In 1989, on a quiet night in Beverly Hills California, Jose and Kitty Menendez were gunned down in their living room.

At first, police thought Jose – a hotshot entertainment executive – had been involved in some shady business dealings. But it wasn’t long before we learned what really happened: Jose and Kitty had been murdered by their own sons. 

The trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez captivated the world, and ultimately ended with both brothers being sentenced to life without parole.

Today, more than 35 years after the killings, the Menendez brothers have come back into the public consciousness, in part because new evidence has emerged that could lead to the brothers walking free. 

Before all this though – before the brothers were even considered suspects – a Miami Herald reporter named Robert Rand flew to Beverly Hills to write a profile on the late Jose Menendez. That fateful trip resulted in Rand being swept up in one of the most shocking murder trials of the 20th century. 

Feedback for us? You can email us directly at [email protected].

Hear new episodes of Crime Story early and ad-free by subscribing to CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts.