of Lyle’s Trial
Days before the earthquake hit, Erik Menendez’s jury was declared deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial. Lyle’s jurors were still contemplating their decision when the earthquake hit. Some legal experts believed that the delay caused by the earthquake might influence the jury’s decision. It was believed that “major life events” can lead people to have “new perspective” about things, and the same was expected to happen with the case. Another expert believed that the earthquake might lead jurors to “press quickly for any compromise” that might have been interrupted or declare it null when they next reconvened.
The jury convened again on January 24 in a trailer near the courthouse as reparations were still underway. They declared themselves deadlocked, leading to a mistrial. When it was clear that a second trial would have to take place for the Menendez brothers, the prosecution tried to move the location, claiming that the Van Nuys courthouse had not recovered completely. The defense spoke out against the move. Both parties tried that should the courthouse be moved, the trial should take place in the location that would suit them better. Eventually, however, the trial took place in the same courthouse.
Read More: Were Erik and Lyle Menendez Incestuous Lovers? Was Erik Molested by Lyle?
