Episode
Judge Confirms Kohberger Could Profit From Media Deals — Idaho Rushes to Fix Son of Sam Law
- Published
- Feb 1, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2063
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://audioboom.com/posts/8854665
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Summary
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…