Amid new interest in the Erik and Lyle Menendez case following the release of Netflix's Monsters, Kim Kardashian is using her platform to call for their release from prison.
After recently visiting the Menendez brothers, who were convicted of killing their parents Kitty and José in 1989 where they are incarcerated, Kardashian has penned an essay in which she expressed her "hope" in that their "life sentences are reconsidered."
On October 3, the Skims founder published an op-ed on NBCNews demanding that the case be reevaluated. She wrote of how the trial was mishandled, how "the media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalized eye candy," and argued that the abuse and molestation Lyle and Erik experienced led to the killings and would have been seen differently today.
Kardashian wrote, "Following years of abuse and a real fear for their lives, Erik and Lyle chose what they thought at the time was their only way out—an unimaginable way to escape their living nightmare."
"I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters," she continued. "They are kind, intelligent, and honest men. In prison, they both have exemplary disciplinary records. They have earned multiple college degrees, worked as caregivers for elderly incarcerated individuals in hospice, and been mentors in college programs—committed to giving back to others. When I visited the prison three weeks ago, one of the wardens told me he would feel comfortable having them as neighbors."
The reality TV star/entrepreneur also explained that 24 members of the Menendez family released statements in support of Erik and Lyle shortly after Ryan Murphy's controversial series debuted on Netflix on September 19.
Kardashian wrote, "I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case. Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different. I also strongly believe that they were denied a fair second trial and that the exclusion of crucial abuse evidence denied Erik and Lyle the opportunity to fully present their case, further undermining the fairness of their conviction."
"We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved," she concluded.
Kardashian's open letter comes less than two weeks after she visited Erik and Lyle on September 21 at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional facility in San Diego, California, just days after Monsters hit the streamer.
On October 4, it was announced that there has been progress in the 35-year-old case. According to CNN, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón said the office plans to review new evidence, which includes a letter written by Erik about the alleged abuse. A hearing has been set for November 29, which could ultimately lead to a resentencing.
