Published 10:28 IST, December 11th 2020
Kim Kardashian pleads for man on death row citing his family's plight; triggers debate
Kim Kardashian extended a plea to US Federal Government to pardon Brandon Bernard who was a minor during the crime he was accused of. Here's how the case closed
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American socialite Kim Kardashian posted a status on her official Twitter handle on December 10, 2020, expressing grief over the scheduled execution of Brandon Bernard, a man who was 18 at the time of the arrest. Kim Kardashian's Twitter post was all about how the model could not stop thinking about the family of the accused, and how they would feel knowing that they were to lose a loved one. Many people replied to the post with reactions of disapproval, as they believed that Brandon was guilty as charged, but there was also a plethora of comments supporting Kim's ideology since Brandon was allegedly "forced" to participate in the crime. Here is Kim Kardashian's Twitter post that was meant to serve as a plea to the Trump government to call off the execution, amid reports that Trump is looking to hand out mass pardons.
Brandon Bernard will be executed in 5 hours and all I can think about is his family and children and how they will feel when their loved one is gone. 😢💔
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 10, 2020
Who is Brandon Bernard?
According to NBC, Brandon Bernard was put behind the bars in 1999 for a case of double murder. The victims, Todd and Stacey Bagley, were married youth pastors, and it was reported that they were kidnapped and shot in the heads before their car was set on fire. Brandon was a part of the robbery plot with a group of minors, but his lawyer stated that he was just a follower and was forced to be a part of the crime, and thus should not be charged with a death penalty. Kim Kardashian had previously shared a tweet about having a conversation with the man and admitted that the remorse expressed by Brandon made her break into tears.
Terrible news from the 7th circuit:
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) December 10, 2020
IT IS ORDERED that the Emergency Motion for Stay of Execution Pending Appeal is
DENIED.
This is why judges matter. #SaveBrandonBernard
Reactions to the Tweet
Despite the charges of a vile crime being put on Brandon, lots of and followers of Kim Kardashian agreed with her that a death penalty was a bit over the head. As to answering the question on "Who is Brandon Bernard", followers chose to take to racial remarks about how the Trump government's measures were a bit too harsh towards a certain section of the society. It was evident from the comments on the tweet that the decision taken for the execution was "devastating" since Brandon was seemingly "forced at gunpoint to burn the corpses". They also expressed gratitude to the socialite for taking to social media to voice out her opinion on the matter.
The Aftermath of the Decision
Even after Kim Kardashian posted a plea to the US Federal government to show leniency to Brandon Bernard, the decision stood unmoved. Brandon was hanged to death at around 9:27 p.m. on the night of December 10, 2020. According to the same report by NBC, Brandon was the youngest person to be charged with a death penalty in almost seven decades.
10:28 IST, December 11th 2020