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- [00:00]
Ashley
Insurance isn't a one size fits all, and shopping for it shouldn't feel like squeezing into something that just doesn't fit. And that's why drivers have enjoyed Progressives name your price tool for years. So with the name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay and they will show you options that fit your budget enough. Hunting for discounts, trying to calculate rates, and tinkering with coverages. Maybe you're picking out your very first policy, or maybe you're just looking for something that works better for you and your family. If you either way, they make it simple to see your options. No guesswork, no surprises. So if you're ready to see how easy and fun shopping for car insurance can be, visit progressive.com and give the name your price tool a try. Take the stress out of shopping and find coverage that fits your life on your terms. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law that is progressive.com, big thanks to Progressive for sponsoring this episode. Before we start tossing the salad today, we want to give you a quick heads up to Today's episode involves discussions of a murder for hire plot, intense psychological stalking, and family custody conflict. If you need to skip this one, we completely understand.
- [01:34]
Ricky
We're pulling today's episode straight from unsealed federal felony complaints, Los Angeles county court filings, and undercover FBI transcripts. We're looking at a case that just broke wide open with multiple arrests in May of 2026. May have seen it in the headlines as Tiktoker Murder for hire plot.
- [01:57]
Ashley
For a minute, imagine you are at the height of your career and one day there's a knock at your door. You open it and it's two federal agents standing on your porch. They aren't there to ask for an autograph. They're there to tell you that someone has put a hit out on your life. I mean, the feeling of not knowing who to trust next.
- [02:18]
Ricky
You would have trouble sleeping after hearing news like that. I mean, I wouldn't leave my house.
- [02:24]
Ashley
It would feel like you're being hunted.
- [02:26]
Ricky
Well, that's exactly what happened to pop singer Jack Avery in 2025. Jack actually went on the Zach Sang show and talked about this terrifying moment. He said, and I quote, someone hired someone to kill me. He said he was so traumatized that he locked himself inside his house for a month straight and refused to leave. Which sounds understandable.
- [02:51]
Ashley
And what makes this so much darker is that this wasn't some crazed, obsessed fan trying to track him down. According to prosecutors the people who allegedly orchestrated this dark web hit were his ex girlfriend, who is also the mother of his seven year old daughter, and her father, who was a civil trial attorney.
- [03:11]
Ricky
This is a wild, twisted story about how a bitter family court dispute crossed the line into a federal undercover sting operation, complete with cryptocurrency payments and a fake hitman. So let's toss the salad.
- [03:27]
Ashley
Let's do it. I'm Ashley.
- [03:28]
Ricky
I'm Ricky.
- [03:29]
Ashley
And this is Crime Salad. To really understand how a situation escalates to a dark web murder plot, we have to start at the beginning of the relationship between Jack Avery and Gabriela Gonzalez, who goes by Gabby on social media.
- [03:47]
Ricky
Right. If you were plugged into the pop music or influencer scene back in 2018 or 2019, you definitely knew who these two were.
- [03:56]
Ashley
So Gabby was building her own massive following as a fashion and lifestyle influencer on TikTok and Instagram. She's originally from North Carolina and she was young, beautiful, and building this huge platform. So when the two of them started dating around February of 2019, it was like a match made in social media heaven.
- [04:17]
Ricky
But their relationship moved incredibly fast. Just five months after they officially started dating, Gabby became pregnant. And In April of 2019, they welcomed their daughter into the world. Now, Jack was only 19 years old at the time and Gabby was around 17.
- [04:35]
Ashley
Yeah, I mean, they were basically kids themselves. And you really have to think about the immense pressure that would put on a relationship. Navigating being a brand new parent is hard enough. I mean, it was incredibly overwhelming and challenging.
- [04:50]
Ricky
Oh, Yeah. I mean, 100%, it was a lot. I was going to school, working a job. I was still trying to figure out how to be a dad. And you were doing the same thing. You were a new mom, you were going to school. I mean, it's a lot to take on and all at once too.
- [05:07]
Ashley
Yeah, I mean, sometimes you feel like you're drowning half the time just trying to figure out normal life stuff. But then imagine doing all of that while you're barely out of high school. Your partner is in a globally famous boy band, and millions of fans are dissecting your every move online. It's just a recipe for absolute stress.
- [05:26]
Ricky
Yeah. So we're definitely not judging the fact that it was hard for them. I mean, it's a massive challenge even without the fame. And unfortunately, their relationship didn't survive that pressure. It was really tough. And then just a few months after their daughter was born in mid-2019, Jack and Gabby officially separated.
- [05:47]
Ashley
So before we get into the custody Battle and all of that. Let's talk about Dak Avery. He was in this boy band, as we mentioned, and it was actually pretty successful.
- [05:58]
Ricky
Why don't we formed back in 2016 and they just completely exploded. I mean, to put it into perspective, we're talking over 3 billion global streams
- [06:09]
Ashley
since they formed, and the industry heavily backed them. Ed Sheeran actually wrote one of their biggest early hits, Trust Fund Baby. And they were selling out cross country tours, performing on Good Morning America, and playing in Madison Square Garden alongside Taylor Swift.
- [06:25]
Ricky
Exactly. I mean, their debut album went straight to the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in their follow up hit number three. So Jack was right in the middle of this massive pop machine. He goes from just being this kid from Pennsylvania posting covers on YouTube to literally living in this bubble of international superstardom. So when he and Gabby got together in early 2019, their entire lives were just moving at a million miles per hour.
- [06:57]
Ashley
And when the band eventually went on hiatus around 2022, Jack actually had to pivot to a career. And just recently, he's been putting out some solo music. He released a song called Please don't go in 2025 and some new ones this year. And he's been back on stage in New York.
- [07:17]
Ricky
Yeah, which makes this entire timeline so insane because while he was navigating the end of a boy band, launching a solo career in fighting in family court, Gabby and her dad were. Were quietly on the dark web plotting to end his life.
- [07:39]
Ashley
So when Jack and Gabby broke up in the summer of 2019, things didn't stay quiet for long. They were very quickly locked into a high conflict custody dispute over their young daughter. And custody battles, as we know, can be extremely stressful. But this one became practically obsessive.
- [07:59]
Ricky
And according to witnesses who spoke with investigators, this wasn't just a dispute between Jack and Gabby. Gabby's entire family became deeply entangled in the conflict. One witness described the Gonzalez family as being completely obsessed with having full custody.
- [08:17]
Ashley
Which brings us to the man who a lot of people believe escalated everything. Gabby's father, Francisco Gonzalez. Francisco is a 59 year old civil trial attorney based in Seminole County, Florida. He had his own law firm and specialized in major cases like wrongful death and medical malpractice.
- [08:37]
Ricky
Right. So we're talking about a man who is incredibly wealthy, highly educated, and makes his living fighting aggressively in court. He's a fixer. He's someone who is used to using his resources and power to completely bury the opposition. And when it came to his daughter's custody battle, he treated Jack Avery like the opposition.
- [09:00]
Savannah Breimer
Yes.
- [09:00]
Ashley
And prosecutors lay out exactly how far Francisco was willing to go. According to the unsealed court documents, Francisco Gonzalez didn't just hire lawyers to fight Jack in family court. He hired private investigators.
- [09:17]
Ricky
The affidavits show that Francisco was paying a private investigator to actively stalk and track Jack Avery. They specifically wanted to dig up any dirt or catch any behaviors that they could use to destroy Jack in a custody dispute. He even threatened to have Jack arrested and allegedly tried to use his own contacts in law enforcement against him.
- [09:41]
Ashley
It's just so wild to think about you have a Florida attorney pouring his own money into a smear campaign against a young pop star in California. The detectives on the case literally stated in their affidavit that Francisco had a sustained personal involvement in a campaign to gather information against Avery and use outside actors against him.
- [10:04]
Ricky
The hostility was off the charts. But the real turning point, the moment where this stopped being a dirty custody battle and crossed the line into a felony conspiracy, came down to something Francisco allegedly said out loud.
- [10:19]
Ashley
According to a witness who was interviewed by investigators, Francisco Gonzalez was discussing the massive legal bills and the endless fighting over custody. And the witness claims Francisco bluntly stated that it would all be cheaper if Avery were dead.
- [10:35]
Ricky
Which is a shocking and chilling thing for a lawyer to say, because shortly after that alleged statement, the Gonzalez family stopped looking for dirt to use in court, and they started looking for someone to carry out a hit.
- [10:52]
Ashley
So we know Francisco Gonzalez allegedly said it would be cheaper if Jack Avery were dead, but saying something terrible out loud and actually executing a murder for hire plot are two very different things. And to bridge the gap, they needed a middleman.
- [11:09]
Ricky
And that's where Gabby's new boyfriend at the time comes into the picture. His name is Kai Cordry. In early 2021, prosecutors say Gabby started feeding Kai all the details about the custody battle and her grievances with Jack. And the very first thing they tried wasn't actually the dark Web, right?
- [11:29]
Ashley
So she has this new boyfriend, and the first thing they tried was local intimidation to set the scene here. Jack was actually spending some time in Kauai, Hawaii, around March of 2021. And Gabby's new boyfriend Kai, happened to be a Hawaii based surf instructor. So since they had that local connection, court documents alleged that Gabby and Kai reached out to a former MMA fighter and boxing trainer on the island named Dustin Barsa. They apparently wanted to use him to physically intimidate Jack, basically to scare him or pressure him into packing up and leaving Kawaii. Completely.
- [12:10]
Ricky
But Dustin wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. He refused to participate, didn't do anything illegal, and has not been charged with any crime. But this is a crucial moment, because when local intimidation didn't work out, that's when Gabby and Kai allegedly escalated the plot to the Dark Web.
- [12:31]
Ashley
Yes. So according to the felony complaint, they started discussing using the Dark Web to hire a hitman.
- [12:38]
Nordstrom Rack Advertiser
And?
- [12:38]
Ashley
And they eventually specifically talked about using Bitcoin as payment and trying to make Jack's murder look like a complete accident.
- [12:45]
Ricky
This is where the paper trail really starts to lock them in. Because hiring a hitman on the Dark Web isn't cheap, and Kai needed funding. That's where Francisco Gonzalez steps back in. On April 26, 2021, Francisco allegedly wired $10,000 to Kai to use as the front money for the hit.
- [13:08]
Ashley
And it didn't stop there. Once Kai took that money and went onto a Dark Web murder for hire site, the site's administrator told him that an expert hitman was going to cost more. They needed another $4,000 to get the job done.
- [13:24]
Ricky
Now, Francisco Gonzalez is a lawyer. He knows that transferring large sums of money during an active conspiracy leaves a massive footprint. So they allegedly tried to disguise the second payment. Kai actually owned a business called site whisperer. On June 5, he sent Francisco an official business invoice for $4,000, framing it as a payment for web development services.
- [13:50]
Ashley
Francisco paid the $4,000 invoice, bringing the total amount funded for the hit to $14,000.
- [13:58]
Ricky
With the money secured, Kai allegedly went back online and put the official request for the hit to be carri a couple of days. They thought they had successfully hired a Dark Web assassin. But what they didn't know was that the person on the other end of the screen wasn't a hitman at all.
- [14:20]
Ashley
So a lot of people think the Dark Web is this incredibly sophisticated, foolproof underworld.
- [14:26]
Ricky
Yeah, it really isn't. When Kai Cordry logged on to find an assassin, he likely stumbled into what cybersecurity experts and the FBI know to be a massive ecosystem of scams and honeypots. But here's the secret of the Dark Web. Almost none of these sites are run by actual contract killers. The vast majority of them are run by overseas scammers who simply take your bitcoin and completely disappear. Because who are you going to complain to? It's not like you can go to the police and say, hey, I paid a hitman and he didn't do the job.
- [15:03]
Ashley
And the scammers know that. In fact, the way the Site administrator treated Kai in Francisco is a classic scam tactic. First they ask for the $10,000 up front. Then once you're on the hook, they suddenly claim that you need an expert hitman to milk you for another $4,000.
- [15:20]
Ricky
But the other half of these dark web murder sites aren't run by scammers. They're actually honeypots run by international law enforcement and the FBI. The FBI actively monitors these sites. And sometimes the scammers themselves actually tip off law enfor when they get a real funded request just to avoid being accessories to an actual murder.
- [15:43]
Ashley
Which is exactly the trap Kai and Francisco walked right into. They thought they were dealing with the administrator of a shadowy assassin network, but the moment that $14,000 cleared and the specific target was named, they were handed right over to federal agents.
- [16:01]
Ricky
I mean, it really highlights the sheer arrogance of Francisco Gonzalez. He's a 59 year old, highly educ civil trial attorney. He knows how the law works. But he was so blinded by his obsession with winning this custody battle that he threw $14,000 at a completely unverified Internet stranger, assuming his money and power made him untouchable.
- [16:32]
Ashley
You know what I noticed when I've been deep in case research? Up late, three coffees in eyes burning from the screen. My skin tells it all. And for a long time, my skincare routine was basically just random. I had like six bottles on the counter and a vague sense that one of them was supposed to do something. A lot of skincare looks great on the bottle. Sometimes it just doesn't deliver. Or worse, you get sold on the idea that you need like 10 different products before any of it works. That's why one skin caught my attention. It's not hype. It's not the packaging. It's real science. Real science from real people who actually do real science. One Skin was founded by longevity researchers. PhD scientist, female founded. And they started with one question. If visible skin aging is driven by damaged senescent cells, basically old cells that stop doing their job, what if you could switch those cells off instead of covering them up? The question led to OS1.1 Skin's proprietary peptide. It's the first ingredient proven to switch off those damaged senescent cells and actually slow skin aging directly at the source. I use it every morning. It takes me about 30 seconds, which as a busy mom, it's non negotiable. And every time I put it on, I'm giving my skin a signal to repair damaged cells, support the collagen and strengthen my barrier. The texture is light. It sits well under my makeup and and the first thing I noticed was that my skin looked less tired. Which given what I do for a living, it's a small miracle in my book. But don't just take my word for it. One Skin products are backed by four peer reviewed clinical studies validating efficacy and safety on all skin types. Over 10,000 5 star reviews. Yes, and they've been recently featured on Bloomberg as a leader in skin longevity. So you really don't need a complicated routine to get healthier younger looking skin. Born from over a decade of longevity research, OneSkin's OS1 peptide is proven to target the visible signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin. Now as you age for a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using code CRIMESALAD at OneSkin co. CRIMESALAD. That's 15% off OneSkin co with the code CRIMESALAD. Oh and after you check out they are going to ask you where you heard about them. Please tell them that Crime Salad sent you. That's one little word that keeps our show running. One more time. 15% off with code CRIMESALAD@ ONESKINCO. Crimesalad. And don't forget to tell them Crime Salad sent you. This episode is sponsored by Quints and I have to tell you I have been really intentional lately about building a wardrobe that actually works for my life. I am a 35 year old mom. Things I can throw on without thinking about it. That just feels so nice. And Quint's has become the place I buy from. Everything I have gotten from Quints just fits right into my life in a way that I did not expect for the price. Quince makes it easy to refresh your everyday with pieces that feel as good as they look. They use premium materials like 100% European linen, organic cotton and ultra soft denim. Their lightweight linen pants, dresses and tops start at just $30 and are effortless, breathable and easy to wear on repeat. And here's the part that gets me Everything at quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They they work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middleman. So you are paying for quality and craftsmanship, not brand markup. It's springtime and the piece I have been reaching for constantly is their water repellent windbreaker jacket. I got the moonstone blue and it has become my go to for basically everything. Walking the pugs, running errands, going to my son's games that are outside when it's raining a little bit. It is lightweight and it packs down small enough to throw in my bag so if I ever need it I just it put pull it right out. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to Quince.com Crimesalad for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com Crimesalad for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com Crimesalad starting or growing your own
- [21:12]
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- [22:41]
Ricky
As we said, law enforcement agencies are constantly monitoring these sites and in this case, the hitman that Kai thought he was communicating with wasn't a contract killer at all.
- [22:54]
Ashley
This is where the investigation flips from just tracking digital paper trails into a full blown undercover sting operation. The FBI is now actively involved and they have an undercover agent posing as the hitman communicating directly with the conspirators.
- [23:10]
Ricky
And the details of these communications are chilling. According to the unsealed affidavits, the undercover agent didn't just communicate online, there were actual phone calls in the fall of 2021. Kai got on the phone and spoke directly with the undercover agent posing as the killer.
- [23:31]
Ashley
During those recorded calls, Kai allegedly tells the undercover officer directly that Gabby wants the murder to happen and he explicitly implicates her father, Francisco, as the one bankrolling the entire expense. But Kai wasn't the only one who made contact.
- [23:50]
Ricky
Exactly. And this is where the story sounds like something straight out of a movie. In December of 2021, prosecutors allege Francisco Gonzalez also reached out to the undercover federal agent. According to the felony complaint, Francisco sent a text message to the agent using the alias Frangi. It's unique, right? In a secret code word, bull run.
- [24:15]
Ashley
So the wealthy 59 year old Florida trial attorney who has been trying to disguise his payments as web development is literally texting the word bull run to authorize a dark web hit. That's crazy.
- [24:29]
Ricky
Yeah. After sending that code word, Francisco actually got on the phone with an undercover agent. Authorities say that he used the call to discuss verifying the target and making sure the job was complete before final payments were settled.
- [24:44]
Ashley
And the most recent updates on this case reveal exactly what they wanted as proof. They didn't just want a photo to confirm the hit was done. According to prosecutors, they allegedly asked the hitman to bring them Jack Avery's pinky finger.
- [25:01]
Ricky
I don't know, to me, this feels like something out of a mob movie or something. It's just absolutely deranged. And according to court documents, they used coded communications to try to cover their tracks, but the intent was undeniable. They were actively negotiating the brutal end of Jack Avery's life.
- [25:21]
Ashley
And so while Kai, Gabby, and Francisco thought that they were just waiting for confirmation that the car accident had taken place, the FBI was already mobilizing. Because once law enforcement confirms there is an active funded threat against someone's life, their first priority is to secure the target and to protect Jack at all costs.
- [25:43]
Ricky
Which basically meant that someone had to go tell Jack Avery that the mother of his child and her family had just paid a hitman to kill him. And the whole pinky finger thing, it just makes the sting operation that much darker.
- [25:59]
Ashley
Yeah, it's really dark. And it shows what type of people these people actually are. Gabby, she presents herself on TikTok as this, like, wholesome, authentic person who is very, like, vegan and organic and living this lifestyle that everybody wants. And it's just really interesting how different this side is. Once the FBI realizes that someone has actively paid $14,000 to have Jack Avery murdered, they don't just wait around to see what happens next. Their absolute first priority is the safety of the target. Which means they had to make a visit to Jack's house.
- [26:42]
Ricky
Right. And Jack actually talked about this exact moment in an interview on the Zach Sang show last year, way before any of these arrests were made public. Now, keep in mind, this murder for hire business, it went down in 2021. This interview, it happened in 2025. This is years later, and the arrest didn't happen till May of 2026. We now know that he had to keep himself from saying who actually wanted him dead to the media in this interview. He basically just says there was a knock on the door, and he opens it and two FBI agents are standing there on the porch just looking at him. And they say, we're the FBI. Are you, Jack? And that's when they drop this absolute bombshell on him. They tell him that they've intercepted communications and that someone has paid a hitman
- [27:35]
Ashley
to end his life, which would also be so surreal. He said he was completely traumatized and rightfully so. He didn't know all the details at that exact moment, and he didn't know who ordered the hit or when it was supposed to happen. He just knew that someone was out there and they wanted him dead.
- [27:54]
Ricky
Jack said that after the FBI left, the paranoia completely took over. He literally locked himself in his house for a month straight and refused to leave. He said he was so scared that he would just sit there and look outside his window every single night, just terrified that someone was coming for him. Now, it's not exactly clear when he found out who actually wanted him dead, but the FBI did tell him at some point. And you really have to think about the psychological torture that he went through with that information, and for so long, too.
- [28:30]
Ashley
Yeah, because he was actively co parenting with Gabby. He's sharing custody of their daughter with a very woman who prosecutors say orchestrated his murder. He's handing his child off to her, having conversations about parenting, all while living in this absolute nightmare. I mean, at first, it would be so hard to believe that the mother of your child and her father paid this amount of money to have you killed. But based on Jack's recent statements, he knew about the plot for years and he had to stay quiet. He had to stay completely silent for the investigation. I mean, imagine looking at her in the face, pretending everything is totally normal so you don't tip her off, all while secretly knowing she tried to end your life.
- [29:18]
Ricky
And you could really see how strong minded he is. If you go back and listen to this interview on the Zach Sang show and you know for a fact that eyes were on this interview, the FBI is watching. Gabby is definitely watching, and her dad's watching too. They're all just sitting there wondering if he's going to slip up and say who he believed the hit came from. But Jack doesn't crack. He navigates it perfectly without blowing the investigation.
- [29:45]
Ashley
Exactly. And if you listen closely to what he does say, it is chilling. When Zach asks him why he thinks someone would want him dead, Jack literally says, to get stress out of their life. He goes on to say that it hurts because he's a welcoming person and he doesn't understand why someone would want to try to kill him just for their own benefit. He is literally describing Gabby and Francisco's exact motive right to the mic without legally naming them.
- [30:15]
Ricky
Yeah, and what makes it even crazier is what he was dealing with from the public during all of this. In that same interview, Jack tells about how, during this exact time with the FBI, people on social media were constantly commenting that he was a terrible dad and he didn't want to see his daughter, when in reality, Gabby's family was withholding their daughter in Hawaii, and he was terrified to even fly on a plane to go see her because he thought a hitman could be sitting right behind him. I mean, there's even a part in the interview where he talks about going to Hawaii, knocking on the door, and they basically just don't let him see his daughter.
- [30:55]
Ashley
He's taking all this public hate, knowing the real truth, but he can't defend himself because of the investigation. And he walked such a dangerous tightrope because while talking about the custody battle, he completely pivots and publicly praises Gabby. He literally says, I'm not trying to put shame on Gabriella. She's a great mom. I won't lie.
- [31:16]
Ricky
She's an incredible mom, which is just wild to watch. In hindsight. He had to sit there on a massive podcast and praise the woman who tried to end his life. I mean, he was clearly advised by the FBI not to say or do anything publicly that would let them know that the Fed were watching. It just shows how much psychological weight he was carrying behind closed doors. But Jack wasn't the only one living in fear during this time. While the FBI was quietly building their case, Gabby and Kai were actually panicking on their end, too.
- [31:50]
Ashley
And it makes you wonder if they were starting to realize that they were dealing with an undercover agent.
- [31:56]
Ricky
I mean, they might not have known it was the FBI specifically, but they definitely knew the walls were closing in. According to the unsealed court documents, the FBI intercepted a recorded phone call between Gabby and Kai on October 20, 2022.
- [32:13]
Ashley
So this is well over a year after they initially paid the fake hitman.
- [32:17]
Ricky
Exactly. During this 2022 call, Gabby and Kai were actively discussing the hitman's communications and trying to figure out how to handle the threat of exposure. They realized that they had left a massive digital footprint and were scrambling to do damage control.
- [32:34]
Ashley
It's so wild, and it shows that for years before they were finally arrested, they were looking over their shoulders, living with the constant anxiety that they were going to get caught.
- [32:45]
Ricky
But the FBI wasn't rushing. They were taking their time, connecting all of the dots, tracing the crypto payments and confirming the coded calls. And that long waiting game finally came to a head in May of 2026.
- [33:03]
Ashley
Now, it took a few years of quiet, meticulous investigating by the FBI to trace all the cryptocurrency, decode the conversations, and build an airtight case.
- [33:14]
Ricky
And when law enforcement finally moved in, they didn't just arrest one person. They executed a coordinated takedown of an entire alleged conspiracy in a matter of days.
- [33:26]
Ashley
Gabby Gonzalez was actually arrested in Humboldt county, California, on May 18. And according to reports, she was taken into custody right as she was trying to board a flight. She was then transferred down to the Los Angeles County Jail, where she made her first court appearance. She was wearing a blue hoodie and her family was watching from the gallery.
- [33:47]
Ricky
Then the next day, Tuesday, May 19, all the way across the country in Florida, authorities moved in on her father. Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Seminole county by local authorities on a warrant out of California. He was booked and is currently being held without bail as he awaits extradition back to Los Angeles to face the music. So he is technically classified as an out of state fugitive right now. And they didn't stop there. On Thursday, May 21, authorities officially arrested the third person in this alleged conspiracy. Kai Cordry was taken into custody in Los Angeles County. His bail was set at a massive $2 million.
- [34:32]
Ashley
And the charges they are facing are absolutely massive. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hockman officially announced the charges, and he didn't mince any words. He said, and I quote, most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable. Unquote.
- [34:58]
Ricky
The DA's office charged Gabby Gonzalez, Francisco Gonzalez, and Kai Cordry with three heavy felony counts each. Attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.
- [35:11]
Ashley
And just to show how seriously the judge is taking this, Gabby's bail was set at a staggering $2 million. This isn't a situation where you just post a quick bond and go home. If they are convicted on all three charges, every single one of them, Gabby, her father and kai, they're facing 25 years to life in a California state prison.
- [35:34]
Ricky
You really have to take a step back and look at the sheer destruction. Here you have a wealthy established attorney and a young influencer with her whole life ahead of her, potentially throwing it all away and facing life behind bars because they allegedly couldn't handle co parenting.
- [35:52]
Ashley
And while the criminal justice system is now handling the charges, the immediate fallout hit the family hard because the second those arrests were made public, Jack Avery had to take extreme legal action to protect himself and his daughter. So good, so good, so good.
- [36:16]
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- [36:41]
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- [37:10]
Savannah Breimer
In January of 2008, real estate agent Lindsay Buziak received a call from a woman who said that she and her husband were urgently seeking a home with a budget of $1 million. Eager for the commission a deal like this would bring, Lindsay found the perfect home and set up a showing. Just one hour after the showing, Boozy X colleague found her lying in a pool of blood in the master bedroom with multiple stab wounds. To this day, the case remains unsolved. I'm Savannah Breimer, host of the true crime podcast Killer Instinct, the research backed show that covers cases like Lindsay's and aims to bring justice to the families of victims of horrific crimes. Each month I explore a new sector of true crime, from serial killers to stalkers to female killers. For each case, I break down the moments leading up to the crime, debunk past theories, and share the experiences of those affected by these tragedies. Join me every Wednesday as I unveil the truth behind some of the darkest cases in history. Listen and subscribe to Killer Instinct wherever you get your podcasts.
- [38:21]
Ashley
So after the arrest finally go down in May of 2026, the entire situation immediately spills over into family court because Jack Avery is now dealing with the horrifying reality that his daughter's mother and grandfather are facing federal conspiracy charges to trying to end his life.
- [38:42]
Ricky
Right. Jack didn't waste a single second. The very same day Gabby was arraigned in Los Angeles, Jack's legal team rushed to family court to file for an emergency action. He immediately filed for a temporary restraining order against Gabby, as well as a request for sole legal and physical custody of their 7 year old daughter.
- [39:03]
Ashley
And the judge did not hesitate. The temporary restraining order was granted right away. Under that order, Gabby Gonzalez is legally barred from having any contact with Jack. She's not allowed to go within 100 yards of him, and crucially, she is not allowed to have any contact with their daughter while these criminal proceedings are
- [39:23]
Ricky
playing out, which is a complete contrast of what the Gonzalez family wanted. I mean, they allegedly spent years obsessively fighting for full custody of the child, and their own alleged actions resulted in them losing all access to her completely.
- [39:39]
Ashley
Yeah, it's the absolute ultimate backfire. They wanted 100% control. And in trying to permanently erase Jack from the picture, they completely erased themselves from this child's life. Instead, you literally handed him sole custody on a silver platter because you couldn't just co parent. I mean, it's tragic, but talk about karma.
- [40:01]
Ricky
Yeah. To think that they went to the absolute most extreme lengths possible trying to hire a hitman on the dark web just because they were frustrated with the family court process. Court documents even say witnesses described the family as being obsessed with having full custody. Then you have Francisco allegedly claiming it would just be cheaper if Avery were dead. And now the three of them are sitting in jail cells facing 25 years to life, while Jack Avery was officially granted full custody of their daughter just last week. You literally couldn't write a more poetic ending to that custody battle if you tried. And to top it all off, she met the financial requirements to post the 2 million dollar bail and is now out with a GPS monitor. Just a few days later, photos surface showing Gabby walking out of the Los Angeles County Jail in camouflage clothing after posting the two million dollar bail. Because she's considered a massive flight risk, the judge ordered her to surrender her passport and wear a GPS monitor. But other than that, she's able to sit out for two months.
- [41:11]
Ashley
But she is heavily restricted. She is stuck in California, her movements are being tracked and she has been ordered by the judge not to post anything about the case on social media. And she was scheduled to enter a plea at her arraignment this week, but her legal team actually waived her plea until next court date on July 23rd.
- [41:32]
Ricky
So basically, she has two months until it gets real. And as far as Jack Avery, he actually broke his silence publicly on Instagram just a few days ago, right after the arrests were announced. He posted a really lengthy, heartfelt message to his 1.4 million followers.
- [41:50]
Ashley
He did. And what really stood out was that he talked about how he had to stay completely silent for years out of respect for the legal process, which would be really hard. And he mentioned that he and his family have endured intense public scrutiny, false accusations, and painful attacks on their character, all while he secretly knew about this murder plot.
- [42:13]
Ricky
He thanked his family, friends, and the Los Angeles County DA's office for their hard work. But the most important part of his message was about his daughter. He confirmed that he now has sole custody of her, in adding that she's safe, healthy, and deeply loved. He ended the whole post with four words. Always seek the truth.
- [42:36]
Ashley
And as for Gabby, not to give her any attention, but her TikTok, she has two TikToks that I noticed. One account has 415.5 thousand followers, and her newest account only has around 9,700 followers. But what I found interesting is when you're looking at her videos, some of these were posted in 2025, like one of her most recent ones, and you can see her, and it's like this whole time that she's posting these videos just living her life, there is a massive federal investigation quietly closing in on her. And that's the part that I feel is interesting.
- [43:15]
Ricky
Yeah, I mean, it really just adds another eerie layer to this whole situation.
- [43:20]
Ashley
It's all just so hard to wrap your head around a case like this. I mean, you have a Florida trial attorney, a man who spent his life studying and practicing the law, who was allegedly willing to. To throw away his career, his freedom, and his daughter's freedom all over a custody dispute.
- [43:40]
Ricky
It really just shows you that no matter how much money or education someone has, it doesn't protect them from losing complete touch with reality. To go from fighting in family court to wiring $14,000 for a dark web hitman is just a horrifying escalation of control.
- [43:59]
Ashley
I don't know about you, but I am going to be keeping a very close eye on this case as it heads toward trial. And we'll try to update you on Patreon if anything happens, if you happen to see something, go ahead and post it. Let everyone know. Let's talk about this case. It's really interesting and if you would like to take your own look at the unsealed affidavits and court documents, you can read the undercover transcripts for yourself. Everything will be in our show notes so you'll get a link there directly.
- [44:27]
Ricky
And be sure to check out crimesaladpodcast.com to grab some of our new merch. If you want to listen ad free, you can subscribe on Patreon or directly through Apple Podcasts and your support is
- [44:39]
Ashley
the reason that we keep covering these stories. So thank you so much for helping us grow. Thank you for sharing Crime Salad with a friend. And if you're still listening, have a great rest of your day.
- [45:12]
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- [45:14]
Ricky
But what happens when you discover that
- [45:16]
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- [45:20]
Ashley
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- [45:27]
Ricky
I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do.
- [45:32]
Ashley
Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man
- [45:35]
Ricky
Wherever you get your podcasts.
- [45:40]
Nordstrom Rack Advertiser
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- [46:14]
Podcast Advertiser
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- [46:54]
Ricky
Wait, what
- [46:58]
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- [47:08]
Ashley
when the Chaotics are on the case.