When it comes to the Menendez case, it’s hard to say exactly where the truth lies. This goes double when it comes to Dr. Jerome Oziel and Judalon Smith, the two supporting characters who became the center of the case primarily due to their romantic relationship.
The same goes for Netflix. “Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Eric Hernandez” Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s courtroom drama. Starring Dallas Roberts and Leslie Grossman, the series tells the truth behind the couple who were ultimately responsible for the arrest of the Menendez brothers.
How are Dr. Jerome Oziel and Judalon Smith related to the Menendez case?
Although police suspected the brothers were responsible for the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez, Smith was the one who told police he heard their confession. This ultimately allowed them to make an arrest. But, as is always the case with Smith, how he ended up in this position is complicated.
Smith’s wife was Dr. Jerome Oziel, a therapist for Lyle and Eric Menendez. Oziel first became involved with the brothers during their robbery case in 1988. The case was eventually closed for Eric because he was a minor at the time, and Oziel was hired to perform an evaluation for the court. After the murders, Oziel was contacted by his cousin Eric.
It is difficult to know exactly when Eric contacted Oziel, as accounts from Oziel, Lyle, Eric, and Smith vary. According to Oziel, Eric confessed to killing his parents during this first session. The two then asked Lyle to join them so they could work on this confession together. While they waited for Lyle to arrive, Oziel called Smith.
Smith claimed that Oziel told him to come into the office because he feared for his life and wanted a witness. He stayed in the waiting room while Oziel met with Lyle and Eric. It is unclear exactly how Smith learned of the brothers’ confession. Smith claimed that he heard it through Oziel’s office door, although at least one reporter doubted that was possible due to the thickness of the wood. It is also possible that Oziel told him this information.
Regardless, Smith fled the office and eventually told the police about his confession, which ultimately landed the brothers in prison. Although he was responsible for their arrest, when the trial came around, Smith testified for the defense and was used to discredit Dr. Oziel. Tapes the therapist took of her sessions with the brothers were repeatedly used by the prosecution.
Did Dr. Oziel Brainwash Judalon Smith?
This is one explanation for the expression on Smith’s face that he has long maintained. Under questioning by prosecutors, Smith quickly admitted that he only told police about Menendez’s confession so that Oziel could be prosecuted. “He was the one who committed the crime against me, not Lyle or Eric Menendez,” Smith said at the time.
While Smith accused Oziel of kidnapping and rape. She also said that she was afraid that Oziel was going to kill her. Smith and Oziel also have alternate accounts of how he, his wife, and son stayed at the doctor’s house for a while. Smith claimed it was part of his kidnapping and brainwashing, while Oziel said it was because Smith was afraid that the Menendez brothers would kill him.
During cross-examination, the prosecution turned Smith’s anger toward Oziel into a story of an abusive wife. In one of the trial’s few humorous moments, however, Smith gave a blunt answer when asked if she wanted to be with a therapist. “I didn’t want kids like Dr. Oziel,” Smith said.
“I don’t know if his motives were that pure. I don’t think he was too concerned about the brothers or the murders. I think he wanted to score some points,” Leslie Grossman told TheWrap. “Fortunately, we have the court transcripts and we know that everything he did was right, and it’s the best fiction you can write — it’s wilder.”
“Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story” is now streaming on Netflix.
