The 9-1-1 Call Made by the Menendez Brothers Is Like Something Out of a Movie

Police entered the home of Jose and Kitty Menendez a little before 3 a.m. on Aug. 21, 1989. They were recording their movements through the house because this was a crime scene. It was only a few hours ago that Beverly Hills Police were made aware of the fact that its occupants had been killed.

Erik and Lyle Menendez had gone out for the evening, in order to catch a movie. The brothers initially planned on seeing Licence to Kill but, upon discovering it was sold out, saw Batman instead. When they got home, they were met with a gruesome scene. Their parents had been shot a total of 16 times. Despite the fact that they would later be convicted of murdering Jose and Kitty, the Menendez brothers made a frantic 9-1-1 call. Let's take a look.

The Menendez brothers' 9-1-1 call is the stuff of legends in the true-crime world.

As the dispatcher picks up, she is met with immediate chaos. Lyle is trying to explain why he is calling as Erik screams, "No!" in the background. The 9-1-1 operator remains calm and repeatedly asks, "What's the problem?" The elder Menedez brother begins to cry and manages to squeak out, "Someone killed my parents." This feels very much like a performance. Of course hindsight is always 20/20. Or in this case, it's Dateline .

Confused and somewhat incredulously, the 9-1-1 operator asks who murdered them, then wants to know if they are still there. Lyle initially says yes, and as the dispatcher is confirming, he switches to "No, no!" Strangely, the operator then asks if Jose and Kitty had been shot. Lyle says "Yes!" so she confirms, "They were shot?" He once again says yes.

At some point Lyle is heard saying, "Erik man, don't!" but we have no idea what he was telling his brother to stop doing. Lyle is now openly weeping as Erik wails in the distance. Lyle once again shouts to his brother. A male dispatcher gets on the phone and asks Lyle if the person is still there. "I don't think so," he replies while bawling. "What happened," the new operator asks. "Who shot who?" Trying to pull himself together, Lyle says, "I wasn't here. I just came home."

The call becomes repetitive until Lyle demands that Erik "get away from them." It's safe to assume he was referring to the bodies of their parents. They hang up briefly but the call continues when police phone again, telling them to come outside. "I have to get my brother," says Lyle as the line goes dead.