Kim Kardashian Shares 'Amazing' Kevin Cooper Case Update On Christmas Eve

Gov. Jerry Brown (D-California) ordered new DNA tests Monday in the case of death row inmate Kevin Cooper that could potentially clear him of a 35-year-old murder case – the possibility of which was celebrated by reality TV star Kim Kardashian on Christmas Eve.

“Just saw the press release from Governor Brown regarding Kevin Cooper! Such amazing news!” she tweeted, along with a screenshot of the press release.

“Additionally, Governor Brown today issued an order regarding the pending application for executive clemency submitted by Kevin Cooper, which directs limited retesting of certain physical evidence in the case and appoints a retired judge as a special master to oversee the testing, its scope and protocols. This order comes after the administration requested additional information from Mr. Cooper’s legal counsel and the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office earlier this year and thoroughly reviewed the record,” the release stated.

The items that will be retested from the 1983 Chino Hills hatchet and knife killings are a tan T-shirt, orange towel found at the scene, the hatchet handle, and sheath.

Cooper’s attorneys claim that the retesting results will prove their client was framed for the deaths of Doug and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica and 11-year-old neighbor Christopher Hughes in 1985, despite prosecutors maintaining that Cooper’s guilt in the murders was proven time and again, even by DNA results.

“I take no position as to Mr. Cooper’s guilt or innocence at this time, but colorable factual questions have been raised about whether advances in DNA technology warrant limited retesting of certain physical evidence in this case,” Brown wrote in his executive order, according to NBC News.

In October, Kardashian tweeted a New York Times article about Cooper, titled, “Justice Delayed, With A Life On The Line” by columnist Nicholas Kristof and requested Brown to be fair when considering the inmate’s case.

Along with Kardashian and Kristof, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) and California Treasurer John Chiang have also previously advocated on behalf of Cooper, calling for Brown to order new DNA tests.

“Wonderful Christmas news: Gov Brown has ordered DNA testing in the case of Kevin Cooper, whom I believe was framed for a quadruple murder. After several decades, we may finally learn definitively what happened. Congrats to Cooper, his legal team, and all who fought for testing,” Kristof tweeted Monday after hearing about Brown’s decision.

In October, Kristof filed a final plea on behalf of Cooper with Brown before the governor left office, even as the governor promised nothing, only saying he would “act” upon the multiple pleas from reporters, politicians, and celebrities.

Brown’s Christmas Eve order included 143 pardons and 131 commutations, all of which construed his last clemency actions before he leaves office on Jan. 7.

This is not the first time Kardashian has shown her support for a prison inmate. She played a considerable role in the early release of Alice Marie Johnson, 62, who was serving a life sentence without parole for a first-time nonviolent drug offense.

The reality TV star became involved in Johnson’s case after watching a Mic video released in October 2017, where Johnson talked about her case from inside the prison. Kardashian worked closely with White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and the Trump administration about Johnson’s possible presidential pardon. The efforts led to Trump commuting her sentence and Johnson getting released in June, after serving 21 years in prison.