The Beverly Hills mansion where the Menendez brothers brutally murdered their parents has been sold and now has new owners.
The sale of the “bloody” villa has turned the public’s eye to the case that became a series on Netflix.
Seven months after the home sold for a staggering $17,000,000, the new owners have been revealed to be the wealthy Lakhijani family, a prominent Iranian-American family with significant real estate investments in Los Angeles, according to Realtor.com.
The imposing property on Elm Drive, which has changed hands several times since the 1989 murders, is now undergoing extensive renovations, but the Menendez legacy continues to attract unwanted attention.
The Netflix series about the Menendez brothers
Lyle and Erik Menendez, who shocked the world with the cold-blooded murders of their parents, Kitty and Jose, are back in the spotlight thanks to Netflix’s explosive true-crime series, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
The series, which dramatizes the events leading up to the murders, has sparked a wave of interest in the story of the Menendez brothers, turning their former home into a dark tourist hotspot.
Curious onlookers have flooded the quiet, affluent neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of the home where the crime took place, much to the dismay of local residents.
According to TMZ, neighbors have pleaded with the Beverly Hills police to intervene, citing the intense disturbance and disruption experienced by Netflix fans hoping to get an up-close look at the mansion where the double murder took place.
“It’s been non-stop since the show came out,” one frustrated resident told the New York Post.
The gruesome story of the murder by the Menendez brothers and the mansion
The mansion, originally purchased by Jose Menendez for four million dollars in 1988, became the scene of a horrific crime the following year when his two sons fatally shot him and his wife.
The siblings, now serving life sentences without parole in California, have continued to insist that their actions were the result of chronic abuse at the hands of their father.
That claim came up again in “The Menendez Brothers,” a new Netflix documentary released Oct. 7 that features recorded phone interviews between the brothers and the film’s director, Alejandro Hartman.
The documentary offers a look at the case from the perspective of the brothers themselves, who speak from behind bars at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Institution.
The Lakhijani family, who acquired the home in a private sale in March, exactly 28 years after the brothers were convicted, have not commented publicly on their decision to buy the property.
Known for their extensive property portfolio, the Lahijanis appear to be making big changes to the Menendez home as they are reportedly turning over the entire property and embarking on large-scale renovations.
The home, once considered an architectural gem, was originally built in 1972 and underwent a major redesign in 1984 under the direction of real estate mogul Mark Slotkin, a family friend.
The Mediterranean-style villa has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. According to a previous description, the home “features high ceilings, a grand entrance with a spectacular spiral staircase, imported Italian limestone flooring, a full gourmet kitchen with high-tech appliances and a walk-in closet.”
The master suite has dual bathrooms and designer closets. Amenities include a swimming pool “surrounded by park-like gardens and a two-story guest house,” according to the description.
Slotkin testified during the brothers’ trial, claiming that the soundproofing he had installed in the house cast doubt on a maid’s testimony that she heard the family’s heated arguments.
Despite the 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 has 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.
Photos: Rodeo Realty
