The Beverly Hills mansion made famous by the gruesome murders committed by the Menendez brothers, who brutally murdered their parents, has sold for a staggering $17 million.
This sale closed exactly 28 years to the day the brothers were convicted of their heinous crimes.
The Mediterranean-style villa, located in the trendy 90210 zip code of Beverly Hills, had initially been listed for nearly $20 million, but was forced to undergo a significant price reduction before it was finally sold.
Despite its luxurious features, such as a swimming pool, tennis court and a two-story guest house, the price cut of about 25 percent below market value was almost certainly due to the dark and uncomfortable history of the mansion.
The Beverly Hills mansion, the place where the Menendez brothers murdered their parents, sold for $17 million, exactly 28 years after their conviction.
The Mediterranean-style villa, located in the trendy Beverly Hills 90210 zip code, features a refreshing Jacuzzi pool out back.
A spacious living room with fireplace and French doors leading to the garden.
“It’s really the bad voodoo that comes with buying a home to live in with your family that can scare people,” said Strategic Property Analytics president and forensic appraiser Orell Anderson. Realtor.com.
“There are almost always discounts, but sometimes it’s bought by people who don’t mind these things.”
The mansion, spanning 9,063 square feet, has a rich history dating back to its construction in 1927.
It was later redesigned in 1984 by a friend of the Menéndez family, Mark Slotkin.
Slotkin sold the property to José Menéndez, the brothers’ father, for $4 million in 1988.
Slotkin played an important role in the subsequent trial, as he testified about certain details of the mansion, including the soundproofing he had installed, which called into question the testimony of a maid who claimed to have overheard family arguments.
Erik, right, and Lyle Menendez, left, during their murder trial in 1990.
The former Menéndez family home can be seen here in this 2021 image.
The murder of José and Kitty Menéndez on August 20, 1989 sparked international attention and speculation initially pointed to a possible mafia attack.
The couple was shot to death in the study of the family mansion.
It was eventually revealed that Erik and Lyle Menendez were responsible for the brutal murders. At the time of the murders, Lyle was 21 years old and Erik was 18.
During the trial, the brothers did not deny the murders, but claimed that they had endured years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father, a music executive, forcing them to live in constant fear, ultimately leading to the decision of murdering his parents.
The couple claimed that they acted in self-defense, that is, out of fear that their father would kill them.
Arguments presented by their defense team described that the couple “did not harbor the mental state necessary for first-degree murder and were therefore guilty of involuntary manslaughter,” but a Los Angeles jury found the brothers guilty of murder in first grade in March 1996.
The house appears in this evidence photograph used during the trial.
Chilling crime scene photographs showing the blood-soaked couch where José Menéndez was shot five times by his own children became central to the prosecution.
The brothers, who initially blamed the murders on the mob, later claimed they shot their parents in self-defense after years of horrific sexual and emotional abuse by their father, José.
Erik Menendez, left, and his brother Lyle, in front of their home in Beverly Hills.
Erik, left, and Lyle Menendez were responsible for the brutal murders. At the time of the murders, Lyle was 21 years old and Erik was 18.
The brothers shot to death their mother Kitty, a socialite, and their father, José Menéndez, a wealthy record company executive. The family is seen above in an undated photo.
Erik, left, and Lyle Menendez, right, appear in more recent mugshots from 2016 and 2018.
The couple is serving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Last year, the brothers filed court papers seeking to overturn their convictions based on new evidence.
The Elm Drive mansion remained on the market for several years after the murders, and its ownership changed hands several times.
It was eventually purchased by television writer William Link in 1993, the writer and co-creator of Murder, She Wrote.
The house was later purchased by telecommunications executive Sam Delug in 2001 for $3.7 million.
Major renovations were then made to the interior of the house in 2002, although the exterior remains very similar to its appearance at the time of the murders.
Delug had been asking $20 million before this latest price reduction to $17 million.