Who is the Dr. Jerome Ozielthe psychologist who collected the confession of the brothers Menendez and played a key role in the process.
Doctor Oziel in Monsters 2: Who is he?
The new one Netflix series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez tells the story of the murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez on the part of their children, Lyle ed Erik. A key character is the Erik’s psychologistil Dr. Jerome Oziel.
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Oziel in clinical psychology from Arizona State University in 1972. After living in South Carolina, he moved to Beverly Hills. There he started a practice and taught at USC. According to the Los Angeles Times:
He became an expert on phobias of various kinds, but, as he reported in court, most of his professional articles dealt with disorders related to the sexual sphere.
The Role of the Psychologist in the Menendez Brothers Case
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The report of Oziel con i Menendez Brothers It started in 1988, when José e Kitty they hired him after that Lyle ed Erik were caught robbing homes in Calabasas. For a time, Oziel followed Erik in therapy.
In the first episode of Monsters 2after yet another nightmare, the least of the Menendez call the psychologist on the phone to make an appointment with him, with some urgency.
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The two meet that same day and, after walking a bit outside and talking about the dream, sit on a bench Erik he confessed to having killed his parents, together with Lyle.
At that point, back in the studio, the Dr Oziel asks the boy to elaborate on the story. Even in reality Erik he spilled the beans to the psychotherapist, as reported by Los Angeles Times:
In October 1989, Erik Menendez, then 20, urgently called his therapist, Dr. Oziel, to schedule an appointment. According to court documents, they met late Halloween afternoon, first talking in Oziel’s office on Bedford Drive and then during a walk in a nearby park. It was there, as the tapes show, that Erik confessed that he and his brother had committed the murders of their parents.
Man mano che Erik he says, becomes more and more agitated. A worried Oziel summons Lyleand the latter threatens to kill him. The psychologist He reassures the two brothers that their conversation will remain confidential, but this will not be the case.
Psychologist to testify for prosecution at Menendez trial
In fact, that confession made to the psychologist became a key piece of evidence in the case of Menendez Brothers. Five months after that Lyle ed Erik they spoke with Ozielhis lover, Judalon Smythinformed the police of the confession of Erik.
In the series, Oziel escapes from the therapy session and runs to a phone booth, begging for help Smyth to come in to act as a witness once he arrives Lyle.
In the second episode, Oziel explain to the woman that he will put the confession of Erik in a safety deposit box and give you the key. Smyth recommends to Oziel to go to the police, because the boys threatened to kill him.
In reality, Judalon Smyth he finally went to the police in March 1990, after breaking up with Ozieland reported hearing the brothers confess the murders to the psychologist.
On August 7, 1990, a California judge ruled that conversations between Oziel and Menendez could be used as evidence in their murder case because the brothers were believed to have threatened the therapist.
For the next two years, there was a legal battle over the recordings, but a 1992 California Supreme Court ruling found that most of them were admissible as evidence.
What happened to Dr. Oziel?
In 1997, Oziel lost his psychology license. The California Board of Psychology alleged that he had improperly shared information about the case of the Menendez Brothers con Judalon Smyth.
Oziel surrendered his license rather than face the case in court. The board also accused him of sexual misconduct with female patients, charges that Oziel denied it. Later, she began holding seminars to help women improve their personal relationships.
It is said that he now uses the name of Jerry Oziel and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is listed as a staff member at the Marital Meditation Center.
