The Menendez Brothers House Is Being Renovated, and True Crime Fans Wanna See It
As of October 2024, the Menendez family home is being renovated.
Published Oct. 4 2024, 2:35 p.m. ET
There has always been a lot of interest surrounding what many call murderabilia within the true crime community. Some fans of the genre scour the internet for things like Pogo the Clown paintings done by John Wayne Gacy or items of clothing worn by killers who were subsequently put to death. There are even entire museums devoted to collecting murderabilia. If you're interested, check out the Museum of Death in either Los Angeles or New Orleans.
Perhaps one of the biggest items a true crime fan can procure is anything associated with the crime scene and in particular, the scene itself. Zak Bagans, host of Ghost Adventures, bought the infamous LaBianca house in 2019. This is where members of the Manson family murdered Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. In March 2024, the Menendez family home sold for $17 million. Photos of the residence are still available. Let's take a look inside.
The Menendez family home sold for $17 million in March 2024.
José and Kitty Menendez were brutally murdered by their sons Erik and Lyle Menendez in August 1989. The Menendez brothers were arrested in March 1990, were found guilty in March 1996, and subsequently received life sentences. Since then, their mansion on North Elm Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif. has changed hands a couple of times.
Following the Menendez brothers' conviction, the house was listed in April 1997 for $3,995,000, per Compass Realty. At that point, Erik and Lyle Menendez were broke and undoubtedly needed this money to pay for their massive legal fees. The listing expired on Dec. 31, 1999, and didn't return until April 2001, when the price increased to $4,195,000. It was finally sold on Nov. 7, 2001, and remained with the same owner until December 2023.
In the 22 years since the house was purchased, the price jumped up to $19,999,500. It finally sold in March 2024 for $17 million. According to the Robb Report, the house was bought by the "Lahijanis, a wealthy Iranian family based in Beverly Hills." Since the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the house has become a bit of a tourist trap which some neighbors are not too jazzed about.
People who live near the former Menendez family home are pretty annoyed about the looky-loos.
The Beverly Hills neighborhood where the former Menendez family home is located has seen an influx of curious true crime fans, reported TMZ. Local police told the outlet they have received numerous calls from annoyed neighbors, complaining about the uptick in foot traffic outside of the Menendez home.
As annoying as that is, it's certainly not illegal for people to stand on a sidewalk and gawk at a murder house. The Beverly Hills Police Department has increased their patrol cars but they told the angry neighbors there is nothing they can do beyond that. As of October 2024, the house is also being renovated, said TMZ who posted photos of a TikTok made by a construction worker.
In the video you can see the house has been almost completely gutted. This includes the room where Jose and Kitty Menendez were killed. The TikToks have since been deleted but a video can still be viewed on TMZ.
