Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
HELL PIX: HORROR PHOTOS INSIDE IDAHO MURDERS AFTER KOHBERGER SLAUGHTERS STUDENTS, PARENTS SUE
23 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Hell pics. Pictures straight from hell. Horrific photos from inside the brutal Idaho murders of four beautiful young University of Idaho students. Why were those photos leaked on the Idaho State Police website and then quickly scrubbed away? Hello? Everybody saw it. This, after Brian Koberger slaughters innocent students, the parents sue. Do you blame them?
Chapter 2: What shocking crime scene photos were released in the Idaho murders case?
I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. Inside the Brian Koberger murder scene, the truth of what happened that night when four beautiful University of Idaho students were slaughtered in their own beds.
This would have been a bloodbath where they were killed.
Now the family that's still dealing with the brutal murder of their children are having to take on a fight so these vile photos are not released. What in the hay? Haven't the victims' families been through enough? I cannot imagine. Last night, under immense pressure for our program to show the photos, I looked at them.
I had to get on the phone with our investigative reporter, Dave Mack, and actually broke down and cried looking at these photos. And there is no way in H-E-double-L that we're going to go along with leaked photos that just destroy the families. I saw only one probative photo of what was leaked. The rest was just gore.
one probative photo that actually meant something, that proved something, and that was the location of the knife sheath. Joining me right now, two very special guests, the parents of the beautiful Kelly Gonsalves. Thank you to both of you for being with us. It means so much that at this moment, when you are under siege again, again, again, that you take time to be with us tonight. So thank you.
I've got so much to talk to you about. Of course, Brian Coburger's sister does a New York Times article whining about how hurt she is and the pain her family's going through. Really? But before I get to her... What about these photos? When did you, now this is what we're learning, Christy.
We are learning that the Idaho State Police put these on their website and then quickly went and scrubbed the whole thing. They were leaked onto the website. What did, what happened when you first learned these pictures from hell, hell had been released?
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Chapter 3: Why did the families of the victims sue Washington State University?
Well, actually, one of the Idaho State Police detectives called Olivia and told her that the photos were coming out. And they were a different entity as the other ones were that were underneath the order that the Laramies and the Chapins won, being able to not show bodies or blood. And these were going to be a little different. The bodies were going to be redacted.
the crime scene was going to be pretty evident. So this entity called Olivia. By the time she got off the phone, she was calling me in a panic and telling me that they were coming out, they were coming out, and they were out. They were already on the website. Olivia is pretty adamant about viewing things and wants to know what's out there.
She doesn't just want to come upon something and be surprised. So somewhere along the line, it was very apparent that there were three pictures that showed the victims that did not get redacted. And it came down. It came down because there were three. But whoever had downloaded those in that time frame before, I don't know how long it was up, have those pictures of actual victims.
So it's very sad.
This whole thing has turned into a profit-making enterprise. The day before, they told us that because somebody complained they did FOIA requests that the families were getting the photos at the same time, we no longer get the photos. We don't get any of the discovery from these images or anything that's been a FOIA request. They get it first, and then we can get it after them.
Did you see a photo with the students? I'm trying to choose my words carefully, but I don't have another way to say it. Did you see photos, crime scene photos, horrific, bloody crime scene photos with the victims' bodies in the photos? Did you see that? Unfortunately, yes. I don't understand why they can't ever do the right thing, Steve. They did not take this case to trial.
They did not find out the truth. This was a death penalty case. If we're going to have the death penalty, this is it. They took a weak plea. We never learned the whole truth. They wouldn't do the right thing. And now this? They are buckling under to a FOIA request? But they don't even have the courtesy to give it to you first. When do they pick and choose when to follow the law?
Well, just to the other family that ever goes through a case like this, just know they're going to lie to you. They're going to tell you in your weakest moment that if you just want to make it go away, just go along with the plea. Just go along and all the stuff will go away. And I had legal counsel and they were like, that's not going to go away, Steve.
They're just lying to these families, trying to divide them so that they can get at least somebody to agree with what they're doing. And then that's all they need. Even though there's four victims and you can get a death penalty for one, they wanted to break us apart to help their narrative. And we're still dealing with it. You know, we're still dealing with it right now.
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Chapter 4: What complaints were made against Bryan Kohberger at WSU?
And I knew that. I knew that. I knew it would happen. What about it, Steve?
I haven't seen very many. Only the ones that I've seen are just ones that the – My family wanted me to comment on if it was as bad as basically showing that, seeing the victims in body bags, things that are not entertainment. I mean, they're for investigations. And if you're not going to have a trial, you really don't have the same investigation at that point.
It's not a need to know, it's not the community and you're not having a jury. So it's kind of frustrating that we're still dealing with it.
And you know, we get a lot of heat over this because people say, you guys are no different. It is very common for crime scene photos to come out. I get that, I understand that. I feel bad for those families that their loved ones are out there and this has happened. But I just feel like times are changing. And what people do with those photos nowadays is what the real problem is.
You know, blow them up on social media and analyze them and talk to them, talk about them. You know, it's not true crime anymore. It's troll crime, you know. And that's where things are changing. And it has been for quite a while.
They're making a profit off your dead loved ones. And that... That was going on.
They're relishing in it.
Yeah, and that was to a lesser extent before. But, Mike, your organization isn't showing them. You're not going to get that same kind of professionalism in some of these smaller true crime people.
Yeah. I remember years ago on, it was my very first book. It was called Objection. And I wrote a chapter on it called Blood Money. And I was so stunned that people got a hold of Nicole Brown's autopsy photos and were selling them. After I wrote that chapter, Blood Money, I had this cheap little, it was like a $200 laptop. It's like this big that I wrote the book on.
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Chapter 5: How did the release of crime scene photos affect the victims' families?
I showed, I don't believe you've actually looked at them on your own. I showed Steve one and it was one of the less graphic ones. he was like, uh, yeah. So, um, unfortunately I went there, um, and I deeply regret it.
I knew I would. I, I've got to tell you something. I learned, you know, the hard way. I'm very curious by nature, but when it comes to my fiance's murder, I've learned to control that, my curiosity, because I don't want any more nightmares or any more night terrors or sleepwalking or crying jags than I've already had.
So I just, please know you are in our thoughts and our prayers throughout this whole ordeal. And to put it up and then scrub it shows a certain degree of knowledge that you did the wrong thing. I want to talk to you now about about another Koberger-related incident. Listen. Now, Kohlberger's sister, her name, she goes by Mel, spoke to the New York Times.
This piece was published on Wednesday, January 7th. The headline, her brother murdered four students. Now she's ready to talk. Well, I'm so happy that she now feels ready to tell her story. The readout in the online version says that Mel is going to talk about the Koberger families, their pain, their confusion. You know, this thing happened the blink of an eye ago.
And so this piece is such a piece of journalistic malpractice. The interviewer, the guy's name is Mike Baker. He either does not know nor does he care to read in to the details of this case. But instead, we've got crap like this in The New York Times. Feel sorry for me. My brother is a homicidal maniac who snuffed out four young lives and seemed to enjoy doing it.
And it looks like my mom was an accessory after the fact, just my opinion. But hey, we just want we just want to reenter polite society. Please won't you help us in The New York Times? Sure. Why not? That is our friend Maureen Callahan from her podcast, The Nerve. And boy, she hit the nail on the head. Really?
Mel is whining to the New York Times and they're printing their puff piece about her pain? Her pain and her family's pain? Okay. That's the time to keep your pie holes shut.
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Chapter 6: What was the reaction to the release of graphic crime scene images?
Right there. I would like your response to Koberger's family whining about their pain.
You know, I think it's just odd that they would... That's their first time they've chosen to speak out. You know, apparently they stand behind him, whether they believe the truth or not. But they've... They've never spoken out for his innocence. They've never gone out there and said, you know, my brother's innocent. He didn't do this. He would never do such a thing.
But they come out and, you know, say, you know, we're in this terrible situation. Our family is hurting and whatnot. And I don't doubt that their family is having some sort of confusion, pain. I don't. I'm sure that they are.
But it doesn't even compare.
But it does not compare at all. They could still talk to him. They could write to him. They could go visit him. He's still breathing.
My kids would be, if one of my kids did something like this, they would be dead to our family. We would not be supporting them, that we would not be. I tell all my kids, if you do something that atrocious, even like rape, something like that where you overly go over somebody else as well, you're done. This family, we would never put up with that.
And we're talking about an individual who's got like $30,000. So you've got to stand up and say the person's wrong and then remove your support. Otherwise, you're condoning what he did and you're embracing it and you're rewarding him for that behavior. And that's why society has people like this.
And we will continue to have people like this because we haven't just cut the rope and said, you're done.
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Chapter 7: What evidence did the knife sheath provide in the investigation?
You're dead. You're dead. Even though you're alive, you're dead to us.
it's hard to put ourselves in their shoes because a lot of people think they can put themselves in our shoes and speak on behalf of how they would act or they wouldn't have done what we did or they would have done this and that and this and that. And until you're in these shoes, it's hard to really say what you're going to do. We think we know what we would do if the tables were reversed.
So it is hard to actually know for sure That's just our opinion of how we feel as a family. Hey, guys.
Gonsalveses, you sitting down? You may need to lay down. Quotes from Melissa Koberger from the New York Times. Brace yourself. I've always been a person who has spoken up for what was right. Okay, just right there. Screeching, screeching, stop. If I ever had a reason to believe my brother did anything, I would have turned him in. Okay. It's confusing. It's painful.
It's like being victimized but not really being a victim. Okay. You're not a victim. You're not a victim, Melissa Koberger. The idea is making me so emotional I can barely speak to you about it. It's human nature to be curious about darker things. That's how we keep ourselves safe. I think we should try to come together for a true crime culture. What? Come together for a true crime culture?
Now, wait, wait. We're all so proud of him because he had overcome so much. It was a heart surrounded by vibrant colors that I had drawn for Brian, even if I could not be there in person. Okay. I stand up for what is right.
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Chapter 8: What are the implications of the lawsuit against WSU for the victims' families?
She actually said that, Christy. She said that.
Yeah.
Yeah, I find it very hard to believe that she doesn't know the truth unless in that situation that they are in, they just have a mental block that will not allow them to accept what he did.
She said in her own words, Brian, you're out at like 1, 2, 3 in the morning.
Be careful running.
So if you know your brother's out, he has the same car. You've got a shared family Amazon account. You're seeing he has the weapon. So now he has the weapon, the car, and he's out around that time. And he lives close. Yeah, he's less than 10 miles away. Don't tell me you didn't know or you didn't think that he was a suspect. Or why didn't you tell him to go turn his car?
Well, according to her, the family knew nothing. Listen.
Koberger's sister, Mel, saying her family had no idea her brother was a killer and reached out to warn him to be careful after the murders. Finally speaking out, she wants to talk about growing up with the killer.
No one wants to hear about growing up with Brian Koberger, but this does not bode well for her mental health care career if she lived with a psycho killer her whole life and didn't notice anything was wrong. Okay, joining me right now, Dr. Bethany Marshall. She's a renowned psychologist out of the L.A. jurisdiction, author of Deal Breakers.
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