Not every true crime tale starts in poverty — some of the most shocking stories were born in mansions.
We’re used to crime shows painting a very specific picture: a rough upbringing, broken homes, desperate circumstances. But not every villain comes from rags — some of the most chilling and high-profile crimes were committed by people who had every silver spoon available and still reached for something darker.
From Beverly Hills to the Ivy League, here are five criminals who prove that a fat bank account doesn’t always mean a clean record.
The Menendez Brothers
Erik and Lyle Menendez were living the 90210 dream — until they weren’t.
Born to Cuban immigrant José Menendez, a former top executive at RCA Records and later a high-ranking exec at LIVE Entertainment, the brothers grew up with mansions, private tennis lessons, and designer wardrobes. Their home in Beverly Hills was the picture of opulence — but what hid beneath it was far more disturbing. In 1989, the brothers brutally murdered their parents with shotguns, later claiming years of psychological and sexual abuse. The trial captivated America in the ’90s and has seen a resurgence on TikTok, where Gen Z has taken a peculiar interest in the case.
Were they cold-blooded killers or deeply damaged victims of a twisted household? Depends who you ask.
Robert Durst
Real estate heir, alleged serial killer, and the most unnervingly unblinking man in HBO history.
Durst was the eldest son of Seymour Durst, a New York real estate mogul behind the Durst Organization, worth billions. Instead of following in his father’s architectural footsteps, Robert leaned into a real-life murder mystery. After his wife disappeared in 1982, suspicion always lingered — but it wasn’t until The Jinx aired in 2015 that things truly spiraled. A hot mic caught him muttering in the bathroom, “Killed them all, of course.”
He was arrested the day before the show’s finale aired and was later convicted for the murder of his friend Susan Berman. Durst died in prison in 2022, but the legacy of his disturbing calm — and his family’s cold silence — still haunts New York’s elite.
“Rich doesn’t mean righteous. And privilege doesn’t mean
you’re above the law — though sometimes, it sure tries to be.”
Ethan Couch
The guy who made “affluenza” a legal defense — and somehow didn’t invent NFTs.
In 2013, the then-16-year-old Texan killed four people while driving drunk — his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. His parents, Fred and Tonya Couch, were wealthy business owners (Fred owned a successful sheet metal company), and Ethan was raised with every privilege imaginable, including his own McMansion and little to no consequences.
His legal team argued that Ethan suffered from affluenza — a term suggesting he was too rich to understand right from wrong. The judge agreed, sentencing him to rehab and probation instead of jail. When he later violated probation and fled to Mexico with his mom, the Internet exploded with outrage.
Justice system glitch? Or just what happens when money rewrites morality?
Michael Skakel
Kennedy cousin, golf prodigy, and convicted murderer.
Michael Skakel grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, as part of the sprawling and scandal-shadowed Kennedy clan — his aunt Ethel was married to Robert F. Kennedy. His father was a millionaire and head of Great Lakes Carbon Corporation. Michael grew up in a 30-room mansion but was also reportedly plagued by substance abuse and behavior issues.
In 1975, 15-year-old Martha Moxley was beaten to death with a golf club in the upscale Belle Haven neighborhood. The case went cold — until 25 years later, when Skakel was arrested and later convicted of her murder. He served over a decade in prison before his conviction was overturned.
Privileged or protected? Or maybe just tangled in America’s most cursed family tree.
Andrew Luster
Cosmetics heir turned most-wanted fugitive.
Andrew Luster is the great-grandson of Max Factor — yes, that Max Factor, the legendary makeup mogul who helped invent modern Hollywood glam. Andrew grew up in Malibu, lived off a multimillion-dollar trust fund, and could’ve lived a breezy life of surfing and skincare.
Instead, he drugged and raped multiple women, filming the assaults. In 2003, he was convicted in absentia on 86 charges — but by then, he’d fled to Mexico. He was eventually captured by none other than Dog the Bounty Hunter. (Yeah, that happened.)
He’s now serving a 50-year sentence.
A trust fund can buy a lot — but not decency, apparently.
