Image Credit: Netflix
The Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, remain incarcerated for the shocking murders of their parents that occurred on August 20, 1989. At the time, Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18 when they executed their parents in the family mansion located in Beverly Hills. Initially, they were not the prime suspects. However, seven months post-incident, their arrest followed after Judalon Smyth, who was romantically involved with the brothers’ therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, reported that Erik had confessed to him during a therapy session. Dr. Oziel shared this secret with Smyth, disclosing the existence of taped confessions.
Fast forward to now, 35 years after the horrific crime, the Menendez brothers’ story is being brought to life in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s new Monster anthology series titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. In the series, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch portray Lyle and Erik, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny taking on the roles of their parents, Jose and Kitty.
Curious about Dr. Oziel’s current status? As of September 2024, he, now going by Jerry Oziel, resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has taken on a new role at the Marital Mediation Center, assisting couples in enhancing their relationships as a mediation alternative to divorce.
What about Dr. Oziel’s practice as a psychologist? In 1997, his psychology license was revoked after allegations from a state panel accused him of breaching confidentiality and engaging in sexual relations with female patients. At the time of the revocation, Oziel had relocated from California and ceased his practice. His attorney remarked that it would make little sense for him to return to California and incur substantial legal expenses to defend a license that was not in use in a different state.
In a statement, Oziel pushed back against these allegations and clarified that his decision to surrender his license was not an admission of wrongdoing. He asserted, “I did not surrender my license due to the accusation, which implies I gave up my practice because I did things alleged in the original accusation. That is flatly and completely false.” He emphasized that his departure from practicing was due to an enticing business offer that required him to become the CEO of a major venture well in advance of the license surrender.
Yet, Judalon Smyth, while exposing the brothers’ confession, also accused Oziel of engaging in manipulative psychological tactics and administering drugs without appropriate licensing, as reported by various sources.
Dr. Oziel was a critical figure in the Menendez brothers’ case, being the therapist to whom Erik disclosed the chilling details of the murders. Two months after the heinous actions, Erik left a distressing voicemail for Dr. Oziel, leading to a therapy session that took place on Halloween. During this session, laden with emotional turmoil and vivid nightmares, Erik revealed, “We did it,” while on a walk with Oziel.
It was only after Oziel ended his affair with Smyth that she approached law enforcement to disclose what she had learned regarding Erik’s confession. Oziel’s involvement did not stop there; his testimony became a pivotal element during the trial, notwithstanding the hurdles presented by doctor-patient confidentiality laws. He contended that the brothers had issued threats against him, which justified the admissibility of his testimony.
Throughout the trial proceedings, Erik’s defense attorney, Leslie Abramson, made it her mission to discredit Oziel, alleging that he manipulated and took advantage of his patients. She boldly declared her intent to expose him “in every way known to man and God,” and accused him of having an exploitative relationship with patients.
Smyth initially informed the authorities that she overheard the brothers discussing how they shot their mother in the eye, based on Oziel’s alleged advice to eavesdrop on their conversations. However, during the trial, her testimony wavered, revealing she had not directly heard them explicitly confess to the murders. She also echoed Abramson’s allegations regarding Oziel, claiming she was psychologically manipulated during their affair, leading to contradictions in her statements.