Episode Details

Idaho lawmakers are finally acting after a judge confirmed the unthinkable: convicted killers like Bryan Kohberger could legally profit from media deals under the state's outdated Son of Sam law. This week, Senator Tammy Nichols introduced legislation to close loopholes that have existed since 1978 — and the bill unanimously advanced out of committee.

The timing couldn't be more urgent. At Kohberger's restitution hearing in November 2025, Judge Steven Hippler noted that Idaho's current statute "leaves open the potential for Defendant to receive money from media contracts in the future." The five-year escrow period means that without pending civil lawsuits, convicted criminals can eventually pocket proceeds from book deals, streaming rights, and paid interviews.

The new bill modernizes Idaho's law to address podcasts, streaming platforms, and digital monetization — none of which existed when the original statute was written. It focuses on profit rather than speech to survive constitutional scrutiny, following the model New York adopted in 2001 after the Supreme Court gutted the original Son of Sam laws.

This matters for multiple cases. Kohberger owes over $300,000 in fines and fees after confessing to murdering four University of Idaho students. Lori Vallow Daybell owes more than $700,000 in combined restitution for murdering her children and conspiring to kill others. Chad Daybell sits on death row while his self-published doomsday novels may still be generating income. Under current law, the same loopholes apply to all of them.

Representative Elaine Price, whose district includes three of the Moscow victims' hometowns, co-sponsored the bill: "Victims should not feel continually victimized." The bill heads to a public hearing next. We break down what it means for these cases — and for victims' families fighting for basic accountability.

#TrueCrimeToday #BryanKohberger #SonOfSamLaw #IdahoLegislature #LoriVallowDaybell #ChadDaybell #MoscowMurders #VictimRights #CriminalJustice #BreakingNews

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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.