The parents of a young woman killed in the 2022 University of Idaho student homicides have publicly denounced an upcoming television movie about the case, criticizing the project as exploitative and the behavior of its cast as deeply inappropriate.
The film, which chronicles the murders of four students, is facing significant backlash. The parents of victim Kaylee Goncalves have expressed outrage over social media content posted by actors involved in the production. They specifically called for the dismissal of the film’s media manager after actors, including the performer portraying their daughter, were seen in a since-deleted online video dancing and joking while wearing blood-stained costumes.
In a forceful statement, the family accused the television network of capitalizing on their tragedy. “This case may be legally closed, but our pain is not,” the statement read. “The network is chasing profit. The actors have shown profoundly poor judgment. We are hurt, we are disappointed, and we miss our daughter every single day. It has been mere months since the legal proceedings ended. Our wounds are still fresh.”
The controversy has sparked a public petition demanding the production be halted, which has garnered tens of thousands of signatures. The petition’s creator argued that transforming a real-life tragedy into entertainment is heartbreaking, emphasizing that the victims were individuals with futures, not just headlines.
The man convicted of the crimes, Bryan Kohberger, a former criminology student, pleaded guilty to the quadruple murder last year and is now serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.
The production company behind the film previously produced a movie about another high-profile criminal case, the Murdaugh family murders. The current project continues to draw criticism for its timing and approach, with many echoing the families’ sentiments that it disrespects the memory of the victims and compounds the grief of those left behind.
