Photo: Getty
Will she succeed?
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Jul 23, 2019
When you think of people who have been wronged by the prison system, it's easy to get upset, and it's even easier to feel helpless when it comes to making any real change for the good. The system is so big and so broken and we are all just people, right? What difference could we possibly make in the grand scheme of things? Well, Kim Kardashian is here to bolster your spirits.
Yes, that Kim Kardashian. The media mogul has recently become proactive in the case of a man named Kevin Keith who is serving life in prison for the murder of three people. The twist? There's a massive movement of support towards Keith because many people believe he was falsely arrested and is in fact, innocent of the charges levied against him. Who is Kevin Keith? Here's what we know so far.
1. Meet Kevin Keith
While you might hear the name Kim Kardashian and think booty, TV show, Kanye and a lot of sisters, she isn't just content to idly post selfies to Instagram, not by a long shot. Currently, Kim Kardashian is working to free a man convicted of murder who she believes was falsely accused. His name is Kevin Keith and Kimmy won't stop until he's free. On Twitter, Kim shared the following statement: "I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Keith through a video visit & was so impressed w/ the amazing programs he created in prison to help others inside better themselves! So much evidence has been uncovered proving Kevin’s innocence. I hope justice is served soon & he is released.”
2. The Crime
In 1994, Keith was convicted for the murders of three people. He was sentenced to death, too! However, in 2010 just about two weeks before he was going to pay for his crimes in the ultimate way, the then-governor of Ohio reduced his sentence to life in prison because there were serious concerns about Keith's trial. According to Keith's supporters and his own lawyers and investigators, he was framed for the crimes by the police. According to his website, the real tale is a “story filled with drug busts, police cover-ups, a love triangle between a cop and his confidential informant and how the State of Ohio tried to use the death penalty to make the story go away.”
3. Kim's Involvement
Kim was quick to open up with her fans and followers about how she became invested in Keith and his fight for freedom. “I heard about Kevin Keith’s case last year & the more I learn about it, the more I believe the world needs to hear what happened to him! He was on death row & came w/in days of execution before the governor of Ohio commuted his sentence to life w/o parole.” In a further bid to gain more supporters for Keith, Kim herself linked to an article about Keith's struggle, and about how his brother his been his biggest advocate while he has been behind bars. With the power of Kardashian behind him, Keith might find himself getting the freedom that he so richly deserves. Now, who wants to make fun of the Kardashians? THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT.
4. Kim K And Social Change
If you're reading this story and thinking that this is a sudden and shocking thing for Kim Kardashian to be paying attention to in the first place, then you don't know just how invested Kim is in social change, particularly when it comes to fighting for reforms in our criminal justice system. In fact, it was June 2019 when Kim appeared at the White House to announce a partnership she was forming with them to help give those who were once incarcerated inmates the transportation they needed in order to go to things like job interviews to help them better reintegrate into society. Yeah, sure, she can contour and highlight with the best of them, but Kim recognizes that our system needs to change and she's speaking up!
5. Alice John
In 2018, Alice Johnson finally was granted clemency for a drug trafficking sentence for which she was serving life in prison. Kim saw a documentary made by Mic about Alice's case, and in the process, she learned that Alice had already served over 20 years for what wasn't just her first ever offense, but a crime that was also totally non-violent. Kim tweeted about the documentary, and she didn't stop there. She actually scheduled a meeting with President Donald Trump and pled for Alice's case, in all likelihood directly spearheading the campaign to get the woman out of jail. That's right, while you're roasting Kim for being famous for a sex tape, she is literally kicking down the White House's doors and demanding justice.
6. Holes In The Case
There are countless holes in the case against Keith, and you don't need to read many of them to be convinced of his innocence. For one thing, his name was never actually even given to the police in the first place, another Kevin's name was and yet authorities later falsely claimed that Keith's name was given. The police also included a statement from a nurse who was said to have treated Keith. When her identity was sought out at a later date by Keith's team, they found that no such nurse existed in the first place. To make matters even worse, there was no physical evidence that connected Keith to the crime and he was (shocker) convicted by an all white jury.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime.