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WATCH CLIPOn 22nd August 1985 Steven Benson, a 33-year-old Florida businessman, was arrested and charged with the murder of his mother, his nephew and the attempted murder of his sister.
A few weeks earlier Benson had rigged their car with a pipe bomb. His mother Margaret Benson (who had inherited $10 million from her father) was blown out of the car and died instantly.
Benson had hoped to inherit this money. Almost a year later on 14th July 1986 he pleaded not guilty to the murder of his family. Eleven hours later the jury found Benson guilty and the judge sentenced him to life.
On 30th September 1985, at his parents' farmhouse in the Essex countryside, Jeremy Bamber was arrested for the murder of his parents, his sister and her twin six-year-old sons.
Bamber had wanted to commit the perfect murder and, according to his girlfriend, had spent months planning to kill his parents. He denied everything and continually blamed his sister Sheila who had a history of mental illness. When Bamber's trial ended on 28th October 1986, the Jury found him to be guilty and sentenced him to five concurrent life terms, recommending he serve at least 25 years.
On 20th August 1989 Jose and Kitty Menendez were found dead by police in their Beverly Hills mansion. Both had died from several close-range blasts from a shotgun. Four years later Lyle and Erik Menendez (pictured) were arrested and charged with the brutal murder of their parents. The trial did not begin until the start of July 1993.
The brothers had stood to inherit $14 million from their parents' death. They claimed that after years of physical and mental abuse they had finally snapped and killed their parents in self-defence. Finally, on 2nd July 1996, Judge Stanley Weissberg sentence the Menendez brothers to life without any possibility of parole.
A few weeks earlier Benson had rigged their car with a pipe bomb. His mother Margaret Benson (who had inherited $10 million from her father) was blown out of the car and died instantly.
Benson had hoped to inherit this money. Almost a year later on 14th July 1986 he pleaded not guilty to the murder of his family. Eleven hours later the jury found Benson guilty and the judge sentenced him to life.
On 30th September 1985, at his parents' farmhouse in the Essex countryside, Jeremy Bamber was arrested for the murder of his parents, his sister and her twin six-year-old sons.
Bamber had wanted to commit the perfect murder and, according to his girlfriend, had spent months planning to kill his parents. He denied everything and continually blamed his sister Sheila who had a history of mental illness. When Bamber's trial ended on 28th October 1986, the Jury found him to be guilty and sentenced him to five concurrent life terms, recommending he serve at least 25 years.
On 20th August 1989 Jose and Kitty Menendez were found dead by police in their Beverly Hills mansion. Both had died from several close-range blasts from a shotgun. Four years later Lyle and Erik Menendez (pictured) were arrested and charged with the brutal murder of their parents. The trial did not begin until the start of July 1993.
The brothers had stood to inherit $14 million from their parents' death. They claimed that after years of physical and mental abuse they had finally snapped and killed their parents in self-defence. Finally, on 2nd July 1996, Judge Stanley Weissberg sentence the Menendez brothers to life without any possibility of parole.
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