The Son of Sam Loophole: How Idaho Killers Could Cash In — And Why Lawmakers Are Finally Acting
The Son of Sam Loophole: How Idaho Killers Could Cash In — And Why Lawmakers Are Finally Acting  
Podcast: Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Published On: Fri Jan 30 2026
Description: A judge just confirmed what victims' families feared most: under Idaho's current law, Bryan Kohberger could legally profit from telling his story. The same applies to Lori Vallow Daybell and Chad Daybell. The statute that's supposed to prevent this hasn't been updated since 1978 — and it shows.This week, Idaho Senator Tammy Nichols introduced legislation to modernize the state's Son of Sam law after the Moscow student murders and the Daybell cult killings put Idaho in the national spotlight. The bill unanimously advanced out of committee. But why did it take this long? And will it actually work?The original Son of Sam laws were born in 1977 when serial killer David Berkowitz was offered a massive book deal within 24 hours of his arrest. New York passed legislation the very next day, and 42 states followed — including Idaho. But the Supreme Court gutted these laws in 1991, finding them too broad to survive First Amendment scrutiny. Most states never fixed the constitutional problems. Idaho was one of them.Today, the true crime industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Podcasts, streaming documentaries, and social media monetization didn't exist when Idaho's law was written. The five-year escrow period means convicted killers can potentially receive media profits if victims' families don't file civil lawsuits in time. Meanwhile, Kohberger received over $28,000 in jail donations while families argued in court over who should pay for their daughters' urns.We break down the full history, the Supreme Court decision that changed everything, and exactly what the new Idaho bill does — and doesn't — accomplish. For the families of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, Ethan, Tylee, JJ, and Tammy, this fight is far from over.#SonOfSamLaw #BryanKohberger #IdahoMurders #LoriVallowDaybell #ChadDaybell #TrueCrimePodcast #VictimRights #MoscowIdaho #KayleeGoncalves #CriminalJusticeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This 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.