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Did Norma Record Lyle Menendez? The Controversial Tapes That Defined His Trial

Did Norma Record Lyle Menendez? The Controversial Tapes That Defined His Trial

One of the less-discussed elements of Netflix’s crime drama anthology series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is the contentious relationship between Lyle Menendez and a woman named Norma.

Lyle developed a relationship with Norma while he and his brother Erik were on trial for the murder of their parents. Driven by a desire to pen a book about his life and experiences, Lyle believed Norma would be the ideal collaborator after meeting her a few times and establishing ongoing communication through calls.

Norma faced difficulties in keeping up with their discussions and taking adequate notes. Consequently, she requested Lyle’s consent to record their conversations, to which he reportedly agreed.

Upon completing the recordings, Norma realized the potential value of the material she had about Lyle and understood that she didn’t need to share the profits with him. She subsequently sold the audio recordings to Dove Books for $12,500, leading to the release of a book titled The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words! on January 1, 1995.

Impact of Lyle Menendez’s Testimonies to Norma on His Trial

While Lyle Menendez and his brother Erik were held in prison during their trial for the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, Lyle formed a close friendship with Norma. They frequently communicated through calls and developed a unique bond.

With a desire to share his story, Lyle proposed the idea of writing about his life and enlisted Norma’s help. Although she agreed, she struggled to keep pace with their conversations. After what Lyle allegedly claimed was verbal permission to record their calls, she began documenting all their discussions.

As mentioned earlier, when Norma realized the substantial value of Lyle Menendez’s life accounts, she decided to sell the tapes for a significant amount.

Reports suggest that Lyle’s statements in the tapes recorded by Norma were completely inconsistent with what he had claimed during another trial. This discrepancy ultimately became a crucial piece of evidence in the sentencing of both Lyle and Erik. Due to this situation, Lyle Menendez allegedly chose to avoid testifying in their second trial.

This narrative is depicted in Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, where Erik and Lyle are shown arguing after Erik discovers tapes that could severely undermine their defense.

About Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix

Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second installment of the Monsters series, following The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

The series features Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez. Javier Bardem stars as José Menendez, and Chloë Sevigny plays Mary Louise Menendez. The cast also includes Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson and Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne. According to Netflix’s Tudum, the official logline states:

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story follows Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who fatally shot their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. During their trials, the brothers cited years of abuse as the reason for murdering their parents. However, prosecutors argued that their motive was to access the family fortune.”

Numerous projects have been produced regarding Lyle and Erik Menendez’s lives, including Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers, The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All, Law & Order: True Crime, Menendez Brothers: Victims or Villains, and Menendez: Monsters or Misjudged?

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