Here's what Kim Kardashian said about Ohio inmate Kevin Keith while in Columbus

Kim Kardashian made a rare visit to Columbus on Thursday to share her thoughts about a man whose 1994 homicide conviction has been the subject of her podcast on wrongful convictions.

Kardashian participated in a panel discussion on the case of Kevin Keith, who was convicted in a triple slaying in Bucyrus in 1994. Three others were wounded.

The panel discussion, held Downtown at the Capital Square Sheraton Hotel, was organized by Ohio State University's chapter of the Ohio Innocence Project, and included members of Keith's legal counsel along with Lori Rothschild Ansaldi, a producer in Los Angeles who specializes in true-crime stories. She is making a documentary about Keith and his family.

OpinionProbing convictions the way Kim Kardashian did Kevin Keith's, right to do, Ohio justice says

Kardashian said that Keith's case for his innocence and his family's quest for justice has compelled her to get involved in his case.

"Because there was so much wrong with justice in this particular case," Kardashian said. "I wanted to really show people that might not have a law degree that might not understand how messed up our justice system really is."

'You have to tell the story'

Kardashian first took an interest in Keith's case in July 2019 and in October launched a podcast, "The System," to focus on wrongful convictions. In the podcast, she explores explores Keith's alibi and interviews a journalist, Keith's brother, his attorney and others.

Kardashian said that she hopes to keep raising awareness about Keith's case and other cases that may be wrongful convictions.

"You have to tell the story, you have to explain who these people are," she said. "And show that they're just like us, even in situations where people might not be innocent."

In addition to her appearance on the panel — where photography and video were not permitted — Kardashian also said she was visiting Keith on Thursday at the Marion Correctional Institution, where he has been held since his 1994 arrest. She has previously met and introduced her family to him through video calling.

"I wanted to make sure I've met him — he's so loveable, he's like a teddy bear," she said.

Who is Kevin Keith and what was he convicted for?

Keith grew up in Canton and is a former McKinley High School football star.

He was convicted in 1995 for the Feb. 14, 1994 slayings in a Bucyrus apartment that police called a revenge killing over drugs. The victims were Marichell Chatman, 24; her 4-year-old daughter, Marchae; and Chatman's aunt, Linda Chatman. Three others, including two children, survived their wounds.

Keith, who lived in nearby Crestline, was awaiting trial on a drug trafficking charge when his mugshot was identified as the suspect by a wounded, surviving witness to the triple murders. However, the witness told police that the shooter's face was partially covered by a scarf. Another child in the apartment, who also was wounded, told investigators that the shooter was a friend of her father's — not Keith.

Keith has maintained his innocence.

The case attracted national attention when President Bill Clinton mentioned it during a visit to Bucyrus to tout the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which featured funds to hire 100,000 additional police officers.

In the years since, Keith's younger brother Charles, who lives in Canton, has devoted his life to proving his brother's innocence. Charles Keith has since become a family liaison with Death Penalty Action, a national anti-death penalty organization.

Members of Kevin Keith's family were in attendance during the panel discussion, where Kardashian said that Charles and the rest of his family have "never wavered" in their determination for justice to prove Keith's innocence.

"I think people don't think of the domino effect of how one person having a conviction, where they're guilty or innocent, can change an entire family's life," Kardashian said.

What is the current status of Keith's case?

A Crawford County jury found Kevin Keith guilty of the killings and he was sentenced to death. But in September 2010, then-Gov. Ted Strickland commuted Keith's sentence to life without parole. Keith has unsuccessfully appealed his sentence many times.

In recent years, questions have swirled around the initial investigation and others done by retired Ohio Bureau of CriminaI Investigation lead investigator Michele Yezzo.

The Ohio Parole Board recently recommended against clemency for Keith.

Laura Bischoff, a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, contributed to this report.

Monroe Trombly covers breaking and trending news. Cole Behrens covers public safety.

mtrombly@dispatch.com

@monroetrombly

cbehrens@dispatch.com

@Colebehr_report

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kim Kardashian was in Columbus to talk about Ohio inmate Kevin Keith