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Monster’s motives for killing 4 students still unknown; Grandmother orchestrates murder-for-hire plot - TCN Sidebar

January 2, 2026·26 min·1 clip

Brian Kohberger pleaded guilty, but prosecutors still never got an explanation for the motive or the knife.

1. True Crime News: The Podcast’s Sidebar revisits major 2025 true-crime cases, including Sean Diddy Combs, Brian Kohberger, Donna Adelson, Karen Read, and James Craig. 2. Joshua Ritter hosts the episode and identifies himself as a criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles and a former LA County prosecutor, which frames his case analysis. 3. The episode asks what 2025's biggest courtroom outcomes meant for prosecutors, defendants, and families after long public trials and plea deals. 4. Ritter says the Sean Combs case began with FBI raids on the Bad Boy Entertainment CEO's homes and a highly public federal prosecution. 5. He notes Combs was acquitted on racketeering and sex-trafficking counts but sentenced to just over four years on two transportation-for-prostitution counts. 6. Ritter argues the U.S. Attorney's Office overcharged the case by using racketeering against one man rather than a traditional criminal enterprise. 7. He says the defense turned the case into a win by arguing the conduct was ugly but, from an outside observer's view, borderline consensual. 8. Ritter then turns to the University of Idaho murders and names Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin as the four students killed. 9. He says Brian Kohberger was arrested, death was sought, and the case moved toward a public trial before the guilty plea changed everything. 10. Ritter says the plea deal closed the criminal case for now, but he still wants the motive, the missing knife, and the reason those victims were chosen. 11. He says the prosecution likely preferred guaranteed life imprisonment over the risk of trial, even if the result leaves unanswered questions. 12. Ritter explains that Kohberger waived appeal rights in the plea deal, though he could still try to attack the plea if he claimed he did not understand it. 13. The Donna Adelson segment centers on the murder-for-hire killing of Dan Markel in Tallahassee, Florida, and the custody fight involving Markel and Wendy Adelson. 14. Ritter says prosecutors portrayed Donna Adelson as the controlling mother and mastermind after a chain of defendants included shooters, intermediaries, and Charlie Adelson. 15. He says the state used years of proceedings, phone calls, and surveillance to build the case before finally charging Donna Adelson. 16. Ritter suggests more developments may follow, because he expects another move in the broader Adelson family investigation. 17. The Karen Read segment describes a retrial with cameras in court, a divided public audience, and a verdict that avoided jail time on the main death-related counts. 18. Ritter's tone stays conversational and analytical, with frequent legal explanations, prosecutor-versus-defense comparisons, and quick reactions to each case. 19. True-crime listeners who follow high-profile trials and plea deals. 20. Listeners wanting a deep dive into one single case arc.

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