Goncalves Family Sues WSU Over Ignored Red Flags in Bryan Kohberger’s Behavior | Crime Alert 7 AM 11.20.25

In a statement, the family says this lawsuit is about accountability and transparency. They want answers about what went wrong—and to make sure no other family suffers the same tragedy. Their words: “We trust the legal process to uncover the truth.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart, hourly update, breaking crime news Now.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm Nicole Parton. The parents of Kaylee Consolvists, one of
the four University of Idaho students brutally murdered in twenty
twenty two, are taking legal action against Washington State University.
Steve and Christi Consolvests have filed a tort claim seeking damages,
according to their attorney, Shennon Gray. In a statement, the

(00:24):
family says this lawsuit is about accountability and transparency. They
want answers about what went wrong and to make sure
no other family suffers the same tragedy. Their words, we
trust the legal process to uncover the truth. Kaylee was
just twenty one years old when she, Madison Mogan, Xena Kernoudle,

(00:45):
and Ethan Chapman were killed in the early hours of
November thirteen, twenty twenty two. The man convicted of those murders,
Brian Kolberger, was a PhD student in criminal justice at WU.
The man convicted of those murders, Brian Cole Coberger, was
a PhD student in criminal justice at WSU, living just

(01:05):
ten minutes from the crime scene. Investigative records show Coberger's
troubling behavior didn't go unnoticed. Students and staff reported him
as creepy and sexist. Female classmates avoided being alone with him,
and one faculty member even warned he could become a
future predator. Complaints included stalking behavior and physically blocking people

(01:27):
from leaving rooms. He was eventually placed on an improvement plan,
then fired as a teaching assistant just weeks before his arrest.
Coberger's motive remains unclear. Prosecutors say he had an intense
interest in crime, even posting online surveys asking criminals how
they chose their victims. He studied under a well known

(01:48):
serial killer expert during his master's program and wrote essays
analyzing murder cases. Doctor Catherine Ramsland was one of those professors.
Here's what she had to say.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
He seemed like eager to be in the classroom. He
was polite, he was respectful, intense and curious, and there
was no reason for me to think that he was
anything other than someone who was really interested in this
potential career. When I look back, there really isn't anything

(02:22):
that stood out to me. I think when you're a teacher,
your instinct is to accept students at face value. You
don't start with suspicions or you know, there really weren't
any red flags. He was always really quite respectful and grateful.
He would thank me for things. He was attentive, he

(02:45):
would do the work. I didn't have any concerns.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
The Consolvas' family first file notices of intent to sue
back in May twenty twenty three. Now they're moving forward.
It's not yet clear if other victims' families will join
the lawsuit. For now, the question remains, could this tragedy
have been prevented? And what responsibility does the university have
when warning signs appear? More Prime and Justice news after this,

(03:17):
President Donald Trump has announced that he has signed a
new law mandating the release of documents connected to the
investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and accused trafficker.
In a lengthy post on truth social media dated November nineteen,
President Trump said, I have signed the bill to release
the Epstein file. His announcement came after the Senate unanimously

(03:42):
voted on November eighteen to send the House's version of
the legislation straight to his desk. Earlier that day, the
House had passed the bill in a rare four hundred
and twenty seven to one vote. According to a summary
from the House, the bill instructs the Justice Department to
release quote all unclassed records, documents, communications, and investigative materials

(04:05):
in DOJ's possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution
of Jeffrey Epstein. However, the DOJ is not compelled to
disclose all details, as it can withhold information that is classified,
could identify victims, or might interfere with ongoing federal investigations.
The legislation specifies that information cannot be kept secret or

(04:27):
redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity,
included government officials, public figures, or foreign dignitaries. The Justice
Department has previously stated it withheld details from Epstein related
investigations due to sensitive content, including images of victims and

(04:48):
child sexual abuse material. These materials were sealed by a
court to prevent exposing any additional third parties to allegations
of illegal wrongdoing. According to The New York Time, the
timeline of the release of these documents remains uncertain. The
Justice Department has thirty days to respond to the request,
and Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed on November nineteen that

(05:11):
she plans to meet that deadline. For the latest crime
in justice news, follow Crime Alert's hourly update on your
favorite podcasting app with this Crime Alert. I'm Nicol partn