Kim Kardashian calls for release of Menendez Brothers: Lyle and Erik are not monsters

Kim Kardashian is once again using her platform to push for criminal justice reform, this time advocating for the release of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. In an essay penned for NBC News, the reality TV star called for a re-evaluation of their life sentences, arguing that the brothers were victims of long-term abuse and deserve another chance at freedom.
"We are all products of our experiences.They shape who we were, who we are, and who we will be. Physiologically and psychologically, time changes us, and I doubt anyone would claim to be the same person they were at 18. I know I'm not," she said.
Convicted in 1996 of killing their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home, Erik and Lyle were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Advocating for a re-evaluation of their life sentences, Kim argued that the Menendez Brothers are not "monsters".

"You think you know the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. I certainly thought I did: In 1989, the brothers, aged 21 and 18, respectively, viciously shot and killed their parents in their Beverly Hills home. In 1996, after two trials, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As is often the case, this story is much more complex than it appears on the surface. Both brothers said they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents. According to Lyle, the abuse started when he was just 6 years old, and Erik said he was raped by his father for more than a decade. 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," she continued.
Kim's essay came shortly after news emerged that prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new evidence in the case after attorneys for the Menendez brothers asked a court to vacate their conviction. In her essay, she vouched for them, citing their "exemplary disciplinary records."

"I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters. 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. Twenty-four family members, including their parents' siblings, have released statements fully supporting Lyle and Erik and have respectfully requested that the justice system free them," Kim further said.
Her essay coincides with renewed interest in the Menendez case, as Los Angeles prosecutors review new evidence following a request from the brothers' attorneys to vacate their convictions. Kardashian also noted that 24 family members, including relatives of their parents, have released statements supporting the brothers' release.
The resurgence of attention on the Menendez trial comes in the wake of Netflix's true-crime series 'Monsters', which premiered in late September and brought the case back into the public eye.