Idaho Murder Families Confront their Childrens’ Killer

Summary

Podcast Summary: Idaho Murder Families Confront Their Children’s Killer

Podcast Information:

• Title: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Description: Amy Robach and TJ Holmes Present is an engaging iHeartRadio podcast that delves into gripping real-life stories, exploring the depths of human emotion and resilience.
• Episode: Idaho Murder Families Confront Their Children’s Killer
• Release Date: July 24, 2025

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Introduction to the Sentencing Hearing

The episode opens with Amy Robach and Rodney Williams addressing the emotionally charged sentencing hearing of Bryan Kohberger, who has been convicted of the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students. The hosts set the tone by highlighting the profound heartbreak and anticipation surrounding the proceedings.

Amy Robach (04:00): "We expected a lot yesterday from the sentencing hearing for Bryan Kohberger... it just makes your heart break all over again."

Emotional Toll on the Families

Robach and Williams delve into the immense emotional burden carried by the families of the victims. They emphasize the unimaginable pain of confronting the man responsible for their children’s deaths, especially in a courtroom filled with grief and anger.

Amy Robach (04:50): "Every single parent out there had to just put themselves in these parents' shoes... to hear something to try and make sense of something that was and will forever remain senseless."

Williams echoes these sentiments, noting the anticipation and the lack of closure some families sought.

Rodney Williams (05:28): "What were we hoping for? Let’s get that out of the way as well. He was robed... and he gave us the only words we’re going to get from him in this case."

Defendant’s Composure and Silence

A focal point of the discussion is Bryan Kohberger’s demeanor during the hearing. The hosts describe his complete lack of emotion and refusal to engage, which left many in the courtroom feeling unsettled and searching for answers.

Amy Robach (05:49): "I cannot, I don't even know how you keep a straight face like that... when people are calling you a monster."

Rodney Williams (06:18): "It was non-stop... everybody seemed to be in tears. So for him to sit around all of that... is."

This stoic behavior contrasts sharply with the raw emotions displayed by the victims' families, highlighting the deep chasm between perpetrator and victims.

Judge’s Remarks and Legal Proceedings

The judge's statements during the sentencing are examined, revealing a mix of professional duty and personal sorrow. His remarks underscore the senseless nature of the crime and the profound loss experienced by the victims' families.

Judge (28:36): "The loss this killer inflicted was not just the death of these people's children... There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality in my view."

The hosts discuss the judge’s role in balancing justice with empathy, noting his acknowledgment of the families' grief.

Tributes from the Victims’ Families

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the heartfelt tributes made by the families and friends of the victims. These tributes are poignant, expressing sorrow, anger, and a desperate need for closure.

• Surviving Housemate’s Tribute:

  Surviving Housemate (11:11): "I hate and still hate that they are gone... Why me? Why did I get to live and not them?"

  This statement encapsulates the profound survivor's guilt and the ongoing pain faced by those who lost loved ones.

• Kaylee Goncalves' Father:

  Steve Gonzalez (15:08): "There's no place for you in heaven. You took our children. You are going to suffer."

  Gonzalez’s direct address to Kohberger highlights the deep-seated anger and desire for retribution felt by the families.

• Maddie Mogan’s Mother:

  Karen Mogan (23:39): "Those who commit evil... truly defile the efforts and sacrifices of mothers, fathers, families... you robbed a community that had invested in this girl."

  Her words emphasize the broader impact of Kohberger’s actions, extending pain beyond immediate families to the entire community.

Prosecutors’ Defense of the Plea Deal

The prosecution's decision to accept a plea deal, resulting in four life sentences without the possibility of parole, is scrutinized. The hosts discuss the prosecutor's rationale, which focused on preventing further victimization of the families through Kohberger’s potential revelations.

Prosecutor (29:23): "I don’t believe there’s anything that would have come out of his mouth that would not further victimize the families."

Rodney Williams highlights the families' discontent with the plea deal, feeling that it fell short of delivering the full justice they sought.

Rodney Williams (30:24): "Kaylee Gonzalez's father... was not okay with that. He said the negotiation... was not justice, it was a shortcut."

Reflection on Evil and Human Nature

Robach and Williams ponder the unsettling nature of evil, questioning how someone so intelligent could commit such heinous acts without any apparent warning signs.

Amy Robach (08:20): "We’re fascinated by evil... how can we prevent it? How can I avoid or have my family avoid this sort of situation? And literally, to recognize evil, really."

They discuss the challenges in identifying potential threats, as Kohberger exhibited no criminal record or overt signs of impending violence beyond substance abuse issues.

Rodney Williams (09:33): "What is it? This came out as well. The prosecutor said this was not a serial killer in waiting... there’s nothing."

Impact on the Community and Future Implications

The podcast delves into the lasting scars left on the University of Idaho community and beyond. The hosts emphasize the difficulty in comprehending such random acts of violence and the importance of cherishing loved ones.

Amy Robach (32:00): "All we can do is hug each other, love each other and make the most out of every moment we have with the people we love."

Conclusion and Takeaways

Robach and Williams conclude the episode by reflecting on the lessons learned from this tragedy. They stress the importance of familial bonds and the unpredictable nature of life, urging listeners to cherish their relationships.

Rodney Williams (34:32): "We cannot get our heads around it... All we can do is love each other."

Amy Robach reinforces this by encouraging listeners to embrace their loved ones amid the darkness of such events.

Amy Robach (34:32): "Hug your kids, tell them you love them so much... recognize that we never know what tomorrow brings."

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Final Thoughts: This episode of Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present offers a deeply moving exploration of a heartbreaking case, presenting the raw emotions of those left behind and the complexities of seeking justice. Through thoughtful discussion and poignant tributes, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the profound impact such tragedies have on individuals and communities alike.

Transcript

[Amy Robach]

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[TJ Holmes]

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[Amy Robach]

Yeah. I mean every single parent out there had to just put themselves in these parents shoes, imagining what you would say and how you would feel staring down the person, the man who brutally murdered your child for no reason whatsoever and the anticipation of either wanting to hear what he had to say, to offer some explanation, to give you some sense of understanding as to why it happened and then getting nothing from him. Absolutely nothing. Some people didn't want anything from him, but certainly some, some families expressed a desire to either hear an apology, hear an explanation, hear something to try and make sense of something that was and will forever remain senseless.

[Rodney Williams]

Yeah. And for a lot of folks, this was a big day for these families. This was kind of the finality of this case. But there weren't surprises in regards to the sentence. Oftentimes we were standing by to see what the judge is going to do. No, this was a plea deal. We already knew he was going to get the four life sentences, no possibility of parole. I think there were other 10 years hacked on for burglary. So none of that was the surprise. The hope was going in that he would say something. Let's get that out of the way as well. He was robed, as we know he was going to be asked. And the judge did. Do you have something to say? And he gave us the only words we're going to get from him in this case. I suppose.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. That he respect, respectfully declined to speak.

[Rodney Williams]

I respectfully decline, he said in a soft voice. There was no from all descriptions, robes and all. I mean, we had courtroom observers in there, but also we were able to see it on live stream. Like nothing from him? No, no, nothing. Not a reaction, not a nothing, people.

[Amy Robach]

I cannot, I don't even know how you keep a straight face like that, an expressionless face like that when people are calling you a monster, when people are sobbing, when you see your own mother crying, how you just are emotionless, expressionless. That was incredibly eerie, frankly, to see his complete lack of emotion and just almost, it was as if he was not even in his own body.

[Rodney Williams]

It was non stop, we should say. And you and I have spent a lot of time in courts and courtrooms with tragedies and we've, look, several of us, we've watched them live on television before. This at least was. This was non stop, almost constant emotion and tears from somebody in the courtroom. Like as a collective, everybody seemed to be in tears. The judge, the prosecutor, also in tears included.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah.

[Rodney Williams]

So for him to sit around all of what was just a nonstop emotional tear fest, for him to have nothing is. I'm curious, but they say they're done with him and maybe a lot of us should be as well.

[Amy Robach]

Look, I mean, a lot of times, well, so many times with school shootings, covering these types of tragedies, we have made a point as a news organization not to even say the shooter's name other than the initial reporting day when people needed to know who it was. And then from then on, you just refer to that person as the shooter because you don't want to give them any more fame. Because so often some of these people are seeking that they're seeking infamy, they're seeking attention, they're seeking so to not give it to them is part of it. And some of the parents or some of the family members did go up and say, I'm forgetting you, you are only initials now to me. They didn't want to give him any more news coverage or any more attention than he deserved.

[Rodney Williams]

I think one of the people, I can't remember which family member, but actually said that to him. All these people that are here and all this attention, it's not for you, it's for them, it's for the kids, it's for the victims. I thought that was, you know, I thought it seemed like. And I know what he was saying there, but there is so much fascination and there has been so much attention. And we did get more details about Coburger. We're all wondering just why the hell. And we had. And we got more information yesterday because of the gag order. It was lifted, but it was hard, and we were putting this together. Like, how much do you want to talk about this guy?

[Amy Robach]

It's hard because we're fascinated by evil, because it's. First of all, it's scary as hell to know that people like this guy are walking around. They could be your neighbor, they can be your classmate. They can be someone who you've allowed into your home unknowing what's actually deep within them. And so to try to understand him might be to try to understand evil, maybe to recognize it, to prevent. I mean, I think that's where a lot of folks heads go just to say, how could this happen? How can we prevent it? And how can I avoid or have my family avoid this sort of situation? And literally, to recognize evil, really, right.

[Rodney Williams]

Now, we don't know what we're dealing with.

[Amy Robach]

No.

[Rodney Williams]

We don't know what to look out for the next time. We don't know the warning signs. We know nothing from this guy.

[Amy Robach]

We heard from a. You know, in some of the information that was released, we heard from someone who was talking to him on Tinder. You. We heard from a couple of his classmates. We actually heard from a few of his fellow cellmates. But still, there's no. There's no. Aha. It's after the fact. They can say, yeah, he seemed creepy. Yeah, he seems like a weirdo. Yeah, he seems withdrawn. But there are plenty of people who are withdrawn and antisocial or socially awkward, and they're not evil and they're not murderers.

[Rodney Williams]

What is it this came out as well. The. The prosecutor said this was not a serial killer in waiting and went on to explain. They went through his background, obviously, extensively. There's no. There's nothing. Certainly not a criminal record. But just coming up, was he violated? Was he this or that? They said there was. He was not a serial killer, and the signs were missed.

[Amy Robach]

He was a. Exactly. And he was a drug abuser. I believe he had a heroin addiction. He was in rehab, and he had some burglary. You know, he was stealing phones and things like that to try and get money to pay for drugs. But short of that, no, there was nothing. And he was highly intelligent. That was also very much a part of the discovery into him and what perhaps potentially made him tick. But he was highly intelligent. And that's it. There isn't really a list of. Oh, okay. Like you pointed out, they didn't miss anything. Even his own parents, I'm sure, couldn't have imagined he was capable of something.

[Rodney Williams]

Like this, you know, so we. I guess that's enough of the talk about him because we did learn more about the victims as well yesterday. This was very, very difficult to listen to, and it's difficult. It'll be difficult for you to hear, but we want to go through some of the tributes, some of the sweet moments that were said again. We had parents, friends, surviving roommates, aunties, grandparents all got up and were able to say something. But it started with. And the first two we're going to start with here. Robes, the surviving housemates. Now, these were the two who were left alive by Coburger. And we don't know why.

[Amy Robach]

And they don't know why.

[Rodney Williams]

They don't know. But one wasn't there. It was Bethany Funk. She wasn't there. So somebody read a statement on her behalf.

[Amy Robach]

She said, I hate and still hate that they are gone, but for some reason, I am still here and I got to live. I still think about this every day. Why me? Why did I get to live and not them? For the longest time, I could not even look at their families without feeling sick with guilt. And that might explain why she wasn't in the courtroom.

[Rodney Williams]

You know, I didn't think about that. Yeah, I didn't hear anything about why she chose not to.

[Amy Robach]

It just might have been too hard.

[Rodney Williams]

It might have been. You hear this oftentimes where they say, like, natural disasters or, I mean, a plane crash, something people have survivor's guilt, like, why did those people die? And I didn't. I can't imagine what this feels like. And to have no answers for why it's.

[Amy Robach]

No, no. And. And the other surviving housemate who did and who was there yesterday, Dylan Mortensen. She talked about Brian, saying he's a hollow vessel, something less than human. He tried to take everything from me. My friends, my safety, my identity, my future. And we did hear a little bit from some of this, unsealed some of the unsealed documents that these two. I don't remember which one if it was Dylan or Bethany, but they actually heard Kaylee, one of the girls who was killed, say, I think someone's in here. And they ran into their room and locked the door. Then they thought they heard someone sobbing. Then they thought they heard a man's voice speaking. And yet still they just. They tried to call the phones of their roommates, but they were too afraid to leave their room.

[Rodney Williams]

All this we learned now. I mean, it was a house of horrors that night. And so much we Got from the stuff that's been released describing the scene that night. It's horrific.

[Amy Robach]

One of. One of the victims was stabbed 50 times. One of the other victims was stabbed 30 times and to the point where they were unrecognizable. I mean, it's just. It's disgusting. It's. I can't imagine being in, again, the shoes of those parents and getting those details. It's unthinkable. But we also heard from so many family members. Matty Mogan's stepfather, Scott, talked about Maddie and saying this world was a better place with her in it. He talked about her mom. He said, karen and I were ordinary people, but we lived extraordinary lives because of Maddie.

[Rodney Williams]

I thought that was a really cool way to put it to sum up your child. Yeah, I'm just. I'm nothing here. But, man, she made me special. She made my life special. That was a good way to put it.

[TJ Holmes]

He.

[Rodney Williams]

He was one. I think several people kind of alluded to this in some way, that this person is insignificant and to be forgotten. And Scott Laramie said, as for the defendant, we will not waste the words, nor will we. Nor will we fall into the hatred and bitterness. Evil has many faces, and we now know this. But evil does not deserve our time and attention. There was a lot of that. And Morgan's grandmother got up as well. And this was the one, a short sentence that was so powerful. The foundation fell out of our world.

[Amy Robach]

That makes so much sense. I mean, she talked about having now a stack of books on grief and having attended grief classes in therapy. I mean, this. You never get over the death of a child, ever. And now they're having to deal with living without the people who, yes, were their foundation, Madison Mogan's dad. And he talked about his substance abuse. He talked about how she was the reason why he lived, why he fought to see another day, why he worked so hard to. To basically win his battle against addiction. But he said, she was the only great thing I ever really did. Oh, that makes me. Oh, that chokes me up. And the only thing I was ever really proud of.

[Rodney Williams]

Yeah, he's been through some things.

[Amy Robach]

You could tell, and you can tell.

[Rodney Williams]

Looking at that girl, like, wow, she came from love. She's a good kid. I got something right. And that thing is gone from him now. That stuff comes through in some of these words. Now the next one here, and help me. I keep messing up the last name. Please help me.

[Amy Robach]

Kaylee Goncalves. And her family has been very outspoken since the murders, and they have been very outspoken about their displeasure about this deal that was made to spare him from the death penalty and they have been outspoken about not getting information. So I mean, this is a family that is in the throes of grief, but they're angry and you could hear from the father, Steve, the sister and the mom all they are angry and.

[Rodney Williams]

Steve the dad is the one who changed things up in the courtroom. He changed the tone in the courtroom when he rearranged some of the courtroom furniture.

[TJ Holmes]

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[Rodney Williams]

You're supposed. And I think people will remember this, that I think I can remember the judge did in this case. But you're addressing the court. You're not supposed to be directly addressing anybody else in the court. So the podium that they stand, they. They speak at is on the floor and directed towards the bench. Essentially, the judge is. Yeah, and Steve Gonzalez physically grabbed that podium and turned it in the direction of the defendant, Coburger, to speak to him directly. Now, robes. The judge would have been perfectly within his right to say, turn that back. You address the court. You're not going to do that. Judge didn't stop.

[Amy Robach]

I'm not upset about that.

[Rodney Williams]

Judge didn't stop.

[Amy Robach]

And, you know, that was his moment. His. Everything had been taken from him. His power had been taking. Taken from him. His. His beautiful daughter had been taken from him. Like, give him that. That moment. And he did.

[Rodney Williams]

And after that, there were a lot of moments that I guess involved more anger and direct. Speak, if you will, to Coburger. But Kaylee's dad said this. Nobody cares about you. You're not worth the time, the effort to be remembered. In time, you will be nothing but two initials forgotten to the wind. No visitors. Nothing more than initials on an otherwise unmarked tombstone. And again, from here on now, there. I guess after this, it felt like everybody else felt a little more emboldened. They already had their statements ready, but after this, the. The tone was, yeah, was very angry.

[Amy Robach]

Because Kaylee's sister and Kaylee's mom, this family is angry. And so her sister said this to Brian. Disappointments like you think thrive on pain. I won't feed your beast. Instead, I will call you what you are. Sociopath, psychopath, murderer. And she said, you want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most. If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep in the middle of the night like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your fucking ass. And the courtroom actually applauded after she said that. Kaylee's mom, she had something also just very. I mean, just. You could just feel her pain in these words. She said this to him. When those prison doors slam shut behind you, I hope that sound echoes in your heart for the rest of your meaningless days. I hope it reminds you of what we already know. You're nothing. May you continue to live your life in misery. But it's okay because they're to help. They're there to help you. Hell will be waiting. And she said, but it's okay because they're there to help you. She actually took the words that one of the roommates said she thought she heard him say to Kaylee, to her daughter. And so she used that same phrase against him when she addressed him.

[Rodney Williams]

Maddie Mogan's mom got up. I just want to mention this because this is something, again, a lot of people can relate to. We don't keep this in mind enough. She said, those who commit evil for their own twisted gains and purposes truly defile the efforts and sacrifices of mothers, fathers, families, teachers, clergy, public servants, service members, and all those who commit themselves to the greater good. She was making a reference about the light, and she put this together in such a way when you. It's not just a family. Right. How many people in your life right now are you coming up? This was a team effort to get you through elementary school, high school, college, whether that's aunts, whether you can remember some pastor somewhere, you can remember a teacher somewhere. But she went through and listed like, you robbed. Not this fan. You robbed a community that had invested in this girl. I thought that was a great line from Karen. Laramie is her name. That's Maddie Mogan's mom.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah. And she talked about Maddie's beauty. She said, both inside, outside, and in, shone its light upon everyone with whom she came in content. And she said Maddie carried that hope and light into the future for our entire family. And that's. It's just. It's gutting to think about the futures that will no longer happen. The futures that investment that that community and her family put into her just cut short.

[Rodney Williams]

And the. This one's tough. Zanner Knodle's dad, he's gonna be dealing with this the rest of his life, obviously losing his daughter. But he. I didn't know this. I hadn't heard this story before, that she wasn't feeling well that night, and it actually called her dad. Do I have that right? And was considering. I think he said only live seven minutes away or seven miles. Either way, he's very close. And he didn't go by. And she was the one that encouraged.

[Amy Robach]

Him not to because he had had a couple drinks, you know, and she didn't. Yeah. And so. Oh, I mean that. To know that you would have been there, could have been there. Should have been there, maybe even. And you could have stopped it. So Zanna's dad said this. I would have been sitting right there on that couch. And I regret that, and I regret not going. But the reason why I didn't is because she said, dad, don't be drinking and driving.

[Rodney Williams]

That's a tough one. We had to hear in court yesterday. I thought this was interesting. Her aunt, Kim Krona's aunt also spoke. And I'm not sure if she was serious, and maybe she actually was. She said to him, anytime you want to talk and tell me what happened, get my number, I'm here. No judgment. I'll be the one who listens now. Because what she's suggesting, there were so many other family members. Like, I don't want to hear his voice. I don't want to hear anything from him. Others are saying, yes, I want to hear. It almost sounds like she was volunteering to be the one who has to listen on behalf of everybody.

[Amy Robach]

It makes sense, though, Like, I don't think any. I don't know that any parent. I don't think I could hear that directly. And I certainly wouldn't want to be engaged in any kind of conversation with someone who had done that to my daughter. But maybe if you're just a little bit removed, you're an aunt and you can take that for your sister or your brother and you can bring. That makes a lot of sense to me that you can have just enough of a removal that you can. You could process it. You could emotionally distance yourself from it enough to give that gift back to your family. If there was something that could be explained, if there was something, any nugget that could give them any peace or any sort of closure.

[Rodney Williams]

A couple more here from Zanna's family here, then a keno. I'm saying that correctly. Do hope that was angry here. And this is. Her stepdad was actually pointing at Coburg at the time when he was saying this. But he said, there's no place for you in heaven. You took our children. You are going to suffer. I am shaking because I want to reach out to you. Go to hell.

[Amy Robach]

Oof. I mean, you. I can't. Like, I can't imagine feeling anything but wanting to cause harm to him, physical harm to him, emotional harm to him. And you could hear with some of the words that some family members were choosing, they wanted to try and give him as much pain as possible. And I understand that. I understand that. Zanna's mom said, I pray before this life is over that you Ask our Lord and Savior in your heart to forgive you. I do pray for that. But after today, I wash my hands of you and you are no longer a thing.

[Rodney Williams]

It's been three years for them. That is very, very difficult to imagine. They'll deal with the pain of the loss of their child for a long time. But to have to try to put out of your mind or forget about or put away this guy and your anger at this guy and what he took from you is, look, heart goes out to him to pull that off. But what a day it was in court. And again, the judge at times was described by some as wiping away tears at times. And he, he as well, had strong words for the defendant. Oftentimes judges do do this before sentence. They're fair during the trial, and, you know, they call it as the referee, but this was his chance to unload a little bit as well.

[Amy Robach]

Yeah, that's right. He said the loss this killer inflicted was not just the death of these people's children, siblings, grandchildren. As we've heard today, it has ripped a hole in their soul, destroying a special part of their very essence. There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality in my view. The time has now come to end for Mr. Kohberger's 15 minutes of fame. It's time that he be consigned to the ignominy and isolation of perpetual incarceration.

[Rodney Williams]

That's it. It's over. Will we ever hear from him again? Maybe there'll be folks for years trying to get a jailhouse interview or get him to write letters or some type of thing so we may hear from him again. And, you know, when he does, if he does, man, that is going to rip another new wound for these folks.

[Amy Robach]

Yes, it certainly is. And in terms of him not speaking and so many people wanting to hear him say something, give some explanation. The prosecutor took the time to defend their decision because they could have insisted that he give some sort of reason or some sort of motive in exchange for the plea deal that they made with him so that he could avoid the death penalty. But this is what the prosecutor said. He said, I don't believe there's anything that would have come out of his mouth that would be the truth. I don't believe there's anything that would come out of his mouth that would be anything other than self serving. And I don't believe there's anything that would come out of his mouth that would not further victimize the families. And so that just simply wasn't a Factor Kaylee Gonsalve's father, still, after, after the sentencing hearing, still was not okay with that. And he said the negotiation, that meaning the deal was not justice, it was a shortcut. We said from the very beginning, we're not interested in a shortcut for our daughter. We wanted everything. And I, I get that. That's fair.

[Rodney Williams]

So, yeah, that's what they said they want. I, I actually don't know. And you can tell me if you've seen it somewhere, if they consulted with, like, they don't give them the. Well, oftentimes, yes, prosecutors do give the family a choice. Would you like to do this or this?

[Amy Robach]

I have seen actually a recent victim, specifically with Kaylee's father. And they said they were shut out, kept in the dark, not only from the details of the crime to the information they had on Coburger, but also when it came to any negotiations that were being made, and they were extremely upset about that.

[Rodney Williams]

Well, also, one of the nuggets note from the court yesterday, I mean, Coburger's mom was in the courtroom and cried pretty consistently at a number of times when I think, in particular, when one of the victim's family members got up and was talking about the shame he brought to the Coburger name, she was in tears, but she was in tears during a lot of these statements. What she's going through, what she's feeling, how people are directing maybe angry anger towards her, know, but she was, she sat in that courtroom as a, as a mama does, right? Doesn't a mother always show up for the kid, no matter what? I know how horrific this is, but she is still in there maybe to show support or in some way even for the victims. She showed up.

[Amy Robach]

She showed up. And I do think, look, I can only speak from, from my vantage point as a mom, though. But you, the amount of guilt, the incredible guilt you would carry with you for the rest of your life thinking, what did I do wrong? What signs did I miss? How did I give birth to and raise a monster? Because there's no other word to use for this. He is a monster.

[Rodney Williams]

We got a lot of details that we're just not going to get into here because it was a big lift of the police report. The gag order was lifted. I mean, and some of the details about the scene are just horrific, what these kids went through, just how horrific, just how violent this was. Yes, there can be degrees to violence when it comes to stabbing. This was overkill. This. Some of the things they describe here. There'll be Time and a place for all of that. But we just wanted to hop on here and give you some of the words. And from the family members who lost so much in a story we have all kept an eye on for the past several years. This is some level of closure for the family today.

[Amy Robach]

It is some level of closure. And I was trying to think of any takeaway. You know, we've had to cover so many of these awful stories. This is. Is among the worst though, because I think. Because there is no explanation, there is no rationality. There was no love triangle. There was no nothing that you could say, okay, that's what made him snap. That's what. That's why he did this. And so it is so senseless. And I think the only takeaway I can take from this and this is how I've had to kind of go through being a parent and also covering these awful things is to say hug your kids, tell them you love them so much is out of our control. There's nothing anyone could have done to prevent this from what we can see or tell. And so all you can do is just make the most of the time you do have with the people you love and to tell them you love them and to spend as much joyful time you can with one another. Recognizing that we never know what tomorrow brings. And there's so many. Most of these things that happen in the world we can't prevent, we can't stop and we can't anticipate. All we can do is love each other.

[Rodney Williams]

This one's different. We've seen horrific stories and what do they say afterwards? Well, yeah, there was a sign here and a person saw this and they didn't report that or they didn't think it was a big deal. That's one thing that was not a sign anybody ever suggested that was missed. And robes they are still to your all your points there about. You never know when things are out of your control. They are still not one single link they can find between Coburger and these four victims. They're not a social media post, not a past each other in a coffee shop, nothing. And that is difficult to think that just sometimes bad happens. Like horrific evil happens really to these four. It just. We will. We cannot get our heads around it. Babe. Can't get my. We can prepare for all kinds of stuff. How do you prepare for a maniac you've never heard from just come in and killing for no reason.

[Amy Robach]

You can't. You can't. All we can do. All we can do is hug each other, love each other and make the most out of every moment we have each and every day when we hear stories like this. So thank you for listening to us. We'll hopefully be able to hop back on with maybe something less dark. But there are lessons in all tragedies and we hope you have a beautiful, blessed day today. Thanks for listening to us. I'm Amy Robach. On behalf of my partner TJ Holmes, we'll see you soon. Legends with a Z.com is a 100% free to play social casino and sportsbook where you can spin the reels, make game predictions, and even play live blackjack without leaving your couch.

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[Amy Robach]

This is an iHeart podcast.