Judalon Smyth’s pivotal testimony in the Menendez brothers’ murder trial revealed shocking details and exposed her to intense scrutiny and ridicule. Learn more about her controversial role in this high-profile case.
Judalon Smyth was a crucial witness in the Menendez brothers’ murder trial, a case that shocked the nation with its disturbing details. Initially, her actions led to the brothers’ arrest for killing their parents in 1989, but in a strange turn of events, she ended up testifying for their defense.
During the trial, disturbing details about Smyth’s relationship with the brothers’ married psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, emerged, bringing her into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. This exposure subjected her to ridicule and criticism.
One of the most famous trials of the 1990s was the Menendez brothers’ case. Lyle and Erik Menendez grew up in Beverly Hills, enjoying a life of luxury. But in 1989, everything turned upside down when their parents, José and Kitty, were brutally shot to death.
The case remained a mystery for months until the police finally caught up with the brothers. In 1996, they were found guilty of first-degree murder.
Both Lyle and Erik Menendez eventually admitted to their psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, that they committed the crime. But it was Judalon Smyth, Dr. Oziel’s lover, who initially went to the police about the murders after they broke up.
Smyth reported the Menendez brothers to the police in March 1990. She told investigators that her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Oziel, had coerced the brothers into confessing during a session. Initially, she claimed she had heard part of the confession herself, stating she had overheard the brothers describe shooting their mother’s eye out of its socket. Smyth only decided to go to the police after her relationship with Dr. Oziel ended.
The information Smyth provided to the police quickly led to the brothers’ arrest. She said they bought their shotguns in San Diego, which helped the police trace the purchase of the murder weapons to one of Lyle Menendez’s friends.
During the trial, Dr. Oziel testified that he didn’t go to the police because he feared for his safety. Instead, he talked to his wife and mistress and sought legal advice. He recorded his recollections of the confessions and taped one of the sessions on December 11, 1989. On that tape, the brothers can be heard saying they wanted to end their mother’s suffering because their father was cheating on her.
The complicated relationship between Judalon Smyth and Dr. Jerome Oziel became a focal point of the trial. In a surprising move, Smyth decided to support the defense. She changed her story, claiming she hadn’t overheard the brothers’ confession and accusing Dr. Oziel of manipulating her into saying she had.
During the trial, Smyth testified that Oziel planned to get the brothers to confess on tape to have evidence against them. However, during the session, he told the brothers he was recording so they’d sound remorseful if caught. She also said the psychiatrist, who was having an affair, wanted the case’s drama to help him leave his marriage.
Smyth’s testimony was used by the defense to discredit Dr. Oziel. They portrayed him as dishonest and manipulative, claiming he used blackmail on people he knew. The trial revealed that Oziel had broken confidentiality, had relationships with female patients, and was accused of assaulting another woman he was involved with. Because of these revelations, Oziel relinquished his license to practice psychiatry.
Before the trial ended, Judalon Smyth made numerous accusations against Jerome Oziel. She claimed that after moving in with Oziel’s wife and kids, he treated her poorly. Smyth alleged he raped and beat her, forced drugs down her throat so harshly it caused blood blisters, and tried to hypnotize her using the word “thorns.” She started secretly recording conversations with Oziel and left the house in March 1990.
Actress Heather Graham, who portrayed Judalon Smyth in “Law & Order True Crime,” mentioned in an interview with Vanity Fair that she read the transcripts from Smyth’s tapes and found them very strange. She noted that Oziel repeated the word “thorns” many times without context. In another tape, Oziel told Smyth that her mother was a witch planning to give her a poisoned apple.
After 25 years of avoiding interviews, Smyth finally spoke out on “Murder Made Me Famous,” a true-crime series on the Reelz Channel. In the interview, she talked about facing public scrutiny for her testimony. She admitted she didn’t speak up right away and only went to the police after breaking up with Dr. Oziel. She said, “It took a long time for me to do the right thing. But ultimately, I did.”
Smyth faced public ridicule because of her part in the trial. In an interview for the show “Murder Made Me Famous,” she recalled, “There was one newscaster that called me a ‘nutball’ on the radio. It was frightening. Someone comes forward, and then you crucify them.”
Smyth remembered seeing something in the paper about her talking too much. Reflecting on it, she said, “If it was your parents who were murdered, would you want someone to stay quiet or speak up?”