Bryan Kohberger: Profiting Off Murder | When Infamy Becomes an Industry

Two stories. One broken system. In Idaho, Bryan Kohberger could legally make money off his own murders. In Virginia, a first-grade teacher named Abby Zwerner was shot after four separate warnings were ignored. Both stories show how America’s justice system has traded accountability for excuses — and how law, morality, and bureaucracy keep collapsing under their own contradictions. Tony Brueski and former prosecutor Eric Faddis connect these cases in one of their most morally charged episodes yet. The first half, When Infamy Becomes an Industry, explores how constitutional loopholes turned the First Amendment into a profit shield for convicted killers. The Supreme Court’s Simon & Schuster decision gutted Son of Sam laws nationwide — and states like Idaho never replaced them. Tony and Eric unpack how “free speech” became a business plan for murderers and why politicians are too afraid to fix a law that lets killers cash checks while victims’ families get nothing. The second half, The Price of Ignorance, turns the spotlight on institutional cowardice. In Newport News, Virginia, teacher Abby Zwerner was nearly killed after school officials ignored every warning about an armed six-year-old. Tony and Eric examine how fear of optics, legal liability, and self-preservation led to tragedy — and what that means for every teacher still walking into a classroom unprotected. Together, these stories reveal a single truth: justice in America doesn’t end at the verdict — it just changes platforms. Whether it’s a killer monetizing murder or a school hiding behind procedure, the result is the same. Profit over pain. Policy over people. #BryanKohberger #AbbyZwerner #TrueCrime #JusticeSystem #SonOfSam #SchoolShooting #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #VictimsRights #CrimePodcast #LegalAnalysis #WhenJusticeFails #FreeSpeech #Accountability 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

Before Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, his defense team was quietly preparing a courtroom strategy that would have shocked the nation. According to newly unsealed court filings, Kohberger planned to call friends of the victims — and even the survivors themselves — as defense witnesses. Among them: Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, the two young women who lived through that horrific night in November 2022. Also on the list were Emily Alandt, Hunter Johnson, and Kaylee Goncalves’ ex-boyfriend, Jack DeCoeur. Imagine it — the two surviving roommates, who lost four of their closest friends, being forced to testify for the man accused of killing them. That was the reality Kohberger’s defense was preparing for before he struck a plea deal in July 2025 to avoid the death penalty. In this episode, Tony Brueski breaks down what that trial might have looked like — and how Kohberger’s strategy reveals far more about his psychology than any confession ever could. Why would a killer want his survivors on the stand? What kinds of questions would they have faced? And what kind of manipulation drives someone to keep controlling people even after their arrest? This deep-dive dissects the legal and psychological layers of the case: from the 138 witnesses Kohberger planned to call, to the devastating emotional toll that trial would have inflicted on every surviving friend and family member. Because for Kohberger, control wasn’t just about life and death — it was about owning the story. And this time, he lost it. 🎧 Watch the full analysis now on Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski. Subscribe for daily deep-dives into real crime, courtroom psychology, and the hidden human stories behind the headlines. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #DylanMortensen #BethanyFunke #HiddenKillersPodcast #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #UniversityOfIdaho #JusticeForTheFour #CrimeAnalysis 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

It sounds impossible — but in Idaho, it’s not. Bryan Kohberger, the convicted killer of four University of Idaho students, could one day profit from his crimes. Why? Because Idaho has no “Son of Sam” law — no statute that blocks criminals from turning their infamy into income. In this episode, Tony Brueski exposes the gaping legal loophole that could let a murderer make money off murder. While most states have laws that stop convicted felons from profiting off books, interviews, or documentaries about their crimes, Idaho never passed one. That means that even behind bars, Kohberger could legally sell his “story,” write a memoir, or partner with a producer on a so-called “tell-all” — and keep the profits. This isn’t theory. It’s a constitutional gap that’s been exploited before, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling that struck down New York’s original Son of Sam law on First Amendment grounds. Since then, states have tried to rewrite the rules — but Idaho simply never wrote them. The result? Victims’ families would have to fight in civil court just to stop a killer from cashing checks tied to their loved one’s deaths. Tony breaks down how this could actually play out, how media companies skirt the rules by routing money through shell deals and “consulting” fees, and what lawmakers must do now to close the door before Kohberger or anyone like him turns infamy into profit. Justice isn’t just about a sentence — it’s about who owns the story afterward. And right now, in Idaho, that story could pay. #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #UniversityOfIdahoMurders #TrueCrime #Idaho #SonOfSamLaw #JusticeForVictims #CrimeProfits #BryanKohbergerCase #TonyBrueski #TrueCrimePodcast #LegalLoopholes #VictimsRights #Kohberger 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

Bryan Kohberger can’t leave his cell — but his story can. In the state of Idaho, there’s no Son of Sam law, meaning that a convicted murderer can legally make money from the story of his crimes. Books. Documentaries. Interviews. Royalties. In this episode, Tony Brueski and former prosecutor Eric Faddis expose how one of the most horrifying modern murder cases has collided with one of America’s oldest constitutional blind spots: the First Amendment’s protection of speech — even when that speech turns into profit from murder. Tony opens with the question every viewer needs to hear: How can a convicted killer make money from killing? The answer lies in a 1991 Supreme Court ruling, Simon & Schuster v. Crime Victims Board, which struck down New York’s original Son of Sam law after the “Son of Sam” killer, David Berkowitz, tried to sell his story. The Court ruled that laws restricting “crime-based storytelling” discriminated against speech by content. States rewrote their laws to pass constitutional review — some succeeded, others failed — but Idaho never passed anything. The result: a legal vacuum where infamy becomes an industry. This episode breaks down the moral, legal, and economic consequences of that loophole. What does it mean for victims’ families when killers can cash checks? Could Kohberger assign rights to a third party to hide profits? And why are lawmakers too afraid to fix it? Tony and Eric dissect how “freedom” became a shield for greed, how fear of being called unconstitutional paralyzed reform, and why the justice system now doubles as a business model. Justice shouldn’t have a payout plan. This episode asks why America keeps writing one. #BryanKohberger #SonOfSam #TrueCrime #JusticeSystem #CrimePodcast #VictimsRights #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #KohbergerTrial #FreeSpeech #MurderProfit #TrueCrimeAnalysis 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

Two stories. One broken system. In Idaho, Bryan Kohberger could legally make money off his own murders. In Virginia, a first-grade teacher named Abby Zwerner was shot after four separate warnings were ignored. Both stories show how America’s justice system has traded accountability for excuses — and how law, morality, and bureaucracy keep collapsing under their own contradictions. Tony Brueski and former prosecutor Eric Faddis connect these cases in one of their most morally charged episodes yet. The first half, When Infamy Becomes an Industry, explores how constitutional loopholes turned the First Amendment into a profit shield for convicted killers. The Supreme Court’s Simon & Schuster decision gutted Son of Sam laws nationwide — and states like Idaho never replaced them. Tony and Eric unpack how “free speech” became a business plan for murderers and why politicians are too afraid to fix a law that lets killers cash checks while victims’ families get nothing. The second half, The Price of Ignorance, turns the spotlight on institutional cowardice. In Newport News, Virginia, teacher Abby Zwerner was nearly killed after school officials ignored every warning about an armed six-year-old. Tony and Eric examine how fear of optics, legal liability, and self-preservation led to tragedy — and what that means for every teacher still walking into a classroom unprotected. Together, these stories reveal a single truth: justice in America doesn’t end at the verdict — it just changes platforms. Whether it’s a killer monetizing murder or a school hiding behind procedure, the result is the same. Profit over pain. Policy over people. #BryanKohberger #AbbyZwerner #TrueCrime #JusticeSystem #SonOfSam #SchoolShooting #TonyBrueski #EricFaddis #VictimsRights #CrimePodcast #LegalAnalysis #WhenJusticeFails #FreeSpeech #Accountability 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 Hidden Killers deep dive, Tony Brueski examines what really happens to a mind like Bryan Kohberger’s when the walls close in and the audience disappears. After being sentenced to life in prison for the murders of four University of Idaho students, Kohberger now faces the one force he can’t manipulate: time. For nearly three years he’s lived under lockdown—no stage, no admirers, no power. What does that do to a brain built on control, superiority, and a complete lack of empathy? Using insights from decades of psychological research on psychopathy, narcissistic collapse, and long-term solitary confinement, this episode unpacks the internal decay of high-control offenders once their delusions of dominance meet the reality of prison life. From the first days of agitation and rage to the later stages of emotional flatlining and obsessive routine, Tony explores how predators like Kohberger adapt—or fail to adapt—when stripped of power. What happens when a narcissist can no longer perform for an audience? When his intellect stops being an asset and starts becoming his tormentor? This episode digs deep into the science and the psychology of isolation, boredom, and self-destruction—where every day becomes a mirror, and the only reflection staring back is guilt he’ll never acknowledge. There are no redemption arcs here. No grand awakenings. Just a slow-motion unraveling inside a concrete box—a living case study in how control-obsessed minds corrode under the weight of silence. Tony Brueski pulls no punches in this brutally honest look at the narcissistic decay of Bryan Kohberger, the illusion of control that built his ego, and the quiet, endless punishment that awaits him behind bars. 👉 Subscribe for more true crime analysis, forensic psychology breakdowns, and exclusive expert interviews on Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski. #BryanKohberger #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #Psychopathy #Narcissism #IdahoMurders #BryanKohbergerTrial #PrisonPsychology #BryanKohbergerPrison #ForensicPsychology #TrueCrimeAnalysis 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

Before Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students, his defense team was quietly preparing a courtroom strategy that would have shocked the nation. According to newly unsealed court filings, Kohberger planned to call friends of the victims — and even the survivors themselves — as defense witnesses. Among them: Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, the two young women who lived through that horrific night in November 2022. Also on the list were Emily Alandt, Hunter Johnson, and Kaylee Goncalves’ ex-boyfriend, Jack DeCoeur. Imagine it — the two surviving roommates, who lost four of their closest friends, being forced to testify for the man accused of killing them. That was the reality Kohberger’s defense was preparing for before he struck a plea deal in July 2025 to avoid the death penalty. In this episode, Tony Brueski breaks down what that trial might have looked like — and how Kohberger’s strategy reveals far more about his psychology than any confession ever could. Why would a killer want his survivors on the stand? What kinds of questions would they have faced? And what kind of manipulation drives someone to keep controlling people even after their arrest? This deep-dive dissects the legal and psychological layers of the case: from the 138 witnesses Kohberger planned to call, to the devastating emotional toll that trial would have inflicted on every surviving friend and family member. Because for Kohberger, control wasn’t just about life and death — it was about owning the story. And this time, he lost it. 🎧 Watch the full analysis now on Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski. Subscribe for daily deep-dives into real crime, courtroom psychology, and the hidden human stories behind the headlines. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #DylanMortensen #BethanyFunke #HiddenKillersPodcast #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #UniversityOfIdaho #JusticeForTheFour #CrimeAnalysis 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

When Bryan Kohberger suddenly took a plea deal, the courtroom went silent — and with it, hundreds of pieces of evidence, witness testimony, and forensic detail that were set to define one of the most watched murder trials in America. Now, newly unsealed documents are giving us a chilling glimpse at what the jury would have seen: the DNA on the knife sheath, the phone data that tracked Kohberger’s movements, and the professors at Washington State University who were ready to testify about his behavior and his disturbing fascination with Ted Bundy. In this episode, we dive deep into the evidence that never reached the courtroom. From autopsy findings showing skull fractures and defensive wounds — to the Bundy-inspired patterns prosecutors were prepared to lay out — this is the inside story of the case that ended before it began. We’ll also look at what’s happening inside Idaho’s maximum-security prison right now. Records show Kohberger filing grievances, clashing with staff, and trying to control his world through paperwork — the same obsessive behavior that defined him long before his arrest. What did the public lose when this case never went to trial? What truths are still buried in sealed exhibits and redacted reports? And what does the newly unsealed evidence tell us about the mind of the man behind the Idaho student murders? Join Tony Brueski as Hidden Killers pulls back the curtain on the evidence the world was never meant to see — and the haunting parallels between Bryan Kohberger and the killers he studied. Subscribe for more in-depth true-crime analysis, expert interviews, and psychological deep dives into the nation’s most disturbing cases. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #TrueCrime #HiddenKillers #CrimeAnalysis #TedBundy #CourtDocuments #UnsealedEvidence #BryanKohbergerTrial #TonyBrueski 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

There’s a kind of cruelty that doesn’t end with a conviction. It’s quieter — colder — and it shows up in the fine print of legal filings long after the headlines fade. Convicted killer Bryan Kohberger, now serving four consecutive life sentences for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, has found a new way to wound the families of his victims — by refusing to pay them the restitution the court ordered. In a stunning October filing, Kohberger’s defense argued he shouldn’t have to pay because the victims’ families received donations through GoFundMe. That’s right — he’s trying to use the kindness of strangers as a legal loophole to get out of paying what he owes. His lawyers claim the families “did not suffer an economic loss” because they were “extensively funded” through public generosity. It’s a move that feels less like a legal argument and more like one final act of control from a man who’s spent every step of this process refusing to take accountability. The same man who broke into 1122 King Road that November night and took four young lives is now arguing over dollars and decimals from his prison cell. But here’s the deeper truth: this isn’t about money — it’s about power. About the narcissistic offender’s need to stay relevant, to twist the knife one last time, even when the world’s stopped listening. The Goncalves and Mogen families, who’ve already endured the unthinkable, are being forced to re-engage with a man who should’ve faded into the background of justice months ago. This episode of Hidden Killers breaks down the legal, psychological, and moral layers of Kohberger’s final insult — how it exposes the pathology of control, entitlement, and complete emotional detachment that’s defined him from the start. Because for Bryan Kohberger, the violence never really stopped. It just changed form. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #TrueCrimePodcast #KayleeGoncalves #MadisonMogen #XanaKernodle #EthanChapin #CrimePsychology #JusticeForIdaho4 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

Before the flashing lights and the headlines, the Kohbergers were just a quiet Pennsylvania family. Then one December night, the world changed — and so did their last name. In this Hidden Killers special, Tony Brueski explores the human cost of infamy through the story “Growing Up Kohberger.” What happens when your sibling becomes the nation’s most hated man? What happens when your last name turns radioactive overnight? Through documented accounts, psychological research, and parallel stories from other families of killers, Tony examines what experts call courtesy stigma — the inherited guilt of proximity. He explores the moral injury of love and revulsion colliding, and the silent trauma of “ambiguous loss,” where the person you love is alive but gone forever. This isn’t about the crime — it’s about the quiet aftermath. A mother trembling in court. Sisters deciding whether to change their names. A family learning to breathe again in a world that won’t forget. Because the hardest sentence isn’t always served by the guilty. Sometimes it’s carried by the ones who have to keep living under the same name. #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #KohbergerFamily #Psychology #CourtesyStigma #CriminalPsychology #MoscowIdaho 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