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    • The Menendez brothers case is not the only one that's been affected by a true crime documentary

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    Being an armchair detective has turned into an American obsession, fueled by an abundance of true-crime content in podcasts and television series. But some of those projects have sparked actual legal developments.

    The latest example involves the high-profile case of brothers of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, inside the family鈥檚 Beverly Hills mansion.

    On Thursday, prosecutors in Los Angeles announced they are reviewing new evidence presented in the case ahead of a hearing next month, including a letter written by Erik Menendez, now 53, that his attorneys argue corroborates allegations the brothers experienced years of sexual abuse by their father.

    In their petition to review the case filed last year, attorneys for the brothers also cited the Peacock docuseries 鈥淢enendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed.鈥 The project included an interview with a former member of the boy band Menudo, who said in a sworn affidavit that he was raped by Jose Menendez when he was about 14.

    Public interest in the Menendez case was reignighted recently by Ryan Murphy鈥檚 Netflix dramatization of the murders in 鈥淢onsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.鈥 While the brothers have denounced the depiction in the scripted series as inaccurate, it brought attention to their legal efforts from Kim Kardashian and others.

    鈥淪o many people are now interested in the case and it speaks to me about the power of television and what it can do. It can shine a spotlight on something and it can illuminate dark corners,鈥 Murphy told Variety this week. 鈥淲e gave them their moment in the court of public opinion.鈥

    It鈥檚 not the first time pop culture projects may have prompted legal developments. Here are a few other examples:

    R. Kelly and "Surviving R. Kelly"

    R. Kelly, centre, leaves the Daley Center after a hearing in his child support case, May 8, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)

    The acclaimed singer was acquitted in 2008 of charges related to child pornography after a tape surfaced that prosecutors said showed him having sex with a then 14-year-old girl. That didn鈥檛 stop conversation over the years about Kelly and allegations of sexual misconduct, however.

    Some of those stories came to light in January 2019 in 鈥淪urviving R. Kelly,鈥 a bombshell, multi-episode docuseries in which several women shared allegations of abuse at the hands of Kelly that he denied.

    Just months later, in July 2019, the US Attorney鈥檚 Office for the Northern District of Illinois released a 13-count indictment that included child pornography and obstruction of justice charges. Kelly was also charged with sex trafficking in New York and attempting to influence a case in Atlanta in a five-count indictment from the US Attorney鈥檚 Office for the Eastern District of New York. In August of 2019, Kelly was charged with engaging in prostitution with a person under 18 in Minnesota in connection to an alleged incident that occurred in July 2001 at a promotional event.

    Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges.

    The reaction to 鈥淪urviving R. Kelly鈥 was massive and a second season with additional allegations aired in January 2020.

    Kelly was convicted of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges in 2021 and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The disgraced R&B singer was also found guilty of charges of child pornography and enticement of a minor. He received a separate 20-year prison sentence.

    Avery, Brendan Dassey and 鈥淢aking a Murder鈥

    The disappearance and subsequent discovery of the death of 25-year-old photographer Teresa Halbach in October 2005 probably would have remained a local story in Wisconsin were it not for Netflix.

    The streaming giant鈥檚 2015 docuseries 鈥淢aking a Murderer鈥 told the story of Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey, who were arrested and convicted of Halbach鈥檚 murder.

    The 10-episode series was so popular that it led to multiple online forums, where viewers discussed the crime and exchanged their own theories and interpretations of the evidence.

    R. Kelly, centre, leaves the Daley Center after a hearing in his child support case, May 8, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Marton, File)

    A second season, titled 鈥淢aking a Murderer: Part 2,鈥 released in 2018.

    Both Avery and Dassey were sentenced to life in prison, but Dassey鈥檚 conviction was overturned in 2016.

    Prosecutors appealed and a federal appeals court later reinstated the conviction.

    Avery has filed unsuccessfully filed multiple appeals and motions over the years.

    Both men remain incarcerated.

    Robert Durst and "The Jinx"

    鈥淭he Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst鈥 is a true-crime series that made news even as it was in the news.

    Durst, an eccentric New York real estate heir, was arrested right before HBO (which is owned by CNN's parent company) aired the show鈥檚 finale in March 2015.

    The series investigated three cases Durst was connected to: the unsolved disappearance of Durst鈥檚 wife, Kathie, in 1982; the 2000 execution-style murder of his friend, writer Susan Berman, and the death and dismemberment the following year of his neighbor, Morris Black, in Galveston, Texas.

    Durst claimed self defense in the death of Black and was arrested for Berman鈥檚 murder while the first season of the series was airing.

    He was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Berman in 2021 and sentenced to life without parole.

    Durst was also indicted for his late wife鈥檚 death, but he died in January 2022.

    In April 2024, HBO aired a second season of 鈥淭he Jinx.鈥

    Adnan Syed and "Serial"

    Adnan Syed gets emotional as he speaks to reporters outside the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal building after a hearing, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Annapolis, Md. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun via AP)

    The podcast 鈥淪erial鈥 not only helped propel interest in the then-new form of media, it led to the release of a man convicted of killing his high school girlfriend.

    The 2014 podcast, hosted by journalist Sarah Koenig, looked at the conviction of Adnan Syed for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, when they were both seniors at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County.

    Season one set podcast records at the time of its release with more than 300 million downloads, according to producers of the program. Syed had been serving a life sentence for first-degree murder, robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

    The attention to the case, which included questions about the defense Syed received, led to his conviction being vacated in September 2022.

    His release was hailed by supporters, but in August 2022 the Maryland Supreme Court ruled that the conviction should be reinstated because of procedural errors in the conviction being set aside.

    Syed remains free while the case is under appeal.

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    Canada

    • A sentencing hearing will resume today for the Saskatchewan man who withheld his seven-year-old daughter from her mother for more than 100 days in 2021 and 2022 in an attempt to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

    • Ontario's provincial parliament will be a hive of activity today, as the legislature resumes sitting following a 19-week summer break.

    • A Saskatoon LGBTQ+ advocate says if the Saskatchewan Party's proposed change room policy had been in place when he was a kid, he would not have survived high school.

    • The atmospheric river event that brought heavy downpours and flooding to B.C.鈥檚 South Coast over the weekend has come to an end, but not before smashing a number of records.

    • Mounties say a search is underway for an avid outdoorsman who has disappeared in the wilderness of northern British Columba.

    • Fifteen years after filing a lawsuit against the Canadian government over his detention in Sudan, Abousfian Abdelrazik is getting his day in court.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is appointing former federal Liberal health minister Jane Philpott to a new role overseeing attempts to connect every Ontarian to primary care within the next five years.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Nearly six months after its opening, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is boosting Canada's energy sector as promised 鈥 but questions still linger about who will pay for the project's massive cost overruns.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Mats Sundin registered 420 goals and put up 987 points in his 981 regular-season games with Toronto. Star centre and current captain Auston Matthews, who scored an outrageous 69 times in 2023-24, sat just 50 goals back heading into Monday's action.

    • Jordan Eberle scored 48 seconds into overtime and the Seattle Kraken beat the Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime on Saturday night.

    Autos

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    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥

    John Cantin vividly remembers opening day for his Victoria diner. Stress levels were high, tables were full, and one of the most popular menu items couldn鈥檛 be freed from the unyielding grip of the waffle maker.

    A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.

    A B.C. judge has issued a decision in a years-long dispute between neighbours that began with a noise complaint over barking dogs, crowing roosters and quacking ducks 鈥 awarding $15,000 in damages to the plaintiffs in the case.

    • Mounties say a search is underway for an avid outdoorsman who has disappeared in the wilderness of northern British Columba.

    • The atmospheric river event that brought heavy downpours and flooding to B.C.鈥檚 South Coast over the weekend has come to an end, but not before smashing a number of records.

    • Nearly six months after its opening, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is boosting Canada's energy sector as promised 鈥 but questions still linger about who will pay for the project's massive cost overruns.

    • The University Health Network (UHN) is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.

    • A Durham police officer has been charged criminally after he allegedly failed to render medical assistance to a person in distress.

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government is appointing former federal Liberal health minister Jane Philpott to a new role overseeing attempts to connect every Ontarian to primary care within the next five years.

    • Three people were sent to hospital following a crash on Peigan Trail Monday morning.

    • The City of Calgary says road crews are preparing for Monday's snowfall.

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      Snowfall warnings have been issued along the foothills with 10 to 15 centimetres of snow expected throughout the day Monday.

    • A cat rescue southwest of Ottawa is under investigation after allegations of abuse, neglect and falsified medical records have surface.

    • As federal employees head into the office three days a week under the federal government's new hybrid work model, the City of Ottawa is only requiring its hybrid employees to be in the office a minimum of two days a week.

    • Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the City of Ottawa is taking a "couple of important steps" to reduce heavy truck traffic in the village of Manotick, including banning transport trucks on a section of Manotick Main Street immediately.

    • A 65-year-old Repentigny man is facing charges after allegedly drunkenly firing a shotgun in his apartment and injuring a young woman who was sleeping in her bed two floors above.

    • Opponents of the proposed Lac-Megantic rail bypass have a petition in hand and want a new environmental assessment.

    • Another vehicle was set on fire in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough.

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      LIVE @ 9:30 A.M. MT

      The Alberta government is set to reveal on Monday its plans for interim housing in Jasper, which saw about 800 housing units destroyed in a wildfire in July.

    • Edmonton Public Schools support workers will go on strike on Thursday.

    • WEATHER

      WEATHER

      We get a brief taste of some chilly autumn weather today.

    • New Brunswickers will cast their votes today in what is predicted to be a tight provincial election.

    • Halifax Regional Police say they are on scene after a sudden death at a Walmart on Mumford Road Saturday night.

    • The Serious Incident Response Team says they have charged an RCMP officer after finding reasonable grounds to believe he was involved in the theft of evidence.

    • Winnipeg Central Mosque was broken into early Sunday morning.

    • Winnipeg Police Service crews were busy this weekend, arresting several people in connection to various weapon and drug investigations.

    • The Winnipeg Jets welcomed back a familiar face on Sunday to celebrate the career of a fan favourite.

    • A sentencing hearing will resume today for the Saskatchewan man who withheld his seven-year-old daughter from her mother for more than 100 days in 2021 and 2022 in an attempt to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

    • The Regina Thunder have beaten their provincial rivals, the Saskatoon Hilltops, to take the Prairie Football Conference Final (PFC) for the second time in three years.

    • A Saskatoon LGBTQ+ advocate says if the Saskatchewan Party's proposed change room policy had been in place when he was a kid, he would not have survived high school.

    • A Waterloo, Ont. man is sharing video of a recent encounter with a stranger to give others an idea of the hate he experiences in the community.

    • Three people from Brantford are facing charges after 6.3 kilograms of cocaine was seized during search warrants at five southwestern Ontario locations.

    • One person has died in a Brant County collision.

    • A Saskatoon LGBTQ+ advocate says if the Saskatchewan Party's proposed change room policy had been in place when he was a kid, he would not have survived high school.

    • A sentencing hearing will resume today for the Saskatchewan man who withheld his seven-year-old daughter from her mother for more than 100 days in 2021 and 2022 in an attempt to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

    • The City of Saskatoon has taken the step of issuing a news release to clear up information it says has been circulating on social media about plans for Confederation Mall.

    • A 29-year-old man believed to be carrying a loaded pistol is wanted on Manitoulin Island by Anishnaabe police who say they suspect he fled to Sagamok First Nation.

    • Two suspects are accused of assaulting and threatening a man with a baseball bat before stealing his wallet and cellphone, forcing him to sign a bill of sale for his vehicle.

    • A vehicle with a strong smell of cannabis on Frood Road caught the attention of patrol officers Sunday night and resulted in a drug bust worth nearly $50,000, police say.

    • A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    • OPP in Huron County are investigating a fatal crash. Just after 11 a.m. on Sunday, police said a passenger vehicle left the roadway on Airport Line and ended up in a field.

    • OPP have identified the driver and passenger involved in Saturday鈥檚 fatal collision in Norfolk County.

    • The unprecedented civilian court prosecution of a Canadian soldier accused of sexual assault and forcible confinement against a female military member while at Canadian Forces Base Borden in 2018 has gone to trial.

    • A disabled car shut down parts of Highway 11 Sunday night after it went up in flames.

    • The Simcoe County District Health Unit is working with the Collingwood hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak.

    • One person running in the 2024 Detroit Free Press Marathon is dead after collapsing on the Canadian side of the cross-border route.

    • Essex County OPP officers have concluded their investigation into school threats in Kingsville.

    • A 43-year-old woman has been charged with impaired driving after a crash in Stoney Point.

    • The atmospheric river event that brought heavy downpours and flooding to B.C.鈥檚 South Coast over the weekend has come to an end, but not before smashing a number of records.

    • Mounties say a search is underway for an avid outdoorsman who has disappeared in the wilderness of northern British Columba.

    • Nearly six months after its opening, the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is boosting Canada's energy sector as promised 鈥 but questions still linger about who will pay for the project's massive cost overruns.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Calgary scored three times in the first, and three times in the third as the Hitmen defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-1 Saturday at the Saddledome.

    • The last students to graduate from Lethbridge College will make history this weekend as they cross the stage at fall convocation.

    • While the start to fall has seen above-average temperatures for much of southern Alberta, the first chance of winter is in the forecast for Monday evening, which has many in Lethbridge preparing.

    • A 29-year-old man believed to be carrying a loaded pistol is wanted on Manitoulin Island by Anishnaabe police who say they suspect he fled to Sagamok First Nation.

    • A man from northwestern Ontario has his fishing licence suspended for three years and faces fines of $15,870 for illegally selling leeches and baitfish.

    • Members of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service鈥檚 traffic unit are investigating a motor vehicle crash that occurred earlier this week.

    N.L.

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