Lyle and Erik Menendez continue to serve life sentences for the brutal murders of their parents on August 20, 1989, when the brothers—then 21 and 18—shot and killed them in their family’s Beverly Hills mansion.
Initially, the Menendez brothers were not prime suspects. However, seven months after the crime, Lyle and Erik, now 56 and 53 respectively, were arrested after Judalon Smyth reported to police that the younger sibling had confessed to the murders during therapy. Smyth, who was the mistress of the brothers’ psychologist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, learned about the confession after Oziel shared the confidential information with her, including the existence of audiotapes of the confession.
Now, 35 years later, the Menendez brothers’ case is the latest subject of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan‘s Monster anthology series. Titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the series stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny portraying their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Here’s everything to know about Oziel, played by Dallas Roberts, and what he’s doing now.
What Role Did Dr. Oziel Play in the Menendez Brothers Case?
Oziel played a pivotal role in the Menendez brothers’ case as the therapist to whom Erik confessed to the murders of his parents. In October 1989, two months after the killings, Erik left a frantic message for Dr. Oziel, leading to a therapy session on Halloween. During the session, Erik, who was depressed and having nightmares about his parents, spoke with Dr. Oziel for about an hour. Later, while on a walk, Erik simply confessed, “We did it.”
It wasn’t until Oziel ended his extramarital affair with Smyth, a few months later, that she went to the police and revealed what she knew about the confession.
Dr. Oziel’s involvement extended beyond hearing Erik’s confession. His testimony became key in the trial, despite challenges due to doctor-patient confidentiality. Oziel claimed the brothers had threatened his life, which allowed his testimony to be admissible.
Throughout the trial, Erik’s defense attorney, Leslie Abramson, worked to discredit Oziel, accusing him of manipulating and exploiting patients. She vowed to expose him “in every way known to man and God,” and accused him of having an “exploitative, manipulative, sexualized” relationship with patients and other women, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Smyth initially told police that she had overheard the Menendez brothers talking about how they had shot their mother’s eye out of its socket, as Oziel had allegedly instructed her to listen in on their conversation. However, during the trial, she testified that she had not directly heard them admit to killing their parents. Smyth also echoed Abramson’s claims about Oziel’s inappropriate relationships with patients, stating that she had been brainwashed by him during their affair, which caused contradictions and inconsistencies in her testimony.
Is Dr. Oziel Still a Practicing Psychologist?
In 1997, Oziel was stripped of his psychology license after being “accused by a state panel of breaking confidentiality rules and having sex with female patients,” according to the Los Angeles Times. By that time, Oziel had already moved out of California and was no longer practicing. His lawyer explained to the outlet, “It just made no sense to come back to California and spend many thousands of dollars defending a license he doesn’t use in a state he doesn’t reside in.”
Oziel later addressed the situation in a statement to Bustle, clarifying, “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. That is flatly and completely false.”
He added, with frustration: “I had phased out 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.”
But Smyth, along with revealing the Menendez brothers’ confession, also claimed that Oziel “played mind games with her and dispensed drugs to her, which he was not licensed to do,” according to Vanity Fair.
Where Is Dr. Oziel Now?
As of September 2024, Dr. Oziel—now going by Jerry Oziel—is living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and working at the Marital Mediation Center. He focuses on helping couples improve their relationships through mediation as an “alternative to getting divorced.”