The story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who fatally shot their parents in 1989, can't be told without therapist Jerome Oziel, who heard their confession and plays a central role in season 2 of Netflix's anthology series "Monster."
"The Walking Dead" actor Dallas Roberts plays the disgraced therapist in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," which released on Thursday. The second season of the anthology series chronicles the Menendez brothers and the brutal killing of their parents at their Beverly Hills, California home on Aug. 20, 1989.
During the brothers' trial, Lyle and Erik argued that years of abuse led to the killing of José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Oziel is the former therapist of Erik and Lyle Menendez who heard them confess to murdering their parents and served as a key witness in their trial.
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In court, Oziel testified that he was sought out after officials implicated Erik in 1988 of two Calabasas burglaries, according to the Los Angeles Times. At the first trial, Oziel said the brothers confessed their crimes to him after a few months of sessions.
During cross-examination, defense attorneys tried to impugn his credibility by focusing on an alleged affair Oziel had with a woman, the Times reported.
An Arizona State University alum, Oziel earned a doctorate in clinical psychology and resided in South Carolina for two years before moving to California, the Times reported. While living in Beverly Hills, he opened a private practice and taught courses at the University of Southern California. As a therapist, he was considered in expert in various phobias and sex-related disorders.
Oziel testified that the Menendez brothers threatened his life but they ultimately did not harm their therapist.
On Jan. 3, 1997, the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Board of Psychology revoked Oziel's therapist license after a state panel accused him of engaging in sexual conduct with patients and breaking confidentiality rules, the Times reported. He did not admit to any wrongdoing.
He no longer lives in California.
"It just made no sense to come back to California and spend many thousands of dollars defending a license he doesn’t use in a state he doesn’t reside in," his attorney previously told the Times.
All nine episodes of "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" premiered on Thursday, Sept. 19.
Contributing: Taylor Ardrey
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