with suspicion of murder. Their trial was delayed by
arguments over whether Oziel’s information was
protected by therapist-client confidentiality. Ulti-
mately, juries were allowed to hear portions of
Oziel’s audiotapes.
The brothers were tried together, but with sepa-
rate juries. Lyle and Erik testified that Jose had psy-
chologically and sexually abused them for years and
that they had feared he was planning to kill them.
Neither jury could agree on a verdict. At a second
trial, before a single jury, Lyle and Erik were found
guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to com-
mit murder. Each was sentenced to two consecutive
terms of life in prison without parole.
Impact During the first trial, the Court TV network
provided live coverage of the trial. Attorneys and wit-
nesses made dramatic statements outside the court-
room, knowing they would appear on national tele-
vision. Combined with the court’s inability to render
a verdict, the transformation of a murder trial into
entertainment raised questions about the impact of
increasing media coverage on the American justice
system.
Further Reading
Dunne, Dominick. “Nightmare on Elm Street.” In
Justice: Crimes, Trials, and Punishments. New York:
Crown, 2001.
Scott, Gini Graham. “When Rich
Kids Kill.” InHomicide by the Rich
and Famous: A Centur y of Promi-
nent Killers. Westport, Conn.:
Praeger, 2005.
Soble, Ron, and John Johnson.Blood
Brothers: the Inside Stor y of the Men-
endez Murders.New York: Onyx,
1994.
Maureen Puffer-Rothenberg
See also Crime; Ramsey murder
case; Simpson murder case; Televi-
sion; Versace murder.
Metallica
Identification American heavy metal band
Date Formed in 1981
Considered by many to be the foremost heavy metal band of
the 1990’s, Metallica is known for bringing heavy metal to
mainstream audiences.
Formed by guitarist James Hetfield and drummer
Lars Ulrich in Los Angeles in 1981, Metallica be-
came one of the top thrash metal bands of the
1980’s, releasingKill ’Em All(1983),Ride the Light-
ning(1984),Master of Puppets(1986), and... And Jus-
tice for All(1988). Other principal members of the
group in the 1980’s and 1990’s included lead guitar-
ist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted, who re-
placed Cliff Burton after Burton was killed in a bus
accident in 1986.
The band met commercial success in 1991 with the
release of its self-titled album, dubbed by fans as the
“Black Album.” Although the band became synony-
mous with heavy metal music during the 1990’s,
Metallica ironically sacrificed a number of heavy
metal tropes, such as lengthy heavy metal jam sessions
found on its earlier albums. The inclusion of the bal-
lads “Nothing Else Matters” and “The Unforgiven” on
Metallicadistanced the band from some heavy metal
purists but set the tone for its next release,Load562 Metallica The Nineties in America
The members of Metallica (from left)—Jason Newsted, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett,
and James Hetfield—stand with their award for Favorite Artist: Heavy Metal/Hard
Rock at the 1997 American Music Awards.(AP/Wide World Photos)