Where is Jerome Oziel now? How psychologist's loose lips sunk Menéndez brothers
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lyle and Erik Menendez might have escaped justice if not for an unexpected slip by Jerome Oziel, played by Dallas Roberts in Netflix's 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'. Even though his carelessness helped cops solve Jose and Kitty Menendez's murder case, the psychologist lost his license.
Currently living in Albuquerque, he works at Marital Mediation Center, where he helps people improve their marriages through meditation, as per a report by Distractify.
Jerome Oziel's role in Lyle and Erik Menendez's case
José and Kitty Menendez were shot to death at their Beverly Hills mansion on August 20, 1989. Months had passed and the cops were unable to crack the case. While they initially suspected some mob involvement, their attention diverted onto the children of the victim couple who suddenly started spending lavishly. Even though the cops suspected that Lyle and Eric Menendez had killed their parents for money, they had no proof.
However, there was a breakthrough in the case when a woman named Judalon Smyth told the cops about Lyle and Erik's involvement in the crime. Judalon Smyth was Dr Jerome Oziel mistress when Erik, during his sessions with Oziel, broke down and confessed killing his parents.
Oziel mentioned it to Smyth and later when the pair broke up, she went to the cops and told about the brothers's involvement, as per Radio Times. Lyle was arrested on March 8, 1990. Three days later, Erik turned himself in after returning to Los Angeles from Israel.
Why did Jerome Oziel lose his license?
Oziel lost his license in 1997 as he was "accused by a state panel of breaking confidentiality rules and having sex with female patients," reported The Los Angeles Times. By that time, Oziel had already left California and had no intention of defending his license.
In 2017, Oziel addressed the same, acknowledging that he did surrender his license while further adding that it wasn't because of the accusations made against him. "The fact is, 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 to the surrender,” he told Bustle.
"I didn't 'defend' the complaint because I had moved from California a year and a half prior, the license was nonoperational, I was heading a large business and I would have had to close the business with 200 employees and leave my family for three months to defend it. This was purposeless when I would never be in that state again and the Board agreed to settle the complaint with a finding of no wrongdoing. Where is the story there? No agency ever found I did a thing that was improper or wrong," he was further quoted.
How to stream 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'?
Netflix, in its latest true-crime anthology series, revisits Lyle and Erik Menendez's case that continues to amuse people even after three decades. Dallas Roberts plays the role of Dr Jerome Oziel while Leslie Grossman appears as Judalon Smyth.
Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch play Lyle and Erik Menéndez respectively. The series is created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. Consisting of nine episodes, 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story' premiered on Thursday, September 19. It is available to stream on Netflix.
'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story' trailer