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What Happened to the Menendez Brothers’ House After Their Parents Murder?



On the evening of Aug. 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez, armed with shotguns, walked through the front door of their family’s Beverly Hills mansion to find their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, watching TV in the den.

The brothers shot their parents a total of 13 times — José eight times and Kitty five times. “There was brain matter and blood dripping from the ceiling. The bodies were in terrible shape. Shotguns do horrible damage to a human body,” author Robert Rand said in the 2024 Netflix documentary The Menendez Brothers.

Back in the 1980s, Beverly Hills was “maybe the safest place in America,” according to Alan Abrahamson, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who also appeared in the Netflix doc, and living in the 90210 zip code was the stuff of dreams.

The Menendez family owned a 9,063-square-foot Mediterranean-style estate, which they purchased for $4 million in 1988. Following the infamous murders, the house has changed hands four times. Most recently, it sold for $17 million in March 2024.

So what else has happened to the Menendez family’s former home in the past 30 years? Here’s everything to know about the Beverly Hills mansion where Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents.

When did the Menendez brothers live in the house?

Lyle Menendez, Kitty Menendez, Jose Menendez and Erik Menendez.

ABC


The home was originally built in 1927. However, the Menendez family, who had been living in Calabasas, Calif., didn’t purchase the home until 1988. José bought the mansion from real estate mogul Mark Slotkin for $4 million, per Realtor.com.

Under Slotkin’s ownership, the home underwent a significant renovation in 1974. The rebuild resulted in 9,063 square feet of living space, which featured soundproof rooms. Slotkin testified to this fact for the defense during Lyle and Erik’s murder trial, casting doubt on a maid who claimed she had heard the family’s screaming arguments on numerous occasions.

The Menendez family abruptly moved to Beverly Hills after Erik and Lyle were involved in a string of burglaries. According to Vanity Fair reporter Dominick Dunne, the brothers stole more than $100,000 in money and jewels from two houses in the Calabasas area. Erik, who was a minor at the time, took the fall and only received probation.

Where is the Menendez brothers’ house?

Erik and Lyle Menendez in 1989.

Ronald L. Soble / Los Angeles Times via Getty


The infamous home is located on Elm Drive in Beverly Hills. According to Vanity Fair, prior tenants included Prince, Elton John, Hal Prince and a Saudi prince.

The Mediterranean-style estate, which includes a detached guest house, boasts seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The property, according to a listing on Realtor.com, is an oasis for the ultra-wealthy with a private tennis court, pool, rose gardens and a wine cellar with a tasting room.

The listing also notes the “grand entry with a dramatic circular staircase, imported Italian limestone flooring and a gourmet kitchen complete with high-end appliances and a walk-in pantry.”

What happened to the Menendez brothers’ house after the murders?

Erik and Lyle Menendez in 1992.

VINCE BUCCI/AFP/Getty


After the murders of José and Kitty, Lyle and Erik lived in various hotels and the Elm Drive mansion until they were arrested in 1990. A year later the home was sold to an undisclosed buyer for $3.6 million. Then, in 1993, William Link, who co-created the hit murder mystery show Murder, She Wrote, purchased the mansion for an undisclosed sum and lived there for eight years.

Link sold the home in 2001 for $3.7 million to telecommunications executive Sam Delug.

How much is the Menendez brothers’ house worth today?

Erik and Lyle Menendez.

Los Angeles Times via Getty


The Menendez’s former home made headlines in March 2024 when Delug sold the estate for a whopping $17 million. The mansion, listed by Amy Vertun of Rodeo Realty, initially hit the market at $19,999,500 in December 2023.

Strategic Property Analytic President Orell Anderson told Realtor.com that the house sold for roughly 25% below market value.

“It really is the bad voodoo that comes in when buying a house to live in with your family, that can creep out people,” he said. “There tends to almost always be a discount, but sometimes it’s purchased by people who are not bothered by these things.”



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