Kim Kardashian is speaking up on behalf of the Menendez brothers, who were sentenced to life in prison for killing their parents. In an essay written for NBC News, Kim, 43, outlines why she believes “this story is much more complex than it appears on the surface.” Based on what she now understands about Lyle and Erik Menendez, her “hope is that Erik and Lyle Menendez’s life sentences are reconsidered.”
Lyle and Erik Menendez are serving life in prison for murdering their parents in 1989. At the time of the crime, Lyle was 21 years old and Erik was 18. The case has been getting more attention recently because of a Netflix doc titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
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Kim explained how she thought she knew the Menendez brothers' story.
In her essay, Kim asserts that “you think you know the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez.” More than 35 years ago, the Menendez brothers shot and killed their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. They were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 after a mistrial in 1993. At the time, the Menendez brothers claimed self-defense, but prosecutors argued that they committed the crime for potential financial gain, per CNN and Reuters.
In her essay, Kim details why the case is more complex than it might seem: “Both brothers said they had been sexually, physically and emotionally abused for years by their parents,” she wrote. “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.”
'The media turned the brothers into monsters and sensationalized eye candy,' Kim says.
The way the trials played out for the Menendez brothers did not result in much empathy, Kim continued in her essay. “The first trial was televised for all to see, and Erik and Lyle’s case became entertainment for the nation, their suffering and stories of abuse ridiculed in skits on ‘Saturday Night Live,'” she explained. “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.”
She added that “there was no room for empathy, let alone sympathy,” and, as a result, “Erik and Lyle had no chance of a fair trial against this backdrop.”
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She believes the outcome would be different if the trial happened today.
Kim drew attention to other factors that impacted the Menendez brothers’ case at the time. For one, support for survivors of sexual abuse was lacking at the time.
“There were limited resources for victims of sexual abuse, particularly for boys,” she wrote, adding that “despite overwhelming family testimony acknowledging the abuse Erik and Lyle suffered, the public remained skeptical.”
She believes that the outcome would be different today. “I don’t believe that spending their entire natural lives incarcerated was the right punishment for this complex case,” she said. “Had this crime been committed and trialed today, I believe the outcome would have been dramatically different.”
She's not making excuses.
Although Kim empathizes with the Menendez brothers after learning more about their story, she wants to make it clear that “the killings are not excusable.” However, she also encourages people to see the Menendez brothers for who they are today.
“I have spent time with Lyle and Erik; they are not monsters,” Kim wrote. “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.”
Reiterating why she believes their life sentences should be reconsidered, Kim wrapped up her essay with, “We owe it to those little boys who lost their childhoods, who never had a chance to be heard, helped or saved.”
Prosecutors in Los Angeles are reviewing new evidence in the Menendez brothers' case.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said on October 3 that prosecutors are reviewing new evidence in the case. The new evidence is related to the brothers’ allegations of sexual abuse, according to Reuters. “We’re not ready to believe or do not believe that information,” Gascón said. “But we’re here to tell you that we have a moral and ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and make a determination.”
Cliff Gardner, an attorney for the Menendez brothers, shared a statement with the Associated Press in response to the news. “Given today’s very different understanding of how sexual and physical abuse impacts children — both boys and girls — and the remarkable new evidence, we think resentencing is the appropriate result,” Gardner’s email read, CNN reported.
