The Idaho Murders | The Case Against Bryan Kohberger

A judge in Bryan Kohberger's case said the quiet part out loud in November 2025: under current Idaho law, Kohberger could potentially profit from book deals, streaming rights, and paid interviews within just five years of conviction. The statute "leaves open the potential for Defendant to receive money from media contracts in the future." Idaho's Son of Sam law hasn't been meaningfully updated since 1978—nearly fifty years ago, when serial killer David Berkowitz terrorized New York City and publishers lined up to pay him for his story. The Supreme Court gutted most of these laws in 1991, declaring them unconstitutional. Idaho never bothered to fix theirs. This week, that finally changed. State Senator Tammy Nichols introduced legislation to modernize the statute, addressing digital monetization, streaming platforms, podcasts, and ongoing royalties—none of which existed when the original law was written. The bill unanimously advanced out of committee for a public hearing. For the families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, this represents the bare minimum of accountability. The idea that the man accused of murdering their children could one day profit from telling his version of that night is unconscionable. But Idaho has become America's true crime epicenter, and Kohberger isn't the only case raising these questions. Lori Vallow Daybell owes over $700,000 in restitution she'll never pay. Chad Daybell's self-published doomsday novels may still be generating income somewhere. In this episode, we break down the full history of Son of Sam laws, why the Supreme Court struck them down, how Idaho's current statute fails victims, and what the new legislation actually does. Idaho became a true crime epicenter by accident. What they do next is a choice.
#BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #SonOfSamLaw #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #KohbergerCase #VictimsRights #IdahoLaw
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Bryan Kohberger pled guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students. Michael McKee stands charged with executing his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer in their Columbus home. One was a criminology PhD student. The other is a fellowship-trained vascular surgeon. Both allegedly believed their intelligence would protect them from investigators. Both were wrong.
When you compare what we know about how each man allegedly operated, the parallels are disturbing. Kohberger turned his phone off for two hours during the Idaho murders—but it came back online and traced his route home. McKee allegedly left his phone at the hospital for 17 hours straight, creating a complete blackout during the time police say he drove 325 miles to kill two people and drove back. Better operational security on paper. Same result in practice.
Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra was captured on 17 surveillance cameras. McKee allegedly swapped stolen Ohio plates and Arizona temp tags on his silver SUV—but the vehicle was still registered to addresses in his name. Police tracked it to his workplace parking lot. Fresh scrape marks showed where he'd hastily removed a sticker that was already documented in pre-murder footage.
Both men allegedly conducted surveillance before striking. Kohberger's phone pinged near the King Road house 23 times in the months before the killings. McKee allegedly spent hours on the Tepe property during a reconnaissance trip 24 days before the murders—while the family was at the Big Ten Championship game.
Intelligence got them into elite programs. It didn't get them away with murder. This is the pattern of educated killers who think preparation equals protection—and discover that knowing what investigators look for isn't the same as avoiding it.
#BryanKohberger #MichaelMcKee #SpencerTepe #MoniqueTepe #IdahoMurders #ColumbusOhio #TrueCrime #CriminalPsychology #EducatedKillers #HiddenKillers
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In November 2025, Judge Steven Hippler said the quiet part out loud: Idaho's current Son of Sam law "leaves open the potential for Defendant to receive money from media contracts in the future." Bryan Kohberger — the man who confessed to stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin to death — could legally profit from telling his story within five years.
This week, Idaho lawmakers finally moved to fix it. Senator Tammy Nichols introduced legislation to modernize the state's 48-year-old statute, and the bill unanimously advanced out of committee. Representative Elaine Price — whose district includes three of the victims' hometowns — co-sponsored it, saying: "Victims should not feel continually victimized."
The numbers are infuriating. Kohberger owes over $300,000 in fines and fees. Restitution to the families totals about $32,000. While awaiting trial, he received more than $28,000 in donations to his jail account. Meanwhile, the Goncalves and Mogen families were left arguing in court over who should pay for their daughters' urns — a dispute over roughly $3,000.
Idaho's current law was written in 1978. It doesn't mention podcasts. It doesn't mention streaming platforms. It doesn't account for social media monetization or ongoing royalties. The true crime industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and Idaho's law is stuck in the era of evening news broadcasts.
The new bill addresses digital monetization, extends escrow periods by court order, and includes First Amendment protections to survive constitutional challenges. It focuses on profit, not speech. But the clock is already ticking. The families of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan deserve better than a legal system playing catch-up.
We break down exactly what's in the bill, what it means for Kohberger, and why this fight is far from over.
#BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #SonOfSamLaw #MoscowIdaho #UniversityOfIdaho #Justice4Idaho
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Two different systems allegedly failed to act on clear warning signs. One was an institution. The other was a family. Former FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke analyzes both in this extended interview—and explains what these cases reveal about how we recognize danger, and why we so often fail to respond. On the Kohberger case: The families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin have sued Washington State University for gross negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit alleges WSU received 13 formal complaints about Bryan Kohberger's threatening and predatory behavior during the fall 2022 semester. Faculty allegedly predicted he would sexually abuse students if given a PhD. Staff created informal "911" alerts. Women needed security escorts. 
Robin—who spent 21 years with the FBI including as Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program—explains what those complaints should have triggered operationally and why institutions prioritize liability over safety. On the Reiner case: Nick Reiner was under LPS conservatorship in 2020, overseen by a professional fiduciary. It wasn't renewed. His medication was reportedly changed a month before his parents were found dead. Robin analyzes how someone manipulates institutional gatekeepers, how families lose threat perception over decades of managing mental illness and addiction, and what it means that Rob Reiner publicly regretted listening to professionals instead of Nick. Two failures. Two mechanisms. One conversation about the cost of inaction.
#BryanKohberger #NickReiner #RobReiner #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #WSULawsuit #FBI #RobinDreeke #InstitutionalFailure #FamilyDynamics
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The families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin are suing Washington State University for allegedly knowing Bryan Kohberger was dangerous and doing nothing. Thirteen complaints in one semester. Security escorts for terrified women. A professor who warned colleagues he'd become a predator. And according to the lawsuit, WSU's biggest concern was getting sued by the stalker. We're answering your questions — and connecting this case to two others that expose the same systemic rot. Nick Reiner allegedly killed his parents Rob and Michele after years of failed rehab, a schizophrenia diagnosis, and a mental health system that couldn't contain what everyone saw coming. Michael McKee allegedly drove 300 miles to murder his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer — a seven-month marriage that became an eight-year obsession because domestic violence protections couldn't stop a man who decided his ex couldn't be happy. Three cases. Three different failures. Universities that don't act. Mental health systems that don't intervene. Restraining orders that don't protect. Your questions about Title IX, enabling, coercive control, and what accountability actually looks like when institutions choose self-preservation over the people they're supposed to serve.
#BryanKohberger #WSULawsuit #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #NickReiner #MichaelMcKee #InstitutionalFailure #TrueCrime
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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.