Mel Kohberger Tells All: Bryan's Childhood, Heroin Addiction, Autism, Christmas 2022, and the Truth About the Heart Drawing

This is the interview the Kohberger family never wanted to give — until now.In a bombshell exclusive with The New York Times, Mel Kohberger finally breaks three years of silence about her brother Bryan, the man who pleaded guilty to murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in November 2022.She takes us inside Bryan's troubled youth: the relentless bullying, the undiagnosed autism the family now believes shaped his personality, the heroin addiction that nearly killed him, and the moment he stole her phone to buy drugs — prompting their parents to call police on their own son.She describes the last Christmas before the arrest: vegan cookies their mother baked, TV party games, Bryan helping bandage a cut on her finger. Days later, FBI agents shattered the windows and took him away in handcuffs.And she finally explains the "creepy drawing" that went viral during Bryan's sentencing hearing. It wasn't dark. It wasn't a symbol of evil. It was a vibrant heart she drew for her brother — a reminder that even after everything, he was still loved.Mel also reflects on her own history as a true crime fan — and why she now regrets it.This episode contains new details about the Kohberger family's experience, their ongoing prayers for the victims, and what it's like to be dragged into the center of America's most scrutinized murder case.#BryanKohberger #MelKohberger #KohbergerFamily #KohbergerInterview #IdahoMurders #IdahoFour #KohbergerSister #KohbergerNews #KohbergerUpdate #MoscowIdahoMurdersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this chilling Hidden Killers deep dive, we confront two disturbing revelations about Bryan Kohberger — the kind that point to hidden behavior far beyond what happened on King Road. Retired FBI Behavioral Analysis Program Chief Robin Dreeke joins Tony Brueski to break down the unsettling possibility that Kohberger maintained secret stashes of weapons, stolen items, and trophies — and that investigators may have only scratched the surface. First, we explore the “hidey hole” theory: a private cache where Kohberger may have stored the missing KA-BAR knife, clothing, stolen items, or other evidence he didn’t want to destroy. Dreeke draws direct parallels to BTK, Israel Keyes, and Robert Hansen — offenders who built entire systems of hidden drop sites to revisit, relive, and maintain control over their crimes. Kohberger’s shovel with tested soil, his repeated trips to remote parks, and a long pattern of break-ins and petty theft suggest this behavior may have been developing for years. But the story gets darker. We also examine the two mystery ID cards found in Kohberger’s possession — IDs belonging to women who were not his victims and who may not even know he ever had them. These weren’t discovered in plain sight. They were tucked away, hidden in a glove box inside a box. Dreeke explains why offenders sometimes keep items like this: not as accidents, but as trophies, leverage, fantasies, or souvenirs of earlier intrusions. Why would a man who meticulously cleaned his car miss two IDs? He probably didn’t. He simply didn’t believe they were important to the crime he was trying to erase — a psychological compartmentalization common among escalating offenders. Together, these findings raise chilling questions:  • Did Kohberger have a cache?  • How many items were hidden?  • How many women were surveilled, targeted, or intruded upon?  • And how much evidence — or truth — is still buried? This is the behavioral blueprint investigators fear the most: escalation, souvenirs, and secrets carefully tucked away. #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #Idaho4 #FBIProfiler #EvidenceStash #TrophyBehavior #TrueCrimePodcast #CriminalPsychology #KnifeCache #RobinDreeke Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

🔍 Feel the raw agony of the Idaho murder victims' families as they confront Bryan Kohberger in court with impact statements that shatter souls – in this emotional powerhouse from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. During the July 23, 2025, Boise sentencing, where Kohberger copped his guilty plea for four life terms, the #Idaho4 kin unleashed unfiltered fury: Kaylee Goncalves' dad Steve slamming the "cowardly" stabber who stole futures, Xana Kernodle's mom Kristi detailing shattered dreams and endless therapy voids, and Ethan's sister Jazz sobbing over a brother's erased laughter. No dry eyes as they demanded he stare into the abyss he created – premeditated horror via Amazon knives and sheath DNA that no autism plea could erase. This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today deep dive captures the catharsis: Why these words weren't just closure, but weapons piercing his narcissistic shell, echoing FBI profiler warnings of zero empathy. Families' pleas for death row dodged, but the pain fueled yesterday's November 19 Goncalves WSU lawsuit, ripping into university lapses on Kohberger's creepy surveys and prowls. Restitution rages on too – $30K victim fund holdups and urn payback battles from the November 5 hearing, proving scars outlast sentences. True crime heart-breakers, this is visceral: Statements that humanize the lost and haunt the locked-away killer. Did Kohberger flinch, or feast on the spotlight? Your 2025 essential on grief's grip in the Idaho inferno, where words wound deeper than blades. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #VictimImpact #FamilyStatements #TrueCrime #KohbergerSentencing #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #CourtroomTears Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In today’s explosive Hidden Killers episode, we confront two of the most unsettling questions still hanging over the Bryan Kohberger case: Was he stalking other women long before the murders — and did investigators miss critical evidence that could reveal the full scope of his behavior? Tony Brueski brings together new reporting, behavioral analysis, and expert insight to examine the disturbing possibility that the Moscow murders were not Kohberger’s first intrusion — and may not have been his last attempt at gaining control over women he watched, followed, or targeted. Unsealed documents now suggest Kohberger may have entered the King Road home prior to the murders, explaining his precision during the attack. But that revelation unlocks deeper implications when paired with a chilling 2021 break-in in Pullman, where a masked intruder armed with a knife slipped into a home full of sleeping sorority members. Nobody was harmed. But the parallels — the geography, the weapon, the behavioral signature — are impossible to ignore. Was he testing boundaries? Testing fear? Testing himself? Then retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony to analyze whether investigators — despite their massive effort — may have missed key evidence in the chaotic crime scene aftermath. A three-person DNA mixture under a victim’s nails, inconsistencies in injury documentation, and the inherent difficulty of processing an ultra-violent, multi-victim scene leave open the question of whether critical clues slipped through the cracks. We examine how crime scene pressure, overwhelming public scrutiny, and the singular focus on Kohberger could have narrowed the investigative lens too soon. Did they catch the right man? Yes. But did they catch every part of what he did? That’s a different question. This episode ties it all together — the stalking, the intrusions, the behavioral pattern, and the forensic blind spots — painting a picture of a suspect whose trail may stretch further than the public ever realized. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #CriminalPsychology #StalkingBehavior #ForensicAnalysis #JenniferCoffindaffer #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #KohbergerInvestigation Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

🔍 Why did prosecutors snatch Bryan Kohberger's guilty plea in a heartbeat, dodging a death row spectacle? Top attorney Eric Faddis breaks it down raw – in this can't-miss clip from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Post-July 2025's frantic 48-hour deal landing four life sentences, Faddis exposes the DA's calculus: Ironclad sheath DNA and Amazon premed buys made trial a slam-dunk, but venue woes, jury taint from Dateline leaks, and family fatigue tipped the scale to "closure over carnage." No capital chase meant no spectacle for Kohberger's ego – just locked eternity for the #Idaho4 butcher. This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today intel hits harder now: Yesterday's November 19 Goncalves WSU lawsuit rips university cover-ups of his stalking sprees, echoing Faddis' warnings on ignored red flags. Plus, fresh restitution beefs – $30K victim fund snags and urn payback drags from the November 5 hearing – prove the fight's far from over. Autism defenses? Flop city. Third-party ghosts? Busted. True crime insiders, this is the legal gut-punch: Did the plea smart-save resources or shortchange screams for justice? Unpack the backroom bets that buried the Idaho nightmare – your 2025 key to why monsters sometimes skate the needle. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #PleaDealSecrets #EricFaddis #TrueCrime #KohbergerVerdict #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #DAMove Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this explosive Hidden Killers deep-dive, we bring together two of the sharpest minds in criminal profiling—retired FBI Behavioral Analysis Program Chief Robin Dreeke and retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer—to expose how Bryan Kohberger failed at every stage of his crime, his aftermath, and even his attempts at psychological control. This episode dissects the myth of Kohberger as a “mastermind” and replaces it with the truth: a man who wanted to be feared, studied, and remembered, but instead collapsed under the weight of his own incompetence. Robin Dreeke breaks down the crumbling psychology beneath Kohberger’s persona—his grandiosity, his obsession with superiority, and the fantasy world he tried to construct online as “Papa Roger,” a self-appointed expert who desperately wanted attention. We examine Alivea Goncalves’ devastating victim impact statement through the eyes of a behavioral profiler—how her words cut directly through Kohberger’s ego and hit the one place he feels pain: his illusion of genius. Then, Jennifer Coffindaffer joins Tony to unravel the newly uncovered shovel evidence from Pennsylvania—dirt still caked on it, soil samples tested, locations compared. Investigators believed the missing murder weapon or clothing could have been buried. Why? Because this wasn’t a mastermind’s cleanup. It was frantic, sloppy, and driven by panic, not brilliance. And yet the shovel suggests he still clung to ritual, control, and trophy-keeping impulses. We dig into Kohberger’s obsessive pre-crime surveillance, his digital trail, his chaotic crime scene, his compulsive post-crime behavior—and the haunting question: Was he burying evidence, or burying the last scraps of an identity he could no longer maintain? From botched planning to failed manipulation to the possibility of a still-hidden weapon, this episode dismantles Kohberger’s mythology and reveals the truth behind the man who wanted to be infamous—yet has become forgettable. #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #FBIAnalysis #TrueCrimePodcast #CriminalProfiling #BehavioralAnalysis #IdahoMurders #ForensicEvidence Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

🔍 Uncover the eerie post-murder drive Bryan Kohberger took with his dad – and defense lawyer Anne Taylor's raw post-plea verdict on her ex-client – in this bombshell fusion from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. True crime scribe Howard Blum drops fresh chills: Kohberger's tense cross-country haul from Idaho to Pennsylvania right after the November 2022 #Idaho4 slayings, where dad sensed "something off" amid small talk masking panic – phone dumps, car wipes, and that white Elantra's forensic ghosts. Was it a father's blind spot or buried clues to premed buys and sheath DNA doom? Flip to Taylor's fallout: Months defending the "innocent" PhD student, now post-July 2025 guilty plea and life sentences, she grapples with the monster unmasked – autism ploys failed, third-party smokescreens blown. Leaked vibes hint regret over the 48-hour deal that "betrayed" families, dodging capital chaos but fueling fury. Ties straight to yesterday's November 19 Goncalves WSU lawsuit, torching overlooked campus creeps, plus $30K fund and urn restitution drags from the November 5 hearing. True crime addicts, this is the twisted twofer: Road trip red flags meet lawyer's soul-search, exposing family fractures and legal regrets in Kohberger's cage. Did Dad know? Taylor wish she'd walked? Your 2025 must on killers' closest enablers. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HowardBlum #AnneTaylor #TrueCrime #KohbergerRoadTrip #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #MurderFamily Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this gripping Hidden Killers episode, we go inside the fractured world surrounding Bryan Kohberger — from the secret emotional ties he’s maintaining behind bars to the courtroom moment that pierced the last layer of his psychological armor. Tony Brueski is joined by retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke and defense attorney Bob Motta to dissect the two most unsettling threads emerging from Kohberger’s final days in court: his ongoing conversations with his mother, and the viral victim impact statement delivered by Alivea Goncalves. We explore why Kohberger’s mother is still communicating with him, what psychological needs those conversations fulfill for him, and why offenders often cling to the last person who still gives them validation. Robin breaks down the emotional leverage and quiet manipulation that can happen even from a prison cell — the ego maintenance, the power dynamic, the distorted sense of control. We also examine the painful question families face when a child commits horrific acts: what does loyalty look like when the truth is unbearable? At the same time, we analyze the courtroom moment that defined sentencing: Alivea Goncalves’s direct, devastating statement aimed squarely at Kohberger’s identity — his intellect, his superiority, his fantasy narrative of control. Bob explains why her words cut deeper than most victim statements and why Kohberger’s cold, rigid demeanor may have been his only remaining defense mechanism. His unblinking stare, tight jaw, and lack of emotion revealed far more than he intended. Together, this episode exposes the emotional and psychological ecosystem around Kohberger — the family ties he still manipulates, the ego he tries to preserve, and the moment in court when someone finally spoke to him in a way he could not ignore. If you want to understand the psychology behind the headlines, this is the breakdown that goes where few analyses ever do. #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #AliveaGoncalves #KohbergerMother #TrueCrimePodcast #BehavioralAnalysis #CourtroomPsychology #VictimImpactStatement #FBIProfiler Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

🔍 Pull back the veil on Bryan Kohberger's frantic guilty plea machinations and the raw fury from betrayed victims' families – in this searing exposé from Hidden Killers 2025 Year in Review – a look back at the biggest cases of the year. Dive into defense attorney Anne Taylor's high-stakes chess with prosecutors, where a 48-hour whirlwind deal in July 2025 swapped death row for four life sentences, but at what cost? Leaked insights reveal Taylor's calculated push for no capital trial, citing Kohberger's "complex" psyche and flimsy autism angles, while the DA's office steamrolled family input – leaving the Goncalves and others screaming "dismissed" in court echoes. This Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski: True Crime Today fusion unpacks the gut-wrench: Why ignore the #Idaho4 kin's pleas for full accountability? From sheath DNA crushers to Amazon premed bombs, the evidence was ironclad, yet the rush to closure sidelined survivor scars and justice demands. Echoes hit hard in November 2025 – the Goncalves' WSU lawsuit filed just yesterday on the 19th torches university blind eyes to Kohberger's WSU stalking, amplifying cries for reform amid $30K fund and urn restitution snarls from the November 5 hearing. True crime truth-seekers, this is the unvarnished reckoning: A killer's legal lifeline vs. families' shattered trust, probing if mercy masked mishandling. Essential rewind on the plea that silenced screams and sparked systemic firestorms in the Idaho abyss. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #PleaDealBetrayal #AnneTaylor #TrueCrime #KohbergerGuilty #Idaho4 #HiddenKillers2025 #CrimeYearInReview #WSULawsuit #TrueCrimePodcast #VictimFamilies Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this powerful Hidden Killers episode, we examine two sides of the same story: the forensic reality that dismantled Bryan Kohberger’s image of intelligence — and the viral victim impact statement that attacked the last thing he had left: his ego. Host Tony Brueski and retired FBI Special Agent Robin Dreeke take you inside the psychology, behavior, and unraveling facade of a man who once believed he could outsmart everyone. First, we break down Alivea Goncalves’ extraordinary statement — a surgical strike aimed directly at Kohberger’s psychological pressure points. Her words didn’t just describe loss. They deconstructed him. She went after his academic identity, his obsession with control, his need to be seen as superior. For someone built entirely around ego, this was a rare moment where the mask slipped. His rigid posture, clenched jaw, and fixed stare became their own confession. Then we turn to the evidence — the facts that exposed just how fragile Kohberger’s “perfect plan” really was. The knife sheath with his DNA. The vehicle match. Cellphone data placing him near the home. Surveillance footage. The failed cover-up attempts. His unusual behavior in the days after the crime. Even Xana Kernodle’s fight back, which may have left critical traces that sealed the case. Together, Tony and Robin show how both the emotional truth and the forensic truth converge: Kohberger wasn’t the criminal mastermind he imagined. He wasn’t in control. And on sentencing day, he couldn’t hide from the families, the evidence, or himself. This episode isn’t just commentary — it’s behavioral and forensic analysis at full depth. If you want to understand why the case collapsed and why Alivea’s statement hit him so hard, this is the breakdown you’ve been waiting for. #HiddenKillers #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #AliveaGoncalves #VictimImpactStatement #BehavioralAnalysis #TrueCrimePodcast #KohbergerSentencing #ForensicEvidence Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872