The Oklahoma Attorney General is blasting Kim Kardashian West for meeting with death row inmate Julius Jones, claiming she hasn't done enough research on the case to advocate for a stay of his execution.
Julius' case was thrust into the national spotlight in 2018 following a Viola Davis-produced docuseries that cast doubt about his guilt. Julius was arrested in 1999 for the shooting death of a 45-year old man. He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2002 and sentenced to death.
Julius and his team have long maintained his innocence, and Kim is certainly listening. On Nov. 23, the "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" star met with Julius and his legal team and promised to do whatever she could to assist them, TMZ reported. Kim also met with his family.
Like many, Kim was first made aware of the case via the aforementioned ABC docuseries.
Ever since Julius' arrest, many have said it was racially-motivated. Critics argue that little evidence actually ties him to the crime, and Julius' mother said he was home the evening that the murder occurred. Julius, who was 19 at the time, believes he doesn't even fit the description that the victim's sister gave authorities. His family also argues that he had a shoddy defense team during his trial.
Oklahoma's Attorney General, Mike Hunter, isn't buying it, telling TMZ, "every criticism surrounding his case has been disproven."
"Celebrity endorsements and biased documentaries cannot erase the facts of the case that overwhelmingly prove Julius Jones killed Paul Howell in cold blood," he continued.
The AG adds the DNA on the murder weapon backs his arguement.
"Jones had his day in court and has exhausted his appeals at every level. He committed this horrific crime and now must serve the sentence a jury of his peers deemed appropriate," the AG said. "I encourage those advocating for Jones, including Mrs. Kardashian West, to research the case and read the summary of the transcript on our website."
Over the years, Kim has become quite the advocate for prison reform. In 2018, she helped free Alice Johnson, a great-grandmother who was incarcerated in October 1996 for a first-time nonviolent drug offense. Since then, Kim has worked to free many other prisoners. Last year, TMZ said Kim is known among inmates as the "Princess of Prison Reform."