Children who have murdered their parents - Parricide is defined as the murder of a parent—either mother, father, or both. According to a 2019 study, parricide is the least common kind of murder. Perhaps that's why the rare cases of parricide are so horrifying and so highly publicized. This unusual crime is most often committed by white males with no prior criminal history.

In one infamous case, American brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez killed their parents in a gruesome shooting and were sentenced to life in prison. 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,' the second installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's 'Monster' anthology on Netflix, delves into the story of the Menendez family, exploring what happened on that fateful day, how the murder trial unfolded, and uncovering new evidence that could potentially reopen their case.

Click through this gallery to learn about other horrific crimes in which a parent was killed by their own flesh and blood.

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Lyle and Erik Menendez -

The case of American brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez is perhaps the most famous example of parricide in recent history. In 1989, Lyle (21) and Erik (18) shot and killed their parents in their Beverly Hills home. The shooting was so gruesome that the police initially suspected it was done by the mob. The victims had been hit with 15 rounds from two 12-gauge shotguns.

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Lyle and Erik Menendez -

In the six months that followed, the brothers spent US$700,000 of their parents’ US$14 million fortune on luxury goods and expensive vacations. Erik continued seeing a therapist he had been working with prior to the murders, and eventually confessed to the crime. A tape recording of the session was given to the police, and the brothers were arrested.

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Lyle and Erik Menendez -

They alleged that their father was severely abusive and they were putting their mother out of her misery. The nation was divided on whether the brothers were cold-blooded killers or had acted in self-defense. The jury was similarly divided and could not come to a verdict. Their case had to be retried and they were eventually sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder in 1996. 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,' the second season of the Netflix anthology drama 'Monsters,' was focused on the case, bringing new attention to the brothers and their bid for a resentencing hearing.

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Thomas Gilbert Jr. -

Thomas Gilbert Jr. was the son of a wealthy hedge fund manager living in New York City. Although he was a Princeton graduate, Gilbert Jr. had trouble holding down a job and suffered from severe anxiety and depression. At the age of 30, he was living alone but still being supported financially by his father.

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Thomas Gilbert Jr. -

He refused to see a psychiatrist, so his parents decided to reduce his allowance in order to force his hand. It was the day of one of these reductions that Gilbert Jr. showed up at his parent's Park Avenue apartment. He asked his mother to go to the store so he could have a private conversation with his father.

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Thomas Gilbert Jr. -

When his mother returned, she found her husband lying dead on the floor with a gun in his hand. It was a clumsy attempt by Thomas Jr. to make it look like his father had killed himself. He was immediately arrested and convicted of second-degree murder.

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Kipland Kinkel -

Kipland Kinkel was only 15 years old when he went on a deadly killing spree in 1998. Kinkel was a troubled teen who had suffered from schizophrenia since the age of 12. He lived with extreme delusions and paranoia, believing that the government had planted a chip in his head.

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Kipland Kinkel -

Kinkel was obsessed with weapons from a young age and his father even bought him multiple guns (an interest in firearms was not abnormal in the society he grew up in). He was frequently in trouble at school and with the police, and on May 20, 1998, he was expelled. Later that day, he shot and killed both of his parents.

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Kipland Kinkel -

The following day, Kinkel went to his former high school with three guns hidden inside his trench coat. He opened fire on the school cafeteria, killing two students and wounding 25. He was wrestled to the ground by five of his classmates. Kinkel was sentenced to 111 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

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Lizzie Borden -

Lizzie Borden is a name that is familiar to most of us. The famous female killer lived in Massachusetts and is notorious for murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. Lizzie did not have a good relationship with her wealthy father. He was said to be a bad-tempered man who often fought with his daughter about financial matters.

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Lizzie Borden -

According to Lizzie Borden, she came home one day to find her father and stepmother dead, both viciously beaten to death. Borden was tried for their murders, but there was only circumstantial evidence linking her to the crimes. For example, it was alleged that she tried to purchase poison the day before the murders, and was seen burning a dress a few days after.

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Lizzie Borden -

Borden was acquitted but lived a sad life in her hometown where she was ostracized until she died. She became the subject of an opera and a ballet, which solidified her reputation as a vicious female killer.

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Suzane von Richthofen -

Suzane von Richthofen was convicted of one of the most highly-publicized crimes in Brazilian history. On Halloween night 2002, her wealthy parents were found beaten to death in their beds. Almost immediately, 18-year-old Suzane became a suspect, along with her 21-year-old boyfriend, Daniel Cravinhos. Photographed is her family home, now abandoned and covered in graffiti. 

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Suzane von Richthofen -

Suzane’s parents didn’t approve of her boyfriend Daniel, allegedly because he didn’t work or study, and smoked marijuana every day. She kept dating him in secret, and if their testimony is to be believed, hatched a plan with Daniel and his brother to kill her parents and inherit their fortune.

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Suzane von Richthofen -

The trial determined that Suzane, Daniel, and Daniel’s brother were all involved in the murder. Suzane let the Cravinhos brothers into the family house at night and waited downstairs while they killed her parents. Suzane was sentenced to 39 years in prison, which is the maximum sentence in Brazil, and the brothers each received a 38-year-sentence.

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David Brom -

David Brom committed a horrific murder in 1988 when he was 16 years old. He grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, with his parents, younger brother, and younger sister.

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David Brom -

David allegedly got into a fight with his father about the music he listened to. He was a fan of an experimental band called Negativland who had a song called ‘Christianity Is Stupid.’ The day after this fight, David got an ax and murdered everyone in his house. This included his parents, his 11-year-old brother, and his 13-year-old sister.

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David Brom -

When the crime scene was discovered, the police worried that David had been abducted as he was nowhere to be found. However, a classmate of David’s informed police that he told her he had murdered his family. They arrested him the next day and he was given three consecutive life sentences.

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Charles Whitman -

Charles Whitman was born in Florida in 1941 and joined the Marines as soon as he turned 18. He had always had an interest in weapons and became a skilled sharpshooter. He grew up with a short-tempered, violent father, who he was likely trying to escape.

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Charles Whitman -

Whitman later attended university where he met his wife. His mother finally left his father after years of abuse and found her own apartment. Unfortunately, these positive steps did not bring them a happy ending. During the summer of 1966, Whitman had been experiencing severe headaches and had one session with a therapist. He never turned up for the next appointment. 

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Charles Whitman -

On July 31, 1966, Whitman murdered his mother. He left a note saying it was the only way to alleviate her suffering. He then killed his wife, but left a note saying he couldn't justify his actions. The next day, he climbed to the top of the University of Texas tower and began shooting at passersby. He killed 14 people and wounded 30 more. Austin police shot and killed him, and he came to be known as the Texas Tower Sniper.

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Ronald DeFeo Jr. -

If you've ever seen the 'Amityville Horror' films, then you've probably heard of Ronald DeFeo Jr. As a young man, he lived with his parents and four younger siblings in Amityville, New York. He was said to have some behavioral issues and frequently used recreational drugs.

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Ronald DeFeo Jr. -

In 1974, DeFeo murdered his entire family while they slept using a gun. He then went to a bar, proclaiming that his family was dead, and reported their deaths to the police. He was arrested and his lawyer plead insanity, stating that voices in DeFeo's head told him to do it.

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Ronald DeFeo Jr. -

DeFeo's story about the murders changed frequently throughout the remainder of his life. Sometimes he accepted responsibility, and at other times he blamed others. He was given six consecutive life sentences, and passed away in prison in 2021 at the age of 69.

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Sef Gonzales -

Sef Gonzales grew up in Sydney with his Filipino-Australian family. His father was a successful lawyer and his parents both had extremely high expectations of him. Sef attended medical school but dropped out after two years. He started studying to be a lawyer instead, but he struggled with his course and was on the verge of expulsion.

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Sef Gonzales -

When his younger sister revealed his academic predicament to his parents, they fought with him and threatened to take away privileges like his beloved car, and even disinherit him. His mother also disapproved of his girlfriend, which was another point of contention. The police later determined that these were Sef’s motives for what he did next.

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Sef Gonzales -

On July 10, 2001, Sef killed his sister and his parents one by one with a baseball bat and kitchen knives. He then got rid of the evidence and went out with a friend, only calling 911 when he returned home later that night. He made public appearances asking the murderer to come forward, and attended the funeral. It wasn’t until months later that the police could disprove his alibi and arrest him for the murders. He was 20 years old at the time.

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Beatrice Cenci -

Beatrice Cenci was an Italian noblewoman who famously killed her abusive father, Count Francesco Cenci, during the Renaissance. Along with the rest of her family, Beatrice planned her father's murder. He was killed and his body was thrown off the balcony so it would appear he died by accident.

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Beatrice Cenci -

The plan failed and Beatrice and her accomplices were arrested. They were sentenced to death by Pope Clement VIII despite public outcry and requests for mercy. She became the subject of poems and books, and her story quickly became legend.

Sources: (KTNV) (Thought Catalog) (Grunge)

See also: The most mysterious murders of all time

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