The trial of Lyle and Eric Menendez, two affluent youths accused of the first-degree murder of their parents, captured worldwide attention. A key issue was whether they were abused as children or whether they killed for the inheritance money. The author believes the Menendez brothers do not fit the profile of the severely abused child and concludes mental health professionals who evaluate adolescents charged with killing one or both parents need to systematically determine whether a case has characteristics typically associated with the severely abused child. The mere allegation of abuse by an adolescent parricide offender should not be treated as proof of its existence, and substantiation of abuse should not be considered dispositive on the issue of motivation. Although the professional literature indicates the typical adolescent parricide offender can be safely returned to society, the prognosis for successful reintegration into society is poor if the young person does not have an internalized value system. 21 references