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Ryan Murphy has teased that there could be more episodes of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story after a new court hearing was scheduled to discuss the brothers’ case.
The latest installment in Murphy’s Monsters series for Netflix stars Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as killers Erik and Lyle Menendez, respectively. The brothers are serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty (played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny in the series).
After the series debuted on September 21, pressure has mounted to review their case as new evidence could prove they were victims of sexual abuse by their father. The brothers have long argued they should have been tried for manslaughter, not murder, which would significantly reduce their sentences.
On Thursday (October 3), Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced that his office is reviewing possible evidence included in petitions filed by the brothers last year. The new information will be discussed at a hearing scheduled for November 26.
Speaking to Variety’s Marc Malkin, Murphy said in light of the news: “I think what I would be interested in doing, if Nicholas [Alexander Chavez] and Cooper [Koch] would agree to do it, is maybe one or two episodes that continue the story.”
Soon after Gascón announced he was looking at the new evidence, Kim Kardashian, who has advocated for prison reform and for the innocence of unfairly incarcerated individuals in the past, wrote an essay for NBC News in which she stated that “they are not monsters.” Kardashian and Koch visited the siblings in prison in San Diego in September.
Murphy, who is a close friend of Kardashian, added of her involvement: “She knew a lot about the case, and she grew up with it, but she didn’t know about a lot of the sexual abuse and she immediately became very interested in helping them.
“So many people are now interested in the case and it speaks to me about the power of television and what it can do. It can shine a spotlight on something and it can illuminate dark corners.”
Erik was quick to describe the Netflix series as a “dishonest portrayal” of his and his brother’s story, accusing Murphy of “disheartening slander.”
However, Murphy argues that the attention the show received may have influenced Gascón’s decision to review their case. “We gave them their moment in the court of public opinion. Basically, we did give them a platform,” Murphy said. “I think they can be out of prison by Christmas. I really believe that.”
Gascón has made clear that, depending on the court’s decision, the brothers could “walk out.”
“Until we get there, we’re not sure yet which direction this will go,” he said.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story is streaming on Netflix now.
