Here’s What Happened to Dr. Oziel, the Menendez Brothers’ Therapist
By now, we’re sure you’ve heard of the Menendez brothers—or at least watched the new season of Monsters on Netflix. The show tells the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers who murdered their parents, Kitty and José, in 1989. After the attack, Erik confided in his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel. The confession led to a wild series of events impacting the Menendez brothers, Dr. Oziel, and his mistress, Judalon Smyth.
Dallas Roberts plays Dr. Oziel in the show. The actor is best known for his roles in The Walking Dead and My Friend Dahmer, which, ironically, follows another prolific murderer. Monsters portrays Dr. Oziel as an instrumental resource for the Menendez brothers. José and Kitty Menendez hired him to counsel their children after Lyle and Erik robbed houses in Calabasas. During their sessions, Oziel learned that the boys suffered from verbal and physical abuse—which we see unfold in the Monsters flashback scenes.
Back then, Oziel was one of the few people who knew the extent of the Menendez brothers’ trauma. When Erik confessed to murdering his parents, Oziel promised the news was confidential. Months later, the police obtained a recording of their session, and the boys were apprehended.
Read on to learn more about Dr. Oziel and his involvement in the Menendez brothers’ arrest.
Who Is Dr. Jerome Oziel?
Jerome Oziel is a former therapist. He earned a doctorate in clinical psychology in 1972 from Arizona State University. Shortly after, Oziel began his private practice in Beverly Hills, California. The Los Angeles Times reports that Oziel “became an expert in phobias of various sorts, but, as he related in court, the majority of his professional articles dealt with sex-related disorders.” Oziel met the Menendez brothers in 1988 and was a key figure in their murder trial.
What Did Dr. Oziel Do with the Menendez Brothers’ Confession?
Erik and Lyle shot their parents in their Beverly Hills home. Afterward, the brothers continued to live in the house, which was deeply distressing for Erik. Months after the attack, Erik scheduled an appointment with Dr. Oziel and confessed to the murder.
The meeting took place on Halloween. (It’s strange, we know.) Dr. Oziel and Erik met at a park near Oziel’s office, where Erik confessed to the murder. Afterward, Oziel recorded notes from their session—and, per the Los Angeles Times, said, “Erik revealed in detail the planning and execution of the crime, including [the brothers’] fabricated alibi defense.” Three days later, Erik and Lyle went to Dr. Oziel’s office and explained why they killed their parents. Then, on December 11, Oziel recorded a session with the brothers.
Dr. Oziel kept the tapes to himself, but he wasn’t the only person who knew the truth. Oziel’s mistress and former client (!) Judalon Smyth overheard Lyle yell at Erik in Oziel’s office. Lyle allegedly said, “I can’t believe you did this! I can’t believe you told him. I don’t even have a brother now. I could get rid of you for this. Now I hope you know what we are going to do. I hope you realize what we are going to have to do. We’ve got to kill him and anyone associated with him.”
Smyth also knew that Dr. Oziel had recordings of the boys’ sessions. In March 1990, she told the police, who then confiscated the recordings and arrested the Menendez brothers. For the next two years, there was a legal battle to determine whether the tapes were admissible in court. In August 1992, the Supreme Court of California cleared two recordings, making Oziel a primary witness for the prosecution.
Typically, a therapist cannot share what their patients tell them, but a judge decided that Lyle broke that confidentiality agreement when he threatened Dr. Oziel.
Where Is Dr. Oziel Now?
After the case, Dr. Oziel lost his license. In 1997, the California Board of Psychology determined that Oziel wrongfully shared information about the Menendez brothers with Smyth. Since Smyth was another client of his, they also accused him of sexual misconduct.
Oziel surrendered his license, but in 2017, he told Bustle it wasn’t because of the backlash. “I did not surrender my license due to the accusation, which implies I gave up my practice because I did things alleged in the original accusation,” he said. “I had phased out of my practice because I had a major business offer that was highly lucrative and moved to be the CEO of a large business in another state a year and a half prior to the surrender. … No agency ever found I did a thing that was improper or wrong.”
Oziel reportedly changed his name to Jerry and moved to New Mexico, where he works at the Marital Meditation Center—a facility that seeks to improve marriages through guided meditations.
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