The parents of a victim in the 2022 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 disrespectful.
The film, which chronicles the killings of four University of Idaho undergraduates, is facing significant backlash. The parents of Kaylee Goncalves have expressed outrage over social media content posted by actors involved in the production. They specifically called for the dismissal of the project’s media manager after actors were seen in a since-deleted video reveling on set while wearing costumes depicting bloodstained clothing.
In a forceful statement, the Goncalves family accused the network of capitalizing on their tragedy, stating the production is merely an attempt “to make a buck” and that the performers have demonstrated “poor taste.” They emphasized that their grief remains profound and raw, noting the legal resolution of the case occurred less than half a year ago.
Public sentiment appears to align with the family’s distress. An online petition demanding the film’s cancellation has garnered tens of thousands of signatures. The petition’s creator argues that transforming the victims’ deaths into entertainment is heartbreaking, asserting that “these were not just names in a headline; they were real people.”
The convicted perpetrator in the case, Bryan Kohberger, is now serving multiple life sentences without parole after accepting a plea agreement. The killings, which shocked the nation, took place in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho.
The controversy highlights ongoing ethical debates within the true-crime entertainment industry, particularly regarding the sensitivity owed to victims’ families and the appropriate timeline for dramatizing recent, traumatic events.
