Interest in the Menendez brothers’ case has intensified, turning the family’s former mansion into an unexpected tourist hotspot.
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The Beverly Hills Police Department has responded to 18 calls in the past month alone, addressing complaints of noise disturbances and trespassing incidents at the residence.
Neighbors Remark About Noise Disturbances and Trespassing
Residents along Elm Drive, where the house is located, shared with the Los Angeles Times how the usually tranquil neighborhood has attracted a steady stream of sightseers eager to view the infamous location where Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents in 1989.
“There’s people all hours of the night,” one resident told the newspaper. “People are getting out of their cars, blocking our driveway. I didn’t register that [the mansion] was across the street from me. It’s been pretty quiet until the Netflix show came out.”
Adding to the spectacle, TikTok videos highlighting the mansion have gone viral, drawing tourists who seek unusual Los Angeles landmarks. Even tour buses now include the Mediterranean-style home—recently sold for $17 million in March—as a regular stop, despite it currently being vacant and under renovation.
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Tourists from various countries, including France, South Africa, and Italy, have visited the property, hoping to capture a photo of the renowned address. Fabrizio Serra, a tourist from Italy, said, “In Italy, the show is very popular. It’s fascinating to visit this place … something that you always see on the screens … you have the opportunity in real life [to see it].”
An Eerie Ominous Presence In The Mansion?
Onlookers and true crime enthusiasts on TikTok have made the Menendez mansion a trending location, with some creators speculating about eerie presences or suggesting the house could be haunted.
One TikTok video with over 2.5 million views speculates about a shadow that appears to resemble Jose Menendez, adding a chilling allure to the mansion.
Locals, including Rebecca Hecht, who attended Beverly Hills High School with Erik Menendez, have also been affected by the case’s resurgence. Hecht recalled feeling an “ominous presence” near the mansion and described how she related to the brothers’ experiences, drawing a personal parallel with her own father.
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Though saddened by the tragedy, Hecht has been supportive of the movement to reconsider the Menendez case. “They’re model citizens in prison, and strangely, ironically, prison was probably a better life for them, and that’s why they were able to thrive,” Hecht said, noting she’s been too affected by the story to watch the Netflix adaptation but appreciates the media attention it has brought.
Hecht believes the current public discourse may work in the Menendez brothers’ favor. “I think any publicity is good publicity. I do think there’s a firestorm of attention right now, and I believe it’s pushing in the direction of their release,” she said.
Advocation For Resentencing The Menendez Brothers
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón recently stated he would advocate for resentencing the Menendez brothers, who are serving life sentences without parole following their 1996 trial.
The renewed call for their retrial stems from recent findings brought to light in a Peacock documentary and Netflix’s series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which has reignited public interest in the case.
With this renewed spotlight on the brothers’ story, many visitors are more captivated than ever. Some have also been drawn by Netflix’s two-hour documentary, which includes new audio interviews with Erik and Lyle.
For a younger generation, it has introduced a case that once had a nation riveted to their televisions, bringing back memories of the televised trial in 1993, which set the stage for the rise of true crime as a genre.
Natalie Gardena, a surgical technician from Pomona, confessed her fascination with the case had brought her to the mansion. After watching the Netflix series, she expressed sympathy for the Menendez brothers, questioning the fairness of their trial, which, she believes, overlooked the significance of their father’s alleged abuse.
“The trial focused too much on their spending after the murders and didn’t take their abuse seriously,” she said. “If they were sisters, they would have been out long time ago. But since they’re men, no one believed men could be sexually abused back then.”
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