| "Episode 1" | ||
|---|---|---|
| TC, Episode 1.01 | → | |
| Production number: 01001 First aired: 26 September 2017 | ||
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| Teleplay By Story By Directed By | ||
Summary[]
Jose and Kitty Menendez are murdered in their home. The police initially investigate the double-homicide with links to Jose Menendez's business that has ties to organized crime, as brothers Lyle and Erik go on a shopping spree leading up to their parents' memorial service. But as the detectives run down leads the evidence points the crime to a different direction, the Menendez brothers. And while watching the events unfolding in the media, criminal defense attorney Leslie Abramson takes an interest in the murders and the brothers.
Plot[]
On the night of Sunday August 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez, each armed with their own Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, entered into the family room of their home where their parents were and immediately started shooting at them, killing them both. Sometime following the shooting, Lyle makes a distressing call to 911, crying into the phone that someone killed his parents. By 2:38AM the next morning, Monday August 21, the police are surrounding the Menendez family home on 722 North Elm Drive. Detective Leslie Zoeller arrives on the scene and is given details about the situation by his partner Detective Tom Linehan: it was a double homicide, the victims are Jose and Kitty Menendez, their sons came home to find the gate open, the alarm off and their parents dead in the family room, and when the police arrived, Lyle and Erik were eventually taken down to the station.
When asking if the officers on the scene ran the plates on the yachts, Linehan tells Zoeller that the Mercedes belongs to Jose, the Alpha belongs to Lyle, and the other Mercedes is being loaned while Kitty’s Rolls-Royce was in the shop. Zoeller quips that when his wife’s car is being serviced, instead of being loaned a luxury car, she has to take the bus. As he entered the house, Zoeller takes notice of the clothes on the floor, the tennis rackets on a chair, and various objects on a desk. As he enters the family room, Zoeller is confronted with a grizzly scene: Jose Menendez is sitting dead on the couch from multiple shotgun wounds, while his wife Kitty, also dead from multiple shotgun wounds, lies next to him on the floor. On the table in front of Jose and Kitty are empty glasses and pamphlet of UCLA. The TV is also on which Zoeller turns off. As Zoeller continues to scan the room, he notices blood spatter all over the walls, he also takes notice of the blood splattered trophies and family pictures on a nearby shelf. Zoeller questions Linehan on how many shotgun shells have been recovered to which he’s told that the shooter picked them up.
Back at the police station, Lyle is being questioned by Sergeant Edmonds, telling him that he normally stays in a guest house on his parents’s property when he comes to California to visit from Princeton. Lyle also indicates that he’s a sophomore at Princeton University and he was going to return to school in September of that year. He’s questioned about his plans with Erik on Sunday night, and Lyle tells Edmonds that he and his brother were going to go see a movie with a friend: Perry Berman, and his parents just stayed at home watching TV.
Later, Erik is also being questioned by Sergeant Edmonds. A contrast from his brother Lyle who was calm, Erik was more emotional during his questioning. He told the sergeant he and his brother went to see the Batman movie in Century City. He goes on to tell Edmonds that since it was a Sunday, they didn’t initially have plans on going out since they don’t normally go out on Sundays, and Erik laments that he and Lyle didn’t stay home that night. Erik breaks down crying, recalling the grizzly murder scene, remembering the smoke and the blood spatter, wondering aloud how his father could allow something like this to happen. Edmonds continues his questioning, asking Erik where he and Lyle went after the movies. Erik states that they went to the Civic Center to meet Perry. After arriving at the Civic Center they couldn’t find Perry so Lyle called him at home.
While Lyle was answering Edmonds’s questions, he states that he told Perry to meet them in Beverly Hills at the Cheesecake Factory. When questioned about why he went by the house, he said he needed to get an ID just in case Erik needed to get into a bar since Erik was 18 and under age, but Lyle assures the detective that his brother doesn’t drink. Edmonds asks Lyle if he has any idea on who could have committed the crime, and Lyle starts talking about his father’s business connections. While talking about his father, Lyle starts praising him, calling him a great man, born in Cuba who did whatever he wanted. Lyle continues by saying that his mother was a great tragedy in the entire situation, stating that Kitty was suicidal, but she was getting better recently. Lyle expresses regret about the conversations he and his father didn’t get to have, but he gets choked up and is unable to finish.
Later in the day, defense attorney Leslie Abramson, is giving her closing argument for her client; 19-year-old Arnel Salvatierra, who had been arrested and charged with the murder of his father. She argues passionately that her client did what he did out of fear for his own safety due to suffering years of abuse at the hands of his father. Subsequent news report state that Arnel was ultimately not convicted of first-degree murder and the judge gave him probation for killing his father as a jury found him guilty only of voluntary manslaughter, due to Leslie’s pleas for leniency. As they left the courtoom, Leslie and Arnel are bombarded by members of the press. A reporter asks Leslie the question “What message does this send?“. Leslie explains that Arnel was a battered and abused child who didn’t have the perfect judgment, and the jury figured out who’s fault that was. As the media continues to bombard them, Leslie hurries Arnel into an elevator.
Meanwhile, Lyle and Erik are riding in the back of a taxi being taken back home. Erik glances at Lyle, who doesn’t make eye contact. They arrive back at the family home which is blocked off by police tape and still surrounded by officers. As they try to enter the house, Lyle and Erik are stopped by an officer, and they tell him that they live there and they just want to get their stuff. Detective Zoeller approaches them and introduces himself, informing him that he’s in charge of the investigation and he offers his condolences to the brothers for their loss. Lyle, somewhat brushing off Zoeller’s condolences, reiterates that he and his brother need to get their tennis gear. Zoeller, somewhat surprised, asks if the brothers are going to play tennis, and Lyle tells Zoeller that Erik has practice. Zoeller tells the brothers that they can’t be let in the house because it’s an active crime scene and the detectives can’t run the risk of letting them inside because they might disturb something. Lyle continues to insist that they be let into the house, and Zoeller tells them to come back in three hours and he’ll make sure that they can get in to get their stuff. The brothers eventually walk away, and Zoeller returns to the crime scene.
Zoeller makes his way to the second floor of the house, and as he does, he notices feces everywhere. Linehan points out that there are live ferrets in the master bedroom and that must be why there is feces all over the house. Linehan leads Zoeller to a closet where there are two .22 caliber rifles that have never been fired, and a medicine cabinet containing sleeping pills, diet pills, and pills for depression in Kitty’s name. Reflecting on the findings, Zoeller sarcastically asks, “Guns, pills and money. What could possibly go wrong here?”
A later news report, speaking of the deaths of Jose and Kitty, mention that the family suspects their deaths could’ve been related to a mafia hit. Despite the family’s suspicions, they couldn’t give any specific names. The following day, Tuesday, August 22, at the LIVE Entertainment office building, Jose’s longtime assistant, Marzi Eisenberg, is leading detective Zoeller and detective Linehan to Jose’s office. As she does this, Marzi tells the detectives that Noel Bloom was the former owner of LIVE Entertainment, stating that Jose never liked Bloom, claiming that it was because Jose was against pornography and Bloom got his start by selling pornographic films. Marzi goes on to mention Morris Levy, a name that sounded familiar to the detectives. She goes on to say that Levy owned a number of record stores that Jose eventually bought.
When they get to Jose‘s office, Detective Zoeller mentions that they also want to talk to Jose‘s personal friends to which Marzi replied that she doesn’t know who Jose‘s personal friends are as the people closest to Jose were the people he worked with. Zoeller questions Marzi on how long she’s worked with Jose, and she states that she’s worked with him since 1976 and that she’ll miss him very much. Marzi continues, stating that the company is having a memorial service for him on Friday. When questioned about his home life, Marzi states that despite the fact that Jose ran a tight ship with his sons, the family was very close.
Detective Linehan questions Marzi about Kitty, commenting that she took a lot of medication. Marzi said the medication was for depression and mentions that Kitty was very insecure. Zoeller tells Marzi that they found a house in Calabasas registered in Jose’s name and ask whether or not Jose and Kitty were separated. Marzi clarifies that they were not separating, but they were in fact trying to build a house together. She continues by saying they used to live in Calabasas before having to move to Beverly Hills. When asked why they had to move, Marzi said it was because Erik broke into a neighbor’s house.
That same day at Hotel Bel-Air, members of the Menendez and Andersen families are gathered in the hotel lobby. The brothers’ paternal aunts, Terry Baralt and Marta Cano, Jose‘s older sisters, are consoling both of their nephews. As Erik cries on Terry’s shoulder, Marta tells the both of them that they won’t be alone, and Terry tells them that their grandmother, Maria Menendez, Jose’s mother, will arrive later. As Terry continues to console Erik, Lyle and Marta step away. Lyle tells Marta that he reserved rooms at the hotel for everyone so they can all be together.
As Lyle greets his maternal uncles, Milton and Brian Andersen, Kitty’s older brothers, Marta consoles her sister-in-law, Joan Vandermolen, Kitty’s older sister. Milton asks Lyle if the police have any suspects, and Lyle tells Milton they might, in the form of his father’s business partners. Brian comments on the choice of Hotel that Lyle picked for the family to stay in, and Lyle assures Brian that LIVE Entertainment is paying for everything and that it’s safer at the Hotel. Brian asks if they’ve been threatened in anyway, and Lyle tells his uncle that when Erik went back to the house with their cousin Henry Llanio, there was a van parked out in the alley, as if the occupants were watching the house. Henry states that he thought that particular detail was weird. Lyle finishes up by telling his uncles that his father had sketchy business partners before walking off.
Almost immediately after Lyle finishes his conversation with his uncles, his ex girlfriend, Jamie Pisarcik, enters the lobby and they embrace with Jamie expressing her condolences to Lyle. Jamie insisted that she come to California to see Lyle, knowing that he looked up to his father. Lyle told Jamie that his father really liked her and that it would’ve meant a lot to him knowing that she was there. Lyle tells Jamie that his brother is not in good shape and asks if she could talk to him to which Jamie agrees. Jamie greets Erik and the two hug each other. As they to embrace, Lyle watches, remembering an encounter he had with his father sometime earlier.
Lyle is in Jose’s study. He had asked his father if he could go on a trip to Europe which Jose refused to pay for. He tells Lyle that either he studies or he works and those are his options. Lyle tells his father that his girlfriend Jamie will be spending a year in Europe and he wanted to go see her since they’re engaged. Jose is surprised to hear about the engagement, pointing out that Jamie is five years Lyle’s senior, proclaiming that she was not an appropriate girlfriend for Lyle and that she’s a gold digger. Lyle tells his father that Jamie doesn’t need their money and she’ll get rich playing tennis, stating that’s why she’s in Europe because she got sponsored to play on the tour. Jose asks Lyle who did he think paid for the sponsorship. As he walks out of the room, Jose tells Lyle that he’s thinking of his future and he should too.
Back in the present day, Lyle was still standing in the lobby as Jamie was consoling Erik before Lyle decided to walk away. As Erik was being consoled by Jamie and Terry, his psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Oziel enters the lobby and greets Erik expressing his condolences. Meanwhile, Lyle is conversing with Marta, his paternal uncle, Carlos Baralt Jose’s brother-in-law and Terry’s husband, and his attorney Gerald Chaleff. Carlos tells Lyle that Chaleff thinks someone should take charge and pay the bills until they can find Jose and Kitty’s wills and get the estate settled. As they’re talking, Erik introduces Marta and Carlos to his therapist, Dr. Oziel. While expressing his condolences, Oziel offers to recommend lawyers if the family needs one, stating that he knows top estate lawyers in Beverly Hills. Chaleff thanks Oziel, telling him that the family will let him know if they need a referral.
Lyle clarifies to his aunt and uncle that Oziel was the court ordered therapist that Erik had to see after the Calabasas robberies. Marta tells Lyle that it’s a good thing that Erik has someone to talk to. Switching gears, Marta tells Lyle that it’s going to take a week to get everything straightened out and asks if he and Erik have enough money to hold them over until then. Lyle tells his aunt that their allowance was only $180 a month. Marta takes out Jose’s wallet and tells Lyle to use his company credit card but make sure he’s authorized before he uses it.
Back at the Menendez house, detectives Zoeller and Linehan are discussing the crime scene with prosecution attorney, Pamela Ferrero Bozanich. Linehan comments that ballistics expert can’t determine whether or not the head shot to José was the first shot or the last shot to him or whether or not he was standing or sitting down at the time he was shot. Bozanich asks about fingerprints, and she’s told that the only fingerprints in the house are those of the residents. She asks if the sheriff county has anything on Noel Bloom or Morris Levy. Linehan states that Bloom doesn’t have a strong motive, and Zoeller adds that Levy is dying of cancer, going on to comment that Jose and Kitty’s deaths were not a result of organized crime, pointing out that a professional hitman wouldn’t have spent the time to pick up shotgun shells.
As Bozanich continues examining the crime scene, she asks about Erik having been assaulted by gang members in the valley two years earlier in 1987. Linehan questions the validity of the idea that the gang bangers came to Beverly Hills to settle a two year old beef. Zoeller comments that he’s been working in the field for 14 years, and every time something bad happens in Beverly Hills the people who live there blame it on outsiders because “nobody bad lives in Beverly Hills”. Bozanich tells Zoeller that she’s familiar with his work on the Billionaire Boys Club and tells him that she’ll call him after she talks to Ira Reiner.
Meanwhile, Lyle and Erik have left the hotel and decided to go shopping for new suits. Lyle tells his brother that they need to look sharp for the memorial since they’ll be on stage speaking. Despite Erik complaining that the blazer he was trying on was too tight, Lyle says they’ll be getting it as well as two Armani suits, giving the sales person helping them his father‘s company credit card. The brothers move on to trying on watches. Lyle tries on a gold Rolex watch and urges his brother to get one as well. Erik initially declines, but relents when his brother comments that the watch he already has is more like a toy than a real watch. Lyle buys the watches as well as two gold money clips.
Later at the memorial service, Lyle and Erik arrive with several family members in limos. There is a massive crowd of cameraman and journalists taking pictures outside of the building. As Lyle fiddles with his new watch, Carlos tells Lyle that he shouldn’t have worn it, with Lyle brushing off Carlos‘s concerns, assuring Carlos that his father would understand why he would want to wear the watch. He tells Carlos that he’s surrounded by his father‘s colleagues and he wants to represent him as the elder son. Carlos pats Lyle on the back as he walks away and Lyle and Erik walk into the building together. Other members of the family follow soon after.
During the memorial, while delivering a eulogy, Lyle reads from a letter that his father had written to him and his brother sometime earlier. In the letter Jose talks about how important family is to him, and he hopes that would be the case for his sons as well. He goes on to state in the letter that he hopes his sons will make a difference in the world and the future belongs to not just the smartest people but also the most determined. After Lyle finishes, he passes it off to Erik. As he talks however, Erik begins to get emotional and breaks down unable to get through his speech and his brother consoles him.
Meanwhile at her house, Leslie Abramson is talking to her husband, Tim Rutten, saying that her daughter Laine is excited about the prospect of getting a younger sibling. They talk about despite their older age, they’ll be great parents to the baby that they plan on adopting. As Leslie asks Tim about work, she notices the news feed on the TV. She turns up the volume and listens to the report. Members of the Menendez family are being interviewed about who they think is responsible for the deaths of Jose and Kitty. Marta Cano insinuates that a mob hit was responsible for the deaths of her brother and sister-in-law. Tim states that his colleagues believe the same thing. While watching the news, Leslie comments that she believes Lyle and Erik killed their parents.
While investigating a crime scene photo, Zoeller notices that a window is open. He asks Sergeant Edmonds about Erik telling him that he could smell gun smoke in the house when they came home two hours after the shooting. Edmonds confirms that Erik did in fact tell him that he can smell gunsmoke. Linehan points out that Erik wouldn’t have been able to smell gun smoke since the gun smoke would’ve dissipated by then, especially with the draft from the open window. Zoeller questions Edmonds as to whether or not Lyle and Erik had gunshot residue tests done on their hands, and Edmonds tells him that since the brothers were so distraught over what happened, they didn’t do that.
Sometime later, Lyle is driving around in his car with his friend Glenn Stevens. Glenn questions Lyle on how long he’s going to need the bodyguards for, and Lyle tells him that he needs the guards for protection. When the bodyguards pull up behind them, Glenn asks about Erik, and Lyle assures him that Erik’s fine and that he staying with their cousin Henry. The bodyguards, slightly annoyed, ask why Lyle was speeding off. Lyle tells them that they were in a hurry to eat, but before Lyle and Glenn can enter the restaurant, the bodyguard stops them so they can enter first, and Lyle and Glenn follow soon after.
Meanwhile, Zoeller and Linehan went to question Perry Berman at his house. Perry tells the detectives that he was supposed to meet Lyle and Erik in Santa Monica, and by 10:30 PM when they didn’t show up he went home and went to sleep. Perry tells the detectives that he told Sergeant Edmonds that Lyle called him at 11:15 PM on Sunday to tell Perry they got lost. He says that Lyle wanted to meet up to discuss issues with Princeton since Lyle had been suspended for a year due to plagiarism. He says that he was Lyle’s tennis coach and they stayed friends. He says he was supposed to meet the brothers at the Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills, but Lyle told him he wanted to meet at the Menendez family home to get an ID for Erik. Perry said that he told Lyle that he’ll meet him at the restaurant and the brothers never showed up. Perry then tells the detective that he needs to call a student to inform them that he’ll be late. After Perry walks away, Linehan comments that it sounded like the brothers wanted Perry to be there as a witness when they discovered their parents bodies.
Back at the restaurant, Lyle is talking to Glenn about buying the restaurant that they’re in and making it the flagship of a chain of hot wings restaurants which Glenn found to be a great idea. Lyle tells Glenn that he wants him to manage the flagship and make him a partner and Glenn agrees. Lyle says that he wants to move at a quick pace like his father used to, and he wants to make him proud.
Meanwhile, at Henry’s home, Erik is having a bad dream. In his dream, he’s knocking on his mothers bedroom door asking her to come watch him practice tennis. When he enters the room he finds his mother crying. Erik tells her that she can’t stay in bed forever and assures her that everyone loves and cares about her. Kitty just looked at Erik before turning over in bed and crying some more and Erik leaves the bedroom and sits on the staircase. Suddenly a phone ringing wakes Erik from his sleep. He answers it and it’s Henry who’s at the Beverly Hills house while it’s being cleaned. Henry informed Erik that he found tapes in his father’s study with Erik and Lyle‘s names on it and asks Erik if he knew that his parents were recording their phone calls. He says “No” and figured that’s how his mother always knew what he was doing. Henry tells Erik that if it were his parents that were recording his phone calls he’d be upset, and Erik tells Henry that he doesn’t understand and his mom was so unhappy and defenseless. Henry just tells Erik that he’ll bring the cassette tapes home and he hangs up.
Shortly after he hung up, Henry calls Dr. Oziel. He tells Oziel that he’s worried about Erik since he doesn’t sleep at night and when he does sleep he has nightmares and he locks himself in a dark room all day, going on to express concern that Erik will try to hurt himself. Oziel tells Henry that people deal with grief in very different ways and that he should encourage Erik to give him a call. Oziel quickly hangs up and leaves his office to go into his waiting room where Judalon Smyth is. He brings Judalon into his office, and tells her that if she doesn’t stop camping out in his waiting room then he’ll call the police and have her kicked out. She’s asks that if he does that then who will take care of him as she grabs at his crotch. Oziel and Judalon share a passionate kiss before Oziel tells her he needs to work and she needs to sit on the couch.
Judalon asks who called him, wondering if it was his wife and Oziel clarifies that it was a call about his patient Erik Menendez. Judalon comments that Oziel has famous patients, and Oziel states that he has extraordinary patients with ordinary problems and he helps them get better. Changing the subject, Judalon reminds Oziel that he said he was going to leave his wife, saying that although she functions when they’re apart she lives when they are together. Oziel tells Judalon that he and his wife Laurel are talking about how to divide everything up and Judalon doesn’t get to dictate the timeline.
Back at the police station, Zoeller and Linehan are talking about Lyle and Erik‘s alibi. They say the timeline for the Batman movie they supposedly saw fits their story, and Linehan suggests to Zoeller that they can subpoena phone records to see who it is the brothers called that night. Just then, Zoeller gets a call from Richard Knox, a lawyer calling on behalf of a woman whose son went to high school with Erik Menendez. He goes on to tell Zoeller that he should speak to one of Erik‘s classmates, Craig Cignarelli, as they had written a screenplay together, and this information could be helpful in solving Jose and Kitty’s murders.
Craig returns home from a drive, and is introduced to Detectives Zoeller and Linehan by his mother. Craig is briefly questioned about a screenplay he and Erik wrote together about a boy who killed his parents. Craig confirms that he and Erik did write such a play two years earlier when they lived in Calabasas. He goes on to say that Erik‘s mother helped them type it up and he still has a copy of it in his room. When asked if Erik ever talked about inheriting money, Craig denied it but said that he and Erik would often talk about being rich, often driving up to the hills in Malibu talking about a better future for themselves. Craig then asked the detectives if they think Erik killed his parents. When asked his opinion, Craig emphasized that the idea of the screenplay was Erik’s.
Sometime later, Leslie Abramson is seen buying a newspaper where the headline talks about searching for the Menendez killers. Back at the police station, Linehan and Zoeller are reading the screenplay. As they discuss it, Zoeller gets a call from the brothers’s attorney Gerald Chaleff asking whether or not Lyle and Erik are suspects. Zoeller tells Chaleff that everyone is a suspect and nobody’s been officially ruled out. Chaleff tells Zoeller to let him know if that changes before hanging up. Chaleff then converses with Leslie Abramson. When asked how he became the Menendez family attorney, Chaleff tells Leslie that he represented Erik in some burglaries he took part in in Calabasas. He states that Lyle was also involved but since Erik was a minor their father made Erik take the fall for it so Lyle wouldn’t get a record. As a result Erik, got probation and court ordered counseling. Leslie inquires as to how the brothers are, personality wise, and Chaleff tells her that they are very polite and well behaved for the most part.
The two attorneys enter a courtroom where they’re both representing a young man named Roberto Lopez, and Leslie hands him a paper bag filled with chocolate brownie pogans and Roberto thanks her. Judge Stanley Weisberg enters the room and greets everyone. He tells Leslie to inform her client that there’s no eating in the courtroom. She says that he knows that as he was raised with good manners, and Weisberg remarks that maybe she can learn some from him to which Leslie replies they both could.
At the police station, Linehan gives Zoeller a warrant for the calling card records, and Zoeller remarks that the brothers are officially suspects. On Wednesday, August 30, Lyle and Glenn are in Princeton, New Jersey. As they’re exiting a building, Lyle remarks that if one wants success they need to project it as one should would want other people to be intimidated by them. They get in the car and they speed off followed by Lyle’s bodyguards.
Back at the police station, Linehan and Zoeller are questioning Marta Cano. They tell her that the day after the murders, the brothers called a bank and had their parents safety box drilled open. Marta confirms that happened stating that she was there. The detectives go on to tell her that they know the brothers asked to open up the box in private, and Marta comments that this was because there might have been personal papers in the box that might’ve embarrassed their parents. Zoeller then continues to question Marta about a will. Marta says that the brothers never mentioned the will and the family couldn’t find one, and Lyle and Erik didn’t seem interested that the family couldn’t find it.
Recalling a memory, Marta had a meeting with her nephews and informed them that although they couldn’t find a will, Jose and Kitty left Lyle and Erik an estate worth $14 million. Lyle tells Marta that can’t be right, and says that they weren’t supposed to get anything from their parents estate. Marta tells Lyle that he and his brother are the direct heirs and will inherit their parents estate. Lyle pushes back, saying that their father told them that they were disinherited.
Marta tells the detectives that she’s sure Jose only told the brothers they were disinherited to scare them. Marta tells the detectives that the executor of the estate is Carlos Baralt. While talking on the phone with the detectives, Carlos tells them that Jose said he was cutting his sons out of the will when they talked about it the previous spring.
Carlos remembers that he and Jose went to lunch at a restaurant. Jose was complaining about how he was irritated with his sons. His son Lyle was flunking out of college since Princeton accused him of plagiarism and Lyle’s girlfriends were all sluts. Jose then tells Carlos that he made the decision to change his will and the brothers will just have to get by on their own initiative.
Zoeller asks Carlos if he knows whether or not Jose informed his sons that they were being disinherited and Carlos said he doesn’t know and he goes on to say that he is not even sure if Jose rewrote his will because the will that the family eventually found, dated 1980, still has the brothers as heirs. He goes on to say that he looked for a new will and found a file labeled “will” on Kitty’s computer and called IBM to send a technician because he couldn’t open it.
Presented in a flashback, the IBM technician looked on the computer and told Carlos that there was no such file on the computer, stating that it must’ve been erased when Carlos insists that the file was on the computer five days earlier.
When asked about Lyle and Erik’s whereabouts, Carlos says that Eric was with his cousin Henry and Lyle was still in Princeton, going on to say he has no idea who had the file erased. When having a computer expert look at the files, Zoeller is told that the hard drive was wiped clean and he doesn’t have the ability to get the information back. He says the feds probably could do it but it will take months. Just then, Linehan informs Zoeller that there was a $150 check signed by Lyle Menendez to a computer firm in Los Angeles and that the check bounced.
Elsewhere, Lyle is with Jamie. Jamie is commenting that she thought Lyle wanted to open up a chain of restaurants. Lyle says he does but he also wants to open up a trucking company. Jamie tells Lyle he needs to focus and says he seems scattered. When Lyle asks what she means by scattered, Jamie gives him an example of his checkbook. She said she overheard the voice message left on the phone by the bank, and tells him that if he needs help balancing his checkbook she can show him how. Lyle agrees and assures Jamie that he’s trying the best he can. Jamie acknowledges that, and asks whether or not Lyle’s father ever taught him how to handle his money, and Lyle says “No” before helping Jamie into the car.
Lyle’s bodyguards approach him and tell him that he needs to notify them before he goes anywhere. Lyle tells them that he was informed by a friend that issues with the mob had cooled down and he won’t be needing their services anymore before getting in the car.
At a restaurant, Zoeller and Linehan are talking with a computer expert from an LA computer firm. The expert tells the detectives that his company got a call from Lyle Menendez who wanted files erased from his computer immediately.
As he recounts, the computer expert is in the study of the Menendez family home on the computer. Lyle directs his attention to a file marked “Erik, Lyle, Will, Menendez”. Lyle tells the expert that he’s selling the computer and asks if he can make it look as if the files were never there, and the expert tells him that he can if that’s what he wants.
Zoeller asks the expert if he ever saw was on the files. He says he didn’t, three files have been written over, and the one marked Will was corrupted but it only had 54K of data on it. As the expert leaves to go to the bathroom, Linehan remarks that the parents probably started on a new will and either never finished or change their minds. Zoeller reasons that the brothers probably wanted to get rid of their parents and get rid of the new Will.
Meanwhile, Leslie and Tim are having a cookout with some friends which included Leslie’s co-counsel Gerald Chaleff. As they’re talking about the Menendez murders, one of the guests remarks that these type of crimes being committed in such pristine neighborhoods only proves that you’re only as safe as a lock on your door. Leslie asks them what makes him think it wasn’t an inside job, and Chaleff asks her what makes her think that it was. Leslie comments on the brutality of the murders, saying that only family can generate the level of anger that was shown when Jose and Kitty were killed.
Later in the day, Henry leads Maria Menendez and Erik back to the Menendez family home on North Elm Drive. He remarks that he had the house professionally cleaned and he left the windows open to air out the house. Henry leads Maria upstairs to get her set up in the guestroom, as Erik stays downstairs in the foyer.
Erik slowly enters into the family room, with everything being replaced, looking exactly how it was before the night of the murders. As Erik scans the room, he begins to have flashbacks of how the room looked after he and his brother killed their parents.
Henry comes back downstairs, telling Erik that Maria was asleep, and he was glad that they were both there so that they could have each other to lean on. As Henry continues talking, he enters the family room. He notices that he can’t find Erik until he turns around finding Erik having a panic attack on the floor.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Edie Falco as Defense Attorney Leslie Abramson
- Gus Halper as Erik Menendez
- Miles Gaston Villanueva as Lyle Menendez
Guest cast[]
- Chris Bauer as Tim Rutten
- Josh Charles as Dr. Jerome Oziel
- Anthony Edwards as Judge Stanley Weisberg
- Heather Graham as Judalon Smyth
- Sam Jaeger as Detective Les Zoeller
- Elizabeth Reaser as Pam Bozanich
- Sterling Beaumon as Glenn Stevens
- Larry Cedar as Milton Anderson
- Cliff Chamberlain as Detective Tom Linehan
- Carlos Gomez as Jose Menendez
- Lolita Davidovich as Kitty Menendez
- James DuMont as Brian Anderson
- Dominic Flores as Henry Lliano
- Alejandro Furth as Carlos Baralt
- Molly Hagan as Joan Vandermolen
- Constance Marie as Marta Cano
- Bailey Noble as Jamie Pisarcik
- Michael B. Silver as Gerald Chaleff
- Zach Tinker as Craig Cignarelli
- Alejandro Barrios as Roberto Lopez
- Irene DeBari as Maria Menendez
- Daniel DiVenere as Young Lyle
- Jean Louisa Kelly as Marzi Eisenberg
- Mitchell Fink as Perry Berman
- Richard Gleason as Roger Gorson
- Stephen Jared as David Type
- Michael Santorico as Michael Type
- Eric Wentz as Howard Witkin
- Tim Meinelschmidt as Bill
- Rene Hamilton as Craig's Mother
- Celeste Den as Taryn
- Megan Easten as Paula
- Kurt Quinn as Ed Hayman
- Doug Hurley as BHPD IT Tech
- Patrick Quinlan as BHPD Officer
- Nicola Lambo as Jewelry Store Clerk
- Laura Carson as Neighbor #1
- Cornelius Peter as Neighbor #2
- Greg Collins as Bodyguard #1
- Nick Hoffa as Court Deputy
- Angela Martinez as Reporter
References[]
references
Quotes[]
quotes
Background Information and Notes[]
| Previous episode: "Start of Series" |
"Episode 1" Law & Order: True Crime Season 1 |
Next episode: "True Crime: Episode 2" |