The Idaho Murders | The Case Against Bryan Kohberger

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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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.

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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The families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin have filed a 126-page wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University — and the allegations paint a picture of institutional failure at every level. Thirteen formal complaints against Bryan Kohberger in a single semester. Female students so terrified they needed security escorts to their vehicles. Staff creating secret email systems to warn each other when he was on the move. A professor who allegedly predicted he would become a stalker and abuser if given a PhD. And according to this lawsuit, WSU's primary concern was getting sued by Kohberger, not protecting the women he was allegedly terrorizing. We're answering your questions about how this many red flags get ignored, what Title IX actually requires, and why Kohberger was finally terminated right around the time of the murders. The victims didn't even attend WSU — they were University of Idaho students killed eight miles away. Does that matter legally? We also discuss whether this lawsuit is about money, accountability, or forcing the truth onto the public record. Steve Goncalves has made clear he wants answers. This lawsuit might be the only way to get them.
#BryanKohberger #WSULawsuit #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #IdahoMurders #WashingtonStateUniversity #SteveGoncalves #InstitutionalNegligence
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Bryan Kohberger is serving four consecutive life sentences for murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The criminal case is closed. But the civil reckoning is just beginning—and it's not the only case demanding accountability this week. The families of Kohberger's victims have filed a 126-page wrongful death lawsuit against Washington State University, alleging the school ignored 13 formal complaints against Kohberger while he was employed as a teaching assistant. Women requested security escorts to avoid him. Staff created informal "911" alerts. 
A professor allegedly predicted he'd harass and abuse students. The families argue the murders were "foreseeable and preventable." Former prosecutor turned defense attorney Eric Faddis breaks down the Title IX violations, gross negligence claims, and what discovery will expose. Also in this episode: Faddis analyzes the Tepe double murder case in Columbus, where Dr. Michael McKee faces aggravated murder charges for allegedly killing his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Richard Tepe. Police say they found the murder weapon in McKee's apartment. His alibi reportedly failed. Faddis examines both the prosecution's strategy and where the defense will attack. Two cases. Criminal and civil accountability. One expert breakdown.
#BryanKohberger #WSULawsuit #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #TepeMurders #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #EricFaddis #TitleIX #KohbergerCase
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