AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kim Kardashian West waded into the Rodney Reed case, urging Gov. Greg Abbott to halt the death row inmate’s planned execution on Saturday.
The reality TV star tweeted her support for Reed in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Kardashian West, who has 62 million followers on Twitter, said she has been “investigating” Reed’s case and tagged Abbott, telling him to “do the right thing.”
Her tweet came on the same day of the 20th annual march to abolish the death penalty at the Texas State Capitol.
(KXAN Photo: Tim Holcomb) 
(KXAN Photo: Tim Holcomb)
Reed was convicted in a 1996 murder case and is scheduled to be executed on Nov. 20, but his family say he has been wrongfully convicted and is an innocent man.
Sandra Reed, the mother of the death row inmate spoke at the march along with five other exonerated former death row prisoners.
Kardashian West wrote: “I just saw the movie Just Mercy, the film about Bryan Stevenson’s book starring Jamie Foxx & Michael B Jordan. Wow I cried!!! I know it doesn’t come out until January but you all have to see this!!! It’s a true glimpse into the injustice that still happens today.”
“After watching the movie I opened up my computer & opened up my email about a case I had recently been investigating, @FreeRodneyReed. I have been hearing about him and his story for the last week. On Nov. 20, Texas will execute Rodney Reed. I believe he is innocent.”
“PLEASE @GovAbbott How can you execute a man when since his trial, substantial evidence that would exonerate Rodney Reed has come forward and even implicates the other person of interest. I URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.”
The reality TV star followed her message by retweeting several posts in support of Reed.
Sandra Reed welcomed the attention from Kardashian West.
“I’m really satisfied and happy with what we are doing and who we got and if she’s wanting to get on board he more the merrier and I welcome her and I thank her already,” she told KXAN in an interview on Saturday.
For decades, Reed and his family have maintained that he did not kill 19-year-old Stacey Stites in Bastrop in 1996.
While Reed was not looked into initially, he became a suspect when investigators ran his DNA as part of a separate alleged sexual assault case that was later dropped, the Reed defense says.
Authorities said Reed’s DNA matched evidence found in the Stites case, and he was arrested and charged with capital murder in 1997.
Reed claims he had a secret and consensual relationship with Stites, which explains the DNA match. Reed’s legal team has continuously pointed the finger at Stites’ then-fiance, former police officer Jimmy Fennell, as the killer. Investigators considered Fennell a suspect prior to Reed’s DNA match.
