Lyle and Erik Menendez are currently serving life sentences in prison for the murders of their parents in 1989. But before their lives took a dark turn, the Menendez brothers lived in various places that shaped their upbringing.
The Menendez family started in New York City, where patriarch José Menendez earned his accounting degree from Queens College. Their first son, Lyle, was born in New York in 1968. The family later moved to Hopewell Township, New Jersey, where their second son, Erik, was born in 1970. The brothers attended Princeton Day School while living in New Jersey.
As José’s career advanced, the family moved to a home near Community Park North in Princeton. In 1986, José became CEO of Live Entertainment, prompting the family to relocate to Calabasas, California. It was in California that Erik and Lyle began to get into trouble, with Erik being arrested for burglary in 1988.
After a series of burglaries in Calabasas, the family abruptly moved to Beverly Hills in 1988. The Menendez family purchased a mansion on Elm Drive in Beverly Hills, originally built in 1927. The luxurious estate boasted a detached guest house, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a private tennis court, pool, rose gardens, and a wine cellar with a tasting room.
The mansion’s grand features included a dramatic circular staircase, imported Italian limestone flooring, and a gourmet kitchen with high-end appliances. Previous tenants of the home included celebrities like Prince, Elton John, and a Saudi prince.
Despite the grandeur of their Beverly Hills mansion, the Menendez brothers’ lives took a tragic turn when they murdered their parents in 1989. The brutal crimes shocked the nation and led to their eventual life sentences in prison.
The Menendez brothers’ childhood homes reveal a journey from New York City to New Jersey, and finally to California, where a life of luxury ultimately ended in a horrific tragedy.