Trading card featuring Menendez brothers after parents' murder becomes collector's item
A 1990 trading card of Erik and Lyle Menendez skyrocketed in value following the infamous brothers' 1996 conviction in their parents' Beverly Hills, California, double murder.
The trading card featuring New York Knicks guard Mark Jackson, obtained by Fox News Digital, gained notoriety after eagle-eyed collectors noticed that the Menendez brothers were sitting in a pair of floor seats at the game.
The discovery of their presence on the card sparked significant interest among collectors and true crime aficionados. Previously valued at mere cents, the card's price surged, with some listings reaching hundreds of dollars. However, eBay eventually removed listings that explicitly referenced the Menendez brothers, citing policies against items associated with violent crimes.
According to a TMZ report, some collectors are sending the card to the brothers in prison so it can be autographed.
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Along with purchasing courtside seats for a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden during the 1989–1990 NBA season, the brothers lavishly spent their parents' fortune following the August 1989 murders of Kitty and José Menendez.
In the months following the brutal murder of their parents, Erik and Lyle Menendez began living an extravagant lifestyle that starkly contrasted with their earlier claims of grief and trauma.
While the defense would later frame the spending as part of a psychological escape from years of alleged abuse, prosecutors alleged that the brothers' crimes had been due to their efforts to gain access to the family's fortune.
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Lyle, the older brother, indulged in high-end purchases, including designer clothing and a Porsche. He also invested heavily in a Princeton, New Jersey, restaurant called Chuck's Spring Street Café.
In their 1995 trial, jewelry sales representative Mary Ellen Mahar testified that the brothers had come to her store just four days after the killings and spent about $15,000 on three Rolex watches.
Lyle rented upscale properties and lived in expensive hotels like the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Erik, too, spent the family's money freely on luxury clothing, high-end accommodations and international trips.
He also tried to become a professional tennis player following the 1989 slayings. He hired a private coach, took lessons and traveled internationally to train and compete.
On March 8, 1990, when Lyle was arrested in connection with their parents' murders, Erik was competing in a tennis tournament in Israel. He later turned himself in.
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Both brothers admitted to killing their parents in a gruesome 1989 shotgun massacre inside their Beverly Hills home. Since their resentencing last week, the brothers are now eligible for parole.
The brothers are set to appear before the parole board via video on June 13, 2025, at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
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The board will either recommend or veto the brothers' release. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has the final say over whether they should go free.