Entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife were murdered in their Beverly Hills mansion in a fashion typical of mob-style executions, informed law enforcement sources said Tuesday.
"It was definitely a message killing," said a source familiar with the slayings. "There's no question it's organized crime."
Investigators believe that at least two hit men, wielding 12-gauge shotguns, confronted Menendez, 45, and his wife, Kitty, 44, as they watched television in their home on the evening of Aug. 20 and shot them at close range.
Coup de Grace
Fueling speculation in investigative circles that the killers intended to send a message to others was the kind of coup de grace administered to Menendez.
As described by a law enforcement source, a shotgun barrel was thrust into Menendez's mouth, undoubtedly after he was dead, and a final blast blew off the back of his head.
Beverly Hills police have refused to divulge details of the slayings and have maintained publicly that the double-homicide may not necessarily have been the work of professional hit men.
But knowledgeable law enforcement sources, who asked not to be identified, told The Times that investigators "are proceeding along the lines" that the slayings were done in classic mob fashion.
Menendez and his wife were found slain by their two college-age sons, Lyle, 21, and Eric, 18, who had been out for the evening.
Nothing of value was missing from the house, according to Lyle Menendez.
Police found doors to the home unlocked, with no signs of forcible entry, a law enforcement source said.
The Menendez family apparently had a habit of leaving doors unlocked, he said, and "someone must have known" about this practice.
