In a chilling case in Wisconsin, a teenager has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide after admitting to stabbing his mother to death. The 15-year-old mentioned that his actions were inspired by the infamous Menendez brothers, convicted of murdering their parents in 1989.
Police were called to the Caledonia home late Tuesday night, where they found the teenager holding a knife. He confessed to the crime and even requested the officers to kill him. The teen explained that he had been feeling depressed and had an urge to kill his parents after taking his brother’s anxiety medication for a month.
Before the tragic incident, the teenager had watched a Netflix documentary about the Menendez brothers. He developed a plan to kill his mother while she was sitting on the couch, inspired by a scene from the documentary. After a failed attempt with a hammer, he used a knife to fatally stab his mother.
The teen recounted the horrifying details to detectives, explaining his motive as “pain.” Following the murder, he contacted a friend on Snapchat and instructed her to call the police. The teenager is now being represented by the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office.
According to the document, he remained seated on the floor until he heard sirens, and after the noise ceased, he went outside to meet the police, as stated in the complaint. The teenager informed the officers, “She is dead. She is dead from what I did.” The teen appeared in court on Thursday and was granted a $1 million bail, court records confirm. A preliminary hearing is set for March 12.
The Menendez brothers are seeking to challenge their murder convictions. In 2023, they submitted a habeas corpus petition to the court requesting that their convictions be overturned or that they be granted a new trial in light of new evidence. Last month, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman expressed his lack of support for Lyle and Erik Menendez’s latest effort to contest their murder convictions. Hochman argued that the new evidence did not meet the strict standards necessary to overturn the brothers’ convictions or warrant a new trial.
Hochman emphasized that the decision on whether the Menendez brothers would be released ultimately rests with the court. He stated, “Our responsibility is to present the court with the information and make our case.” In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of murdering their parents and were subsequently sentenced to life in prison. The Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” brought renewed attention to the case and sparked calls for the brothers’ release, including from their family.
Anamaria Baralt, Lyle and Erik’s cousin, shared with USA TODAY in January, “We have completely forgiven them. We love them so much and miss them. Every family holiday, there is a void in our family and a hole in our hearts.”
