Kim Kardashian’s Exoneration Support Draws Objections

The children of Mary “Evon” Jennings Fleetwood challenged the exoneration campaign Kim Kardashian amplified for Stacey “Sabur” Tyler, saying their mother’s voice mattered, according to Capital B.

Patrice “Monique” Jennings and brothers Darius and Jermaine told the outlet they believed Tyler’s murder conviction was correct.

“She’s not here to fight for herself,” Monique told Capital B. “So I have to.”

Fleetwood suffered fatal burns on November 5, 1993 and died 15 days later. In 1995, her boyfriend, Stacey Anthony Tyler, received a death sentence after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder.

The North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the conviction and sentence on June 6, 1997. Its opinion described testimony that Tyler had abused Fleetwood and threatened to burn her home with her children inside.

Tyler presented no evidence during the guilt phase. At sentencing, he denied attacking Fleetwood or setting her on fire and testified that he tried to extinguish the flames.

The opinion also detailed Fleetwood’s changing account. She initially indicated Tyler hadn’t burned her. After being told he was in custody and couldn’t hurt her, she answered further questions with nods identifying him as her attacker, according to testimony reviewed by the court.

The Making an Exoneree campaign offered a different account in its description of “I Dare Not Dream,” a film about Tyler. The group maintained that a kerosene heater caused an accident, challenged the reliability of prosecution witnesses and denied a history of abuse.

Making an Exoneree began at Georgetown University in 2018. The program combines investigations with films and campaigns seeking release. Its undergraduate teams gather material through prison visits and trips to the locations involved in cases. Georgetown Law students assist those teams while also working with lawyers pursuing relief for incarcerated people.

Kardashian has brought criminal justice stories to entertainment audiences elsewhere. She joined the producing team for “The Fear of 13,” the Broadway play about Nick Yarris’ wrongful conviction starring Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson.

Monique said Kardashian’s June post introduced her to Tyler’s campaign. She said the filmmakers hadn’t contacted her beforehand.

Making an Exoneree told Capital B its films expressed its evidence assessment. It said it generally avoided contacting victims’ families out of concern for their trauma. It stood by its advocacy.