This is Hidden Killers Year in Review. A look back at the biggest stories of 2025.

This is the Hidden Killers podcast with Tony Bruske and continuing coverage of the case against

Brian Koberger. Well, it happened. Brian Koberger has confessed to the murders. Today, we're going to

be diving into the latest seismic developments in the

Brian Coburger case, one that's left families of public and even seasoned legal experts stunned.

After nearly three years of a steadfast denial, intricate legal maneuvering, and just weeks away,

one of the most anticipated trials, I'd say in probably a decade.

Koeberger has abruptly pled guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students.

It's a twist that's as shocking as it is confounding, raising pressing questions about the true

motivation behind Koeberger's 11th hour decision.

Joining me to try and make sense of this from a legal perspective defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Fattis.

Eric, yeah, I was shocked this week when this all went down.

What was your initial reaction when you heard that Coburger is going to plead out?

Pretty surprised that the plea was even extended at this point. You know, look, usually in a death

penalty case, it's prudent. If you're going to plead it out as a prosecutor, take death off the

table, put the person in prison for the rest of their life.

Make that decision early on. So you're saving the victim's families all of this heartache and

turmoil and trepidation about an upcoming trial. You're saving the government money if you do that.

I was sort of surprised that it came down this close to trial. I'm just wondering sort of what motivated the prosecutor

to do it now and not two years ago or something. Well, and that's a big question. From what we

understand is that the ask the, hey, can we, can we get a plea deal? Came from Koeberger's team. They

they're the ones who came to the prosecutor and said, what do you got?

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