Kim Kardashian demands Menendez brothers' release - sparking huge backlash

Kim Kardashian visited notorious murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez but has insisted 'they are kind, intelligent, and honest men' and she thinks they should be released

Kim Kardashian has demanded that the Menendez brothers should be freed from jail - sparking a furious backlash from fans.

The 43-year-old reality star has revealed that she has met with 56-year-old Lyle and 53-year-old Erik Menendez who were sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996 for the brutal murder of their parents. The brothers have been thrust back into the spotlight in recent weeks due to a Netflix dramatisation about their lives - which includes scenes suggesting they were sexually abused by their father.

Kim - who has been learning about the American legal system in her spare time - has visited the brothers and she thinks they should be allowed to be freed from jail. The brothers murdered their parents in 1989 when they were 21 and 18 by brutally and repeatedly shooting them at point blank range and were imprisoned for first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, reality star Kim insisted the murderous brothers were misunderstood. Sharing a photo of them, she wrote: "It’s time for the Menendez brothers to be freed. 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! You think you know the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez. I certainly thought I did." She also shared a link to an essay she wrote about the siblings.

Her post sparked a furious backlash from her fans, however, who slammed her for being naive. One unimpressed follower wrote: "They shot their parents in cold blood. Period. This was not self defense. We have laws for a reason. At least we used to…" Another wrote: "Kimberly don’t get involved with this. This isn’t what you think."

And another offered: "Not all people that go through trauma decide to kill people. More resources need to go towards mental health THEN maybe we could consider rehabilitation out side of the prison system."

It has been revealed that Kim visited the brothers at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional facility, near San Diego, California, in mid-September. She told NBC News: "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."

She added: "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."

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