Was Judge Stephen Hippler Tone Deaf To The Pain Of Kohberger's Victims' Families?
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 907 Ratings
🗓️ 7 July 2025
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When Judge Stephen Hippler agreed to accept Bryan Kohberger’s shocking guilty plea, he made a decision that would spare Kohberger the death penalty—but at what emotional cost to the families of the victims? Attorney Eric Faddis joins the conversation to dissect Judge Hippler’s controversial decision-making and address whether he failed to adequately consider the deep anguish and heartbreak expressed by the families who demanded a full trial.
Throughout this episode, Faddis draws upon his extensive courtroom experience, both as a defense attorney and a former prosecutor, to explore the complexities judges face in balancing the interests of swift justice with the emotional devastation of survivors. Faddis evaluates the potential consequences of Judge Hippler’s choice, including public perception of fairness, the potential for closure (or lack thereof) for grieving families, and broader implications for the criminal justice system’s handling of high-profile murder cases.
Listeners will hear an in-depth analysis of Judge Hippler’s courtroom conduct, his statements during the plea hearing, and how they might have come across to victims' families and the broader public. Was this decision legally sound but emotionally disconnected, or did it represent a painful but necessary step toward a guaranteed conviction? Attorney Eric Faddis expertly breaks down the judge’s actions and explains the nuances of sentencing decisions, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the complex psychology and emotional weight inherent in capital murder cases.
Prepare for an honest discussion about empathy, judicial responsibility, and whether the judge adequately honored the pain and voices of those who lost loved ones to Bryan Kohberger’s horrific crimes.
Hashtags:
#JudgeStephenHippler #BryanKohberger #VictimsFamilies #IdahoMurders #CourtroomDecisions #LegalAnalysis #AttorneyEricFaddis #DeathPenalty #JusticeSystem #TrueCrimePodcast
Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/
Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod
X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod
Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi there, my name's Andy. |
| 0:03.5 | And my name's Anna. |
| 0:04.2 | And we are two of the four hosts of the podcast, No Such Thing as a Fish. |
| 0:08.8 | We present every week the most amazing, wonderful, insane, hilarious, bizarre facts you've ever heard. |
| 0:14.2 | Facts like, did you know, America has a national grocery bagpacking competition. |
| 0:19.2 | Did you know, Anna, the company Volkswagen sells more sausages than it does cars? |
| 0:23.6 | Yes, we've got those two facts and about a billion more in our podcast archives for you to listen to. |
| 0:29.4 | We chat about them, we laugh about them, we make the occasional terrible pun. |
| 0:32.5 | It's great fun. It's called no such thing as a fish. Why don't you listen now? |
| 0:42.0 | We're going to go back. is called No Such Thing as a Fish. Why didn't you listen now? Hi there. My name's Andy. And my name's Anna. And we are two of the four hosts of the podcast, |
| 0:46.5 | No Such Thing as a Fish. We present every week the most amazing, wonderful, insane, |
| 0:52.2 | hilarious, bizarre facts you've ever heard. |
| 0:54.4 | Facts like, did you know, America has a national grocery bagpacking competition. |
| 0:59.4 | Did you know, Anna, the company Volkswagen sells more sausages than it does cars? |
| 1:03.8 | Yes, we've got those two facts and about a billion more in our podcast archives for you to listen to. |
| 1:09.7 | We chat about them, we laugh about them, we make |
| 1:11.3 | the occasional terrible pun. It's great fun. It's called No Such Thing as a Fish. Why didn't |
| 1:15.1 | you listen now? |
| 1:20.1 | This is the Hidden Killers podcast with Tony Bruske and continuing coverage of the case against |
| 1:26.5 | Brian Koberger. |
| 1:27.9 | It was the moment that nobody saw coming, or at least not in the way it played out. |
| 1:35.0 | After nearly three exhausting years of relentless courtroom battles, endless motions, and seemingly bottomless legal maneuvers by |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from True Crime Today, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of True Crime Today and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

