From RuPaul to the Paul Brothers, even the Duchess of Sussex; every flavor of celebrity or public figure has a podcast these days. It was only a matter of time before the Kardashian-Jenner brand got in on the action. Kim Kardashian-West has finally launched her talk media debut, The System: The Case of Kevin Keith. Some might be more surprised by Kim’s chosen subject, a multi-episode deep dive into a wrongful conviction case set in Ohio. Still, this development won’t faze anyone familiar with Kim’s involvement with The Innocence Project.
Kim spends a substantial portion of episode one establishing her credentials in the True Crime arena, letting listeners know she is more than just an armchair detective. Kim reminds listeners of Alice Marie Johnston, the “63-year-old sweet great-grandmother”, who received a presidential pardon in 2019. Johnston was serving a life sentence in prison for a drug offense. Kim describes her direct intervention in the case, including contacting Ivanka Trump for assistance.
Even if this new career path seems out of place in the fashion, makeup, and reality TV star world of the Kardashian-Jenner cohort, it runs in her DNA. Kim’s late father, Robert Kardashian, received heavy media attention in the 90s when he served on the defense during the OJ Simpson trial. However, that case and this one differ in significant ways. Firstly, the defendant, Simpson, was a baseball megastar, initially acquitted in criminal court. Secondly, the prosecutors had a vast amount of physical evidence that they believed tied Simpson to the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Nicole’s friend Ron Goldman.
Kim highlights that in this case, a triple-homicide in Ohio, there was “no physical evidence” directly connecting the suspect, Kevin Keith, to the crime. The lack of forensic evidence is indeed a flaw in the case. In addition, according to The System: the police never even interviewed Keith about his involvement. If these claims prove true, they are certainly unusual- especially in a capital murder case.
The original case saw Keith convicted by an all-white jury of his peers, which Kim uses to illustrate racial inequity in the justice system. Keith was initially placed on death row for his alleged involvement in the murder and later had his sentence overturned—but changed to life without parole. Unfortunately, to Keith, a life in prison with no possibility of appeal, feels like a “slower death sentence.”
True crime podcast fanatics will know that these pods can tackle some grizzly, disturbing crimes, and this case is no exception. It is stated in the podcast Marichelle Chatman, sister Linda and Marichelle’s four-year-old daughter Marchae were all killed in their home in Bucyrus, OH, by a masked shooter. Survivor Richard Warren later identified Keith as the gunman.
If listeners came for an objective blow-by-blow of this case, they would be sorely disappointed. It is clear that Kim’s number one priority is to determine Keith’s innocence and convince her listeners of this too. Establishing Keith’s innocence is mission number one; during an opening call, we hear the warm rapport between Kim and Keith as they discuss his work with reformation schemes and meeting the rest of the Kardashian clan.
Undoubtedly, listeners are guided to see these charitable actions as a testament to Keith’s character. Fans of the seminal true-crime podcast Serial will recall many similar exchanges between Sarah Koenig and Adnan Syed, with hints that such a stand-up guy could not possibly have committed the violent crimes he is serving time for. In Syed’s case, the 1995 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Le. Notably, Kim isn’t working alone, assisted by Lori Rothschild Ansaldi, a true-crime TV producer, indicating the intentions to make this podcast a deep-dive but a well-crafted entertainment piece too.
Racial injustice in the US judicial system is a topic worthy of a large platform. A benefit of this podcast is the vast attention that Kim’s celebrity will bring to the subject. It has already hit the number one spot on Spotify, beating out Meghan Markle’s Archetypes and The Joe Rogan Experience. The feeling of small-town America is strong throughout the episodes, giving the impression of life in conservative, largely-white communities that can breed inequity.
Wrongful convictions unfairly condemn individuals, but equally victimized are those whose lives were cut short and the families or loved ones who mourn them. Critics may note the lack of detail surrounding the victims, with much of the media coverage centring on Kevin and The Innocence Project. Kim gives limited airtime to the victim’s family. For instance, listeners hear the victim’s brother, Damon Chatman, in episode two. He describes, distraught, the immediate aftermath of the crime and the trauma suffered by his niece and nephew, four and six at the time, who were witnesses to the shooting.
However, Kim is quick to discount Damon’s testimony—saying his presence was never documented. In fact, she uses his allegations to draw attention to a possible failure of the police to lock down the crime scene.
Further controversy has arisen, as two survivors, Quentin and Quintana Reeves, told the Daily Mail that Kim never attempted to contact them for comment. It it claimed that Kim’s team refuted these claims and said they would welcome the siblings on the podcast. If it happens, that may be one of the most compelling episodes yet.
As a storytelling exercise, there is a lot for listeners to sink their teeth into. The depth given to one case, told as an episodic narrative has proven to be a trendy audio format. The success of predecessors such as Serial, S Town and Undisclosed are all testaments to this. However, whether this podcast will move the needle forward on criminal justice or if it will limit its impact in raising one case to viral status—time will tell.