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After recently visiting the controversial Menendez Brothers in prison, reality TV star Kim Kardashian penned an essay demanding Erik and Lyle, who were convicted of killing their parents in 1996, be freed.
Kardashian wrote the essay for NBC News, Variety reported. "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. 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. Kim 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. The renewed interest in the Menendez brothers' trial comes after the Netflix true-crime series "Monsters" released in late September. (ANI)
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