Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who portrays Lyle Menendez in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, believes the Menendez brothers didn’t receive a fair trial in their 1996 retrial and supports renewed efforts to revisit the case.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Chavez, 25, expressed his thoughts on the judicial handling of the infamous 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez. “What I feel 100% confident saying is that they didn’t have a fair chance at a second trial,” said Chavez. “The judge didn’t allow any of the evidence about sexual abuse to enter into the second trial.”
Lyle, now 56, and Erik, 53, were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole after the second trial, despite their defense claiming years of abuse at the hands of their father. Chavez argued that the omission of key evidence led to an unfair conclusion: “The case becomes, okay, did they kill their parents or not? Which they never argued. They were only ever trying to explain why.”
Chavez emphasized the importance of re-examining the case, citing Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s recent announcement that his office is considering new evidence presented by the brothers’ defense team. “The fact that we’re coming back to this case, to at least re-examine it properly, is a really good thing. And I am very glad for that.”
The Menendez brothers’ case has resurfaced in the public eye following the release of Monsters on Netflix. While the series sparked renewed interest, the brothers have expressed disapproval of the portrayal. Erik Menendez criticized the show as a “dishonest portrayal” of events in a Facebook post. Cooper Koch, who played Erik, responded by expressing empathy for the brothers, saying, “I get it… I understand how he feels and I stand by him.”
At a press conference on Oct. 16, over 30 family members reiterated claims of abuse against José Menendez, with DA Gascón stating that his office remains open-minded regarding the case. Chavez echoed his support for the reevaluation, concluding, “I really sympathize with the brothers, the fact that this was the most traumatic moment of their life, and then having that put on television for the world to see.”
With growing calls to revisit the Menendez brothers’ legal battles, Chavez hopes justice can finally be served.
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