Kim Kardashian shares message from Julius Jones after his death sentence was commuted
Kim Kardashian is "grateful" that Julius Jones is still alive. The reality star publicly thanked Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for commuting Jones's death sentence, just hours before he was set to be executed. Jones, 41, was charged and convicted with murder during a 1999 carjacking and has maintained his innocence.
Kardashian, who helped draw attention to the case, shared a poignant message from Jones as she "spent most of my day on the phone" with him on Wednesday.
I spent most of my day on the phone with Julius yesterday in between his lawyer meetings and family visitation which still are not contact visits. Meaning he cannot still hug his family members before being executed. He hasn’t in over 20 years.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 18, 2021
"While I was on the phone with him somebody came in the room to try to give him his anti-anxiety meds that you usually are forced to take before you are executed so that you can be more calm about the fact that you are about to be executed," she wrote on social media. "However Julius refused because he said he has a clear conscience and that gives him peace knowing he is innocent and did not want to be drugged up."
Jones claims that his co-defendant, Christopher Jordan, shot the victim, Paul Howell. Jordan was released from prison after 15 years as part of a plea deal.
Kardashian said Jones wants to encourage people to "always make sure you are doing the right thing."
"The most important is that you have to always make sure you are doing the right thing. Julius was hanging out with the wrong crowd and that landed him in the position he's in today," she shared on behalf of Jones. "He said if you are doing something your mom wouldn’t approve of then you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s that simple!"
However Julius refused because he said he has a clear conscience and that gives him peace knowing he is innocent and did not want to be drugged up.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 18, 2021
He said if you are doing something your mom wouldn’t approve of then you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s that simple!
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 18, 2021
I’m so grateful to everyone who used their voice and helped to save Julius’s life today.
Thank you to the parole board and Governor Stitt. ??????— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 18, 2021
Gov. Stitt reduced Jones's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The move came after many public figures advocated him. The governor said he made the decision "after prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case."