The notorious Beverly Hills mansion where the Menendez brothers brutally murdered their parents has new owners, and the sale has only stoked the flames of public fascination surrounding the infamous case.
Seven months after the home was sold for a staggering $17 million, the new owners have been revealed as the wealthy Lahijani family, a prominent Iranian-American clan with significant investments in Los Angeles real estate, according to Realtor.com.
The property, which has changed hands multiple times since the 1989 killings, is now undergoing extensive renovations, but the Menendez legacy continues to draw unwanted attention.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, who shocked the world with the cold-blooded slayings of their parents, Kitty and Jose, have been thrust back into the spotlight thanks to Netflix’s explosive true-crime series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
The show, which dramatizes the events leading up to the murders, has triggered a wave of interest in the brothers’ tragic story, transforming their former home into a dark tourist hotspot.
Curious onlookers have been swarming the quiet, affluent neighborhood, hoping to sneak a peek at the house where the infamous crime unfolded, much to the dismay of the local residents.
According to TMZ, neighbors have been pleading with the Beverly Hills police to intervene, reporting an uptick in trespassing and disturbances from Netflix fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the notorious mansion.
“It’s been non-stop since the series came out,” one frustrated resident told The Post.
The mansion, originally purchased by Jose Menendez for $4 million in 1988, became the scene of a horrifying crime the following year when his two sons fatally shot him and his wife. The brothers, now serving life sentences without parole in California, have continued to insist their actions were the result of years of abuse at the hands of their father.
This claim has resurfaced in “The Menendez Brothers,” a new Netflix documentary released on Oct. 7 that features recorded phone interviews between the brothers and the film’s director, Alejandro Hartmann. The documentary offers an intimate look at the case from the brothers’ perspective, told in their own words from behind bars at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
The Lahijani family, who acquired the house in a private sale in March, exactly 28 years after the brothers were convicted, has not commented publicly on their decision to purchase the infamous property. The deal was made through an LLC called LAHA ELM, which was registered in February, according to Realtor.com.
Known for their extensive property portfolio, the Lahijanis appear to be making major changes to the Menendez home, reportedly gutting the entire property and beginning large-scale renovations.
The home, once considered an architectural gem, was originally built in 1972 and underwent a significant redesign in 1984 under the direction of real estate mogul Mark Slotkin, a family friend.
A Mediterranean-style villa features seven bedroom and nine baths. The previous listing notes that the home “boasts high ceilings, a grand entry with a dramatic circular staircase, imported Italian limestone flooring, a gourmet kitchen complete with high-end appliances and a walk-in pantry.”
The primary suite features double baths and designer closets. Amenities include a pool “surrounded by park-like grounds and a two-story guest house,” the listing said.
Slotkin testified during the brothers’ trial, claiming that soundproofing he had installed in the house cast doubt on a maid’s testimony about overhearing the family’s heated arguments. Despite its opulence, the mansion sat on the market for several years after the murders, its grim history making it difficult to sell.
Over the decades, the house passed through the hands of several notable owners, including “Murder, She Wrote” creator William Link and telecommunications executive Samuel Delug, who was the most recent seller.