| 1941 |
Kitty Andersen born in Oak Lawn, IL, a suburb of Chicago. |
| 1944 |
Jose Menendez born, Havana, Cuba. |
| 1963 |
Jose and Kitty Menendez elope and marry in secret. |
| 10 Jan 1968 |
Joseph Lyle Menendez born, New York City. |
| 27 Nov 1971 |
Erik Menendez born, New Jersey. |
| 20 Aug 1989 |
At around 10:00 PM, Jose and Kitty Menendez are killed by multiple shotgun blasts in their $4 million Beverly Hills mansion. The two brothers spend the next few months flaunting their wealth. By the end of the year, they have spent over a million dollars, charging much of it to their father's company. |
| 8 Mar 1990 |
Lyle Menendez arrested. |
| 11 Mar 1990 |
Erik Menendez arrested. He and his brother are imprisoned in separate cells in the Los Angeles County Men's Jail's 7000 section, which also housed inmates Richard Ramirez and later O.J. Simpson. |
| 8 Dec 1992 |
Menendez brothers indicted for the murder of their parents. Their cases are tried together, though each brother has a separate jury. Earlier that year, Judge Stanley Weissberg had presided over the first Rodney King trial, the verdict of which sparked a race riot in Los Angeles. The defense acknowledges that the brothers committed the murders, but relies on invented claims of child abuse to win the jury's sympathy. |
| 13 Jan 1994 |
After deliberating for 16 days, Erik's jury announces it is deadlocked. Twelve days later, Lyle's jury announces the same. Judge Weissberg declares a mistrial. |
| 28 Feb 1995 |
Judge Weissberg declares that the second Menendez brothers trial will begin in June, though it later gets postponed until August. The brothers are tried together this time. |
| 20 Mar 1996 |
After four days of deliberation, both brothers are found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. |
| 2 Jul 1996 |
The Menendez brothers are sentenced to life in prison. |
| 31 Jan 1997 |
Lyle Menendez marries his longtime pen-pal Anna Eriksson in a telephone ceremony while in prison. Their marriage does not last a year. |
| 16 Jun 1999 |
Erik Menendez marries Tammi Ruth Saccoman at California State Prison, in a telephone ceremony in the prison visiting room. |
| 21 Nov 2003 |
Lyle Menendez marries Rebecca Sneed in a ceremony at Mule Creek State Prison, near Sacramento, CA. |
