EXCLUSIVE: Parents of Bryan Kohberger Victim Kaylee Goncalves Threaten to Sue Online Influencers Pushing 'Horrifying' Conspiracy Theories They Were Responsible For Idaho 4 Coed's Death
Bryan Kohberger confessed to killing Kaylee Goncalves and her friends.
Nov. 3 2026, Published 11:40 a.m. ET
The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, who was brutally murdered by Bryan Kohberger in 2022, are threatening to sue online social media influencers who they say have spread false conspiracy theories that they were responsible for the University of Idaho coed's death.
Kristi and Steve Goncalves have sent more than 20 content creators cease-and-desist letters over "false and defamatory claims" about the family.
Conspiracy Theories Haunt the Grieving Goncalves Family
The four coeds were killed in their University of Idaho off-campus home.
Kaylee was among four students – including Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – who were brutally stabbed to death at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, in 2022.
Kohberger was convicted of the crime, but is currently fighting to undo his guilty plea and force a new trial. As that battle continues, Kaylee's parents have found themselves forced to defend themselves from unsubstantiated rumors that they played a part in their daughter's death.
Goncalves family attorney Stephanie Giancristofaro-Partyka told Radar that Steve and Kristi have been tormented by the accusations.
"There are certain creators who have said that Steve had s-x trafficked their daughter, and there are creators who have said that Steve was involved in drug trafficking, and owed a gang $700,000, and as a result of owing that money, they killed his daughter as retribution," she said, adding that Kristi has faced her own allegations of money laundering that led to Kaylee's death.
The Parents of Kaylee Goncalves Want a Public Apology
Kaylee's parents, Steve and Kristi, have been accused of playing a part in her murder.
Giancristofaro-Partyka said the cease-and-desist letters require the influencers to immediately remove their conspiracy claim videos, and make a public apology to Kaylee's parents.
"It’s gotten to a point where the conspiracy theories have turned from just speculation into outright accusations," said Giancristofaro-Partyka, while calling the charges thrown at Steve and Kristi "horrifying."
"They’ve been dealing with not only the loss of their daughter, but also being attacked and accused of being the ones who facilitated or committed the crimes on top of that," she continued. "That's reopening old wounds (and) triggering them emotionally. It brings up all of these feelings again about the day that they lost their daughter, and they just want an end to it."
The Content Creators Are Starting to Comply.
The Goncalves family lawyer wants influencers to stop spreading conspiracy theories about the murders.
So far, five of the content creators have apologized to Kaylee's family. The rest have until next week to acknowledge or comply with the letters, or they could face civil lawsuits, with penalties of at least $75,000 per influencer.
But Giancristofaro-Partyka says it's not about the money for the Goncalveses.
"They don’t necessarily care about the money. It’s more about getting people to understand that there are limits you can say to people, especially false things," the lawyer explained. "And it's important that there is a distinction between what you can say about someone and what you can say that's inaccurate about them."
Bryan Kohberger Wants a New Trial
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Kohberger is trying to overturn his guilty plea.
The controversy comes as Kohberger attempts to undo the guilty plea that landed him behind bars for life, claiming in newly filed court documents that he was pressured into admitting to the murders.
Radar obtained Kohberger's handwritten petition for post-conviction relief, in which he claims his attorneys provided ineffective assistance during the criminal proceedings and alleges he did not knowingly or voluntarily enter his plea.
Instead, the 31-year-old alleges he was induced into falsely confessing to the crimes through "coercion, disinformation, false promises, and the withholding of exculpatory discovery."
The court has yet to decide his change-of-plea request.
