Kim Kardashian Calls for Menendez Brothers to Be Freed From Prison, Says They’re ‘Kind’ Men

Kim Kardashian has penned an essay explaining why she believes Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez should be freed from prison, insisting that the brothers are “not monsters.”

Lyle, 56, and Erik, 53, were found guilty of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, during a high-profile trial in 1996 , and the case has garnered renewed attention after it was depicted in Ryan Murphy ’s Monster anthology series . The brothers have argued that they killed their parents as a form of self defense following years of abuse, and Kim, 43, has come to their defense.

“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!” Kim wrote in the essay, which was published by NBC News on Thursday, October 3.

She then noted that Lyle and Erik were allegedly “sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents,” pointing out Erik’s claim that José allegedly began raping him when he was 6-years-old.

Lyle and Erik’s first trial ended in a mistrial, and Kim argued that another high-profile case could have potentially changed the course of the trial. “Eight days after [O.J.] Simpson’s acquittal, opening arguments began in Erik and Lyle’s second trial. However, this time, the judge had changed the rules,” the mother of four – whose father, Robert Kardashian Sr., served on Simpson’s legal team – wrote.

“Both brothers were tried together before a single jury, much of the abuse evidence was deemed inadmissible, and manslaughter was no longer an option. Some witnesses from the first trial were barred from testifying about the alleged abuse, depriving the jurors of crucial evidence,” she continued. “The prosecutor, having successfully argued to exclude the abuse testimony, mocked the brothers’ defense during his closing arguments for not producing any evidence of abuse.”

Because the first trial was televised, Kim claimed that “Erik and Lyle’s case became entertainment for the nation.” After noting that their experience was “ridiculed” in pop culture, she said that “the media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalized eye candy — two arrogant, rich kids from Beverly Hills who killed their parents out of greed.”

Due to the way they were portrayed, Kim argued that Erik and Lyle were not given a “fair” second trial. “Back then, there were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys,” she continued. “Can anyone honestly deny that the justice system would have treated the Menendez sisters more leniently?”

Kim went on to share that she has “spent time with Lyle and Erik” at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and insisted that they “are not monsters.” She said that they are both “kind” and “honest men,” adding that they “both have exemplary disciplinary records.”

“One of the wardens told me he would feel comfortable having them as neighbors,” she said while recalling her visit to the facility where the brothers are housed.

“The killings are not excusable. I want to make that clear. Nor is their behavior before, during or after the crime. But we should not deny who they are today in their 50s,” Kim concluded in the essay. “We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved.”