Notorious Property Closes Deal Exactly 28 Years After Conviction
A mansion in Beverly Hills, California, notorious for being the site of the Menéndez brothers’ gruesome murder of their parents in 1989, has been sold for $17 million—a transaction that coincidentally occurred exactly 28 years after the brothers were convicted by a jury.
The sale of the Mediterranean-style villa, boasting seven bedrooms and spanning 9,063 square feet on Elm Drive, was finalized on Wednesday, according to listing agent Amy Verdun of Rodeo Realty, as reported by Realtor.com.
Lyle and Erik Menéndez were convicted of murdering their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez, in 1996. The brothers openly admitted to committing the murders in 1989 but claimed that they did it because they feared that their father would kill them because they threatened to expose their parent’s alleged physical, emotional, and the sexual abuse they allege their father committed. The brothers were sentenced to life in prison.
Initially listed for $19,999,500, the estate sold for $17 million. The buyer’s identity remains undisclosed. The seller, telecommunications executive Sam Delug, had owned the residence since 2001 when he acquired it for $3.7 million.
Properties associated with highly publicized crimes often face challenges in the real estate market, as potential buyers may feel uneasy about residing in such locations. According to Forensic appraiser Orell Anderson, the president of Strategic Property Analytics, as quoted by Realtor.com, discounts on such properties can range from 10% to 15% for cases that receive only local news coverage and maybe even more substantial for nationally publicized incidents.
The former Menéndez family mansion had been available for purchase since December 1, following its listing by Delug. Interest in the property was revitalized after the release of a Peacock docuseries titled “Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.” The docuseries revealed that a member of the boy band Menudo, Roy Rosselló, alleged that José Menedez had drugged and sexually assaulted him, too.
