Kim Kardashian is calling for convicted murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez to be released, weeks after the reality star visited the brothers in prison.
The Menendez brothers, who are serving life sentences for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty, have been back in the public eye following the release of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
They were arrested for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder outside their home in March 1990 and sentenced in 1996. In 2024, new evidence emerged that has the potential to set them free.
In a personal essay for NBC News, Kardashian writes: “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!”
The Kardashians star, 43, goes on to argue that the case against the brothers is “much more complex than it appears on the surface.”
She writes that the sexual, physical and emotional abuse the pair claimed they suffered at the hands of their parents was not adequately taken into account, and that media attention around the case meant “Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial.”
“Back then, there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys,” she writes. “There were virtually no systems in place to support survivors, and public awareness of the trauma of male sexual abuse was minimal, often clouded by preconceived judgments and homophobia. Can anyone honestly deny that the justice system would have treated the Menendez sisters more leniently?”
Describing her visit to San Diego County’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, Kardashian says: “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.”
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While she acknowledges that “the killings are not excusable,” Kardashian says she believes “the trial and punishment these brothers received were more befitting a serial killer than two individuals who endured years of sexual abuse by the very people they loved and trusted.
“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.”
She concludes: “We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved.”
Kardashian is a longtime advocate for criminal justice reform, and is reported to have discussed prison reform with the inmates during her prison visit.
Monsters stars Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as José and Kitty, with Cooper Koch and Nicholas Chavez as the brothers.
Since the series arrived on Netflix, viewers have been cautioning others on social media about the graphic nature of the violence depicted in the show.