Is Leslie Abramson still in contact with the Menendez brothers? Here's where the lawyer is now

27 September 2024, 17:10

By Sam Prance

In Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Leslie Abramson represents Erik Menendez in the Menendez brothers trial but what's the true story behind the attorney and where is she now?

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If you've watched Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix, you might be wondering what happened to Erik Menendez's lawyer Leslie Abramson and whether she's still in contact with her former client Erik Menendez.

Ari Graynor depicts Leslie Abramson in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the show suggests that she truly cared for her client Erik Menendez. Not only does she do everything she can to help him but there are several scenes where Leslie comforts Erik and appears genuinely moved when he alleges that his father abused him.

What was Leslie Abramson like in real-life though? Here's what she did after the infamous Menendez brothers case.

Read more: Where Are The Menendez Brothers Now? Lyle and Erik's Prison Sentences Explained

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer

How true is Leslie Abramson's portrayal in Monsters?

Before representing Erik Menendez, Leslie Abramson was already a high-profile defence lawyer in the US. In his 1990 Vanity Fair article, Dominick Dunne called Leslie the "most brilliant Los Angeles defence lawyer for death-row cases." He said: "She loves to intimidate people." and "She can twist and turn a witness’s memory like no one else can."

Born in 1943, Leslie studies law at UCLA and became a defence lawyer in 1970. In 1988, she was the lawyer for 17-year-old Arnel Salvatierra who was found guilty of manslaughter after he shot his father dead. Like the Menendez brothers, Arnel claimed he was a victim of parental abuse. He served a year in prison and five years probation.

Just like in Monsters, Leslie argued in the original Menendez brothers trial that Erik and Lyle believed if they didn't murder their parents, their own lives could be at stake. This led to a hung jury.

In the second trial, Leslie represented Erik pro bono because he could no longer afford to pay her. However, both Menendez brothers were convicted with two counts of first-degree murder.

How true is Leslie Abramson's portrayal in Monsters? Picture: MIKE NELSON/AFP via Getty Images

Is Leslie Abramson still in contact with the Menendez brothers?

Speaking to The Washington Post about the case in 1996, Leslie said: "I've represented people charged with murder for 27 years, and these guys just don't measure up to anybody else I've ever represented. These are not murderers. These are troubled kids in a very difficult and grotesque home environment, and they cracked."

Leslie actually attended the marriage ceremony of Lyle and his first wife Anna Eriksson that took place on 2nd July 1996 - the day Lyle and Erik were sentenced to life in prison.

According to The Standard-Times, Leslie said it was "exceedingly cruel and heartless" that the brothers were not allowed to stay in the same prison.

It's unclear if she's stayed in touch with Erik and Lyle in the years since the case ended.

Is Leslie Abramson still in contact with the Menendez brothers? Picture: Kim Kulish/Sygma via Getty Images

Where is Leslie Abramson now?

In 1997, Leslie published a book titled The Defense Is Ready: Life In The Trenches Of Criminal Law about her work as a lawyer. She also briefly represented music producer Phil Spector in 2004 before he was found guilty of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2007. CBS News reported that Leslie quit the case based on "ethical reasons."

Ultimately, Leslie represented over 50 people accused of murder before retiring in 2023. Leslie has a daughter from her first marriage and she adopted a song while working on the Menendez brothers case. Leslie currently lives life outside of the public eye.