Erik and Lyle Menéndez calls from the Donovan Correctional Facility in the official trailer for Netflix’s The Menéndez brothersThe documentary, which airs October 7, features new interviews with the brothers as they reflect on the murder of their parents nearly three decades ago and the sensational trial that followed.

“Everyone is asking why we killed our parents,” Erik says in the trailer. “Maybe now people can understand the truth.” Director Alejandro Hartmann’s documentary juxtaposes firsthand accounts from the Menéndez brothers with commentary from prosecutor Pamela Bozanich, their cousin Diane Vander Molen and other experts on the 1996 trial for the murder of José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez. Both brothers are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

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In the trailer, Erik says, “Lyle was the only person who ever protected me. What happened that night is very well known, but a lot of things have not been told.” Looking back on the trial, Bozanich says she knew from the beginning that her motive for murder was rooted in “plain old greed.” The brothers have repeatedly stressed that it was not about wealth at all, but years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. “Two children are not committing this crime for the money and there are people who believe I should not spend the rest of my life in prison,” Erik says, and Lyle adds, “We would much rather lose the murder trial than talk about the family’s sick secrets.”

Both the brothers and the experts featured in the documentary comment on the sensationalism surrounding the murder trial, which has now evolved into a growing movement of Menéndez defenders on TikTok. But even as a new generation forms its own opinion on the case, one expert notes, “There is no evidence that they are not guilty.” Bozanich is particularly upset by this, declaring, “I’m telling you now that it’s all fake – and if you don’t know it’s fake, that makes me angry.”

The Menéndez brothers follows Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: Lyle and Erik Menendez Storywhich premiered on Netflix last week. The series recreated the scenes from the night of the murder and the events that followed. Murphy also took some creative liberties, including a seemingly incestuous storyline that sparked strong reactions from viewers as well as Erik Menéndez and his wife Tammi.

“I thought we had moved beyond the lies and devastating character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle based on horrific and obvious lies that ran rampant on the show,” Erik wrote in a statement shared by Tammi on social media. “I can only believe they were done on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I must say that I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be so naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives to do this without malicious intent.”

Following the release of the series and the subsequent comments, actor Cooper Koch, who played Erik in Monster – visited the two brothers in prison together with Kim Kardashian. Koch and Kardashian spoke to a group of around 40 inmates, according to the Hollywood ReportersTheir conversation reportedly focused on prison reform and took place in the presence of Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Anti-Recidivism Coalition founder Scott Budnick.

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