Kim Kardashian tweets plea for death row inmate ahead of execution

by Sarah Polus - 11/16/21 1:51 PM ET

Kim Kardashian took to Twitter Monday night to make a plea on behalf of a death row inmate who is set to be executed in the coming days.

The reality star and criminal justice activist provided updates on Julius Jones, convicted of shooting a white businessman in 1999, in a lengthy thread.

“We are all anxiously awaiting a decision from Governor Stitt,” she wrote.

I want to give u all an update on Julius Jones. We are all anxiously awaiting a decision from Governor Stitt.

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 16, 2021

She explained that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) could either decide to grant Jones clemency with the possibility of parole, as the state’s Pardon and Parole Board has now recommended twice, or to allow the execution to go ahead as planned on Thursday.

“Julius, his family and everyone on his team are still hopeful Stitt will do the right thing,” Kardashian tweeted. “Today Julius’ family and close friends received invites to his execution. I can’t even imagine how they all must be feeling right now.”

She shared a glimpse into what Jones’s life will look like leading up to his planned execution, and the precautions and steps the state is taking.

“The state is so bent on vengeance that they will make every effort to ensure they get to kill Julius- including reviving him if he happens to go into cardiac arrest prior to the execution,” Kardashian wrote.

She added, “My heart breaks for Julius and so many others who have suffered from such tragic miscarriage of justice.”

Kardashian reportedly became interested in Jones’s case after watching the documentary “The Last Defense.” Claims presented in the series, including allegations of secret plea deals and jury racism, support Jones’s assertion of innocence. He maintains that he was framed for the murder for which he was sentenced to death.

An appeal to stay Jones’s upcoming execution, argued in part on the grounds that a lethal injection could cause him extreme pain, was denied by a federal court on Friday.

Kardashian, who is working on her law degree, has in recent years lobbied for the commutation of the sentences of various inmates, including Alice Marie Johnson, who was granted clemency by President Trump in 2018.