As Netflix unveils Ryan Murphy’s latest series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, one home in particular is once again capturing the public’s attention: the Mediterranean-style villa that stands as a silent witness to one of America’s most notorious crimes—the brutal murders of Jose and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez by their sons, Lyle and Erik Menendez.

The notorious mansion, nestled in Beverly Hills’ coveted 90210 zip code, was built in 1927 but underwent a significant transformation in 1974 when it was redesigned by Mark Slotkin and his wife, actress Robin Greer, friends of the Menendez family. Slotkin’s rebuild featured six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and 9,063 square feet of living space, as Greer detailed in the 1995 book You’ll Never Make Love in This Town Again. Following the couple’s divorce, Slotkin sold the home to Jose Menendez, a successful businessman and entertainment executive, for $4 million in 1988—setting the stage for a crime that would captivate the nation for years to come.

Los Angeles Times//Getty Images
Erik and Lyle Menendez outside of their Beverly Hills home.

On an August evening in 1989, the quiet of this affluent neighborhood was shattered by gunshots. Jose Menendez and his wife, Kitty, were found shot multiple times at close range in the den of their family mansion. The brutal nature of the killings initially led investigators to suspect Mafia involvement. But the perpetrators were much closer to home. Lyle, 21, and Erik, 18, the couple’s sons, had orchestrated the murders of their parents. The brothers’ initial facade of grief quickly crumbled as they embarked on a spending spree, splurging on Rolex watches, real estate, and business investments.

Prosecutors portrayed the brothers as cold-blooded murderers wanting control of their parents’ $14.5 million estate, while the defense argued that Lyle and Erik were victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by their parents. As the investigation unfolded and the trial began, the mansion itself became a key piece of evidence. Mark Slotkin, the real estate mogul who had redesigned the home, played a crucial role in the defense’s strategy. He testified about the soundproofing he had installed in the mansion, a detail that challenged a maid’s claims during the trial that she had overheard screaming family arguments. However, in 1996, a jury found Lyle and Erik Menendez guilty of first-degree murder. The brothers were sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole.

Ted Soqui//Getty Images
Erik and Lyle Menendez with attorney Leslie Abramson on March 9, 1994.

In the wake of the murders, the once-coveted property became a real estate pariah. The mansion sat on the market for years, its value tainted by the tragedy that unfolded inside. Lawyers of the estate of the slain parents lamented in court filings that “it was widely believed by the home-buying public and the real estate brokers and agents that this house had ‘bad karma,’ and was one to be avoided.” This stigma was reflected in its plummeting value. Despite being appraised at $4.8 million in 1991, it sold that same year for a mere $3.6 million—a stark reminder that a home’s history can be its biggest liability.

What Happened to the Menendez Mansion?

Bob Riha Jr//Getty Images
An exterior view of the home.

In a twist of irony that seems almost too perfect for Hollywood, the mansion found its next owner in William Link, co-creator of the hit TV series Murder, She Wrote. Link purchased the property in 1993 for an undisclosed sum, perhaps finding inspiration in its dark past for his crime-solving protagonist, Jessica Fletcher. For eight years, Link called the infamous address home before selling it in 2001 to telecommunications executive Sam Delug for $3.7 million. Delug, seemingly unfazed by the property’s macabre history, embarked on extensive renovations, breathing new life into the aging mansion while preserving its exterior.

Fast forward to 2024, and the Menendez mansion has once again captured public attention. The property sold for a staggering $17 million—more than quadruple what Delug paid for it in 2001. The sale, which closed on March 20, coincidentally marked the 28th anniversary of the Menendez brothers’ conviction.

The home was originally listed for $19,999,500 but was reduced by nearly $3 million before it sold. Orell Anderson, president of Strategic Property Analytics and a forensic appraiser, estimated that the mansion sold for roughly 25 percent below its 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,” Anderson told Realtor.com.

Courtesy of Google Maps
The home, as it currently appears.

Behind its carefully clipped hedges and sycamore trees, the home includes a two-story foyer with limestone floors, a wood-paneled billiard room, and a living room with Palladian windows. The den, where the murders took place, now features a wet bar—a far cry from its grim past. The property’s amenities read like a wishlist for the ultrawealthy: a private tennis court, a pool, a two-story guesthouse, backyard rose gardens, and a wine cellar with a tasting room.

In a place like Beverly Hills, it’s only fitting that even a house as notorious as this one can get a second act.

Lyle and Erik confessed to shooting their parents, José and Kitty, inside their Beverly Hills home in 1989.

(Realtor.com)

After the murders—and the brothers’ trial—the house languished on the market for years.

(Realtor.com)

However, prosecutors argued the brothers had fatally shot their parents in the den of the family’s Beverly Hills mansion in order to inherit their father’s multimillion-dollar estate, including the home itself. They are both serving life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.

Meanwhile, their home still stands as an eerie reminder of the crimes they committed within its walls.

The 9,063-square-foot, Mediterranean-style villa on Elm Drive features seven bedrooms and was originally listed for $19,999,500. Telecommunications executive Sam Delug, who purchased it for $3.7 million in 2001, was the seller.

The home sits in the coveted 90210 zip code.

Originally built in 1927, the mansion was redesigned in 1984 by real estate mogul Mark Slotkin. Lyle and Erik’s father José purchased it for $4 million in 1988.

During Lyle and Erik’s trial, Slotkin—who remained a Menendez family friend and apparent confidant of the killer brothers— testified for the defense. He insisted that soundproofing he had installed in the home cast doubt on a maid’s claims to have overheard the family’s screaming arguments.

Despite having a private tennis court, pool, and guesthouse, the house sat on the market for years following the murders.
In March, the home was purchased for $17 million by an anonymous buyer.

(Realtor.com)

Originally built in 1927, the mansion was redesigned in 1984 by real estate mogul Mark Slotkin. Lyle and Erik’s father José purchased it for $4 million in 1988.

(Realtor.com)

The 9,063-square-foot, Mediterranean-style villa on Elm Drive features seven bedrooms and was originally listed for $19,999,500

(Realtor.com)

The home sits in the coveted 90210 zip code.

(Realtor.com)

Lawyers for the estate of the slain parents lamented in court filings that “it was widely believed by the home-buying public and the real estate brokers and agents that this house had bad ‘karma,’ and was one to be avoided,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

While it was appraised at $4.8 million in 1991, it sold that same year for $3.6 million. Then, in 1993, it was reported that “Murder, She Wrote” co-creator William Link had acquired the property for an undisclosed sum and lived there for the next eight years.

The home then sold to Derug in 2001 for $3.7 million, and he proceeded to carry out extensive renovations on the home, although the exterior remains largely unchanged to this day.

Because of this, tour buses continue to roll by the mansion, which is easily visible from the street and allows sightseers to enjoy an unobstructed view of the infamous property.

The current home features seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, and a grand entry with a soaring circular staircase. It’s covered in Italian limestone flooring and has a gourmet kitchen with a walk-in pantry.

The primary suite features double baths and designer closets. Meanwhile, floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelves; an ornate pool table; and an outdoor terrace round out the listing.

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