Quadruple murder suspect Bryan Kohberber's defense team brought up two DNA samples from unidentified males at the King Road home where he is accused of killing four University of Idaho undergrads, as part of their effort to have his arrest warrants thrown out.

Two unidentified male blood samples, one on a handrail and one on a glove outside, were recovered by investigators after the stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncavles, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20. Neither matched Kohberger, and they came from different subjects.

With the sources of both in question, defense attorney Anne Taylor told Ada County Judge Steven Hippler at a hearing last month that it could mean Kohberger, 30, is not related to the crime at all.

BRYAN KOHBERGER TRIAL: NEW REVELATIONS IN IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS CASE AS DEFENSE GRILLS LEAD DETECTIVE IN COURT

"That was an interesting piece of information," Boise-based defense attorney Edwina Elcox told Fox News Digital. "I think the defense tries to raise the issue and muddy the waters with it."

But in the pretrial stage, the judge seemed unconvinced that the presence of two other DNA samples would be a reason to throw out probable cause for Kohberger's arrest. Detectives made another damning find – a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen's body.

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"His DNA is still on the knife sheath though," Hippler told Taylor in court. "That's the problem, counsel."

Taylor argued that detectives had misled Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall with their probable cause affidavit by leaving out details about the other blood. Hippler drilled home the connection between the suspect and the DNA found under Mogen's body.

BRYAN KOHBERGER'S MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS GIVEN TO PROSECUTORS AS HE FIGHTS DEATH PENALTY

"How does that, even if disclosed, preclude a finding of probable cause when there's a DNA match between the DNA on the sheath and Mr. Kohberger?" Hippler asked. "Isn't that probable cause every day and twice on Sunday?" 

Taylor argued, "Not in this context." In pretrial motions she unsuccessfully attacked the FBI's investigative genetic genealogy work, which generated a lead that led police to Kohberger. She plans to further dissect the investigatory method at trial.

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"What does a knife sheath at a scene mean?" Taylor posited. "That's going to be the ultimate question."

BRYAN KOHBERGER LOOKS TO DODGE DEATH PENALTY WITH PAGE FROM ‘CULT MOM’ LORI VALLOW'S PLAYBOOK

"If you're killed by a knife, it probably means a lot," Hippler replied. "Probable cause is not a proof beyond a reasonable doubt standard. It's a probable cause to think that this person might have done it. And I'm not sure how that direct DNA connection to a sheath found on or near one of the victims doesn't close the book on anything on probable cause after that."

But the samples could create reasonable doubt before a jury at trial.

"Of course they will try to use it, but where were the other male blood samples at the scene? What was the weight of the DNA?" said Linda Kenney Baden, a prominent New York defense attorney whose clients have included Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez. "All these are questions for the jury but do not preclude the sheath DNA being used both for the search warrant."

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The location of these samples matters, she said. One was found on a handrail inside, another on a glove outdoors.

"Now if the same unknown DNA is in a bedroom and on a victim then it becomes more important, but not for probable cause for the search warrant," she said. 

Taylor will likely argue that the unknown blood came from one or more killers – who have no connection to her client, said David Gelman, a New Jersey-based defense attorney who has been following the case.

"Defense Counsel will pound that theory," he told Fox News Digital. "This is a theme of reasonable doubt they will use. It could actually be a powerful part of the defense."

After the hearing, Hippler said he had not yet decided whether the defense will receive a Franks hearing, which would allow Kohberger's team to attack the warrants in court.

Kohberger is scheduled for trial later this year. Before his defense successfully argued for a change of venue, Latah County Judge John Judge entered not guilty pleas on the suspect's behalf at his arraignment in May 2023.

Kohberger could face the death penalty if convicted.

The Massachusetts woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend in a snowy collision has lost her Massachusetts Supreme Court appeal seeking to have her case tossed on the grounds of double jeopardy after a chaotic murder trial ended in a hung jury.

Karen Read, 45, is expected to go on trial for the second time as previously scheduled in April on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe died from blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia during a January snowstorm in Canton, Massachusetts, about 15 miles outside Beantown. Prosecutors say Read hit him with her SUV and fled the scene after a drunken fight. She claimed it was an elaborate cover-up and that she had left before he suffered any injuries. Jurors couldn't reach an agreement on which side to believe.

After a lower court denied her motion to dismiss following the mistrial, she appealed to the state's highest court, which handed down a decision Tuesday rejecting her argument that jurors only deadlocked on one of the three charges. She wanted the remaining two thrown out.

WATCH KAREN READ: KILLER OR CONVENIENT OUTSIDER?

"The jury clearly stated during deliberations that they had not reached a unanimous verdict on any of the charges and could not do so," Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Serge Georges Jr. wrote in the court's 35-page decision.

Jurors told the judge in a series of notes that they were "deeply divided" over Read's guilt of murder and other charges and could not reach an agreement. 

"Only after being discharged did some individual jurors communicate a different supposed outcome, contradicting their prior notes," Georges wrote.

KAREN READ MISTRIAL PUTS COPS IN TOUGH SPOT, OPENS DOOR FOR ACCUSED KILLER OF BOYFRIEND OFFICER TO WALK FREE

Because the jurors broke their silence only after the trial, it was too late, the court ruled.

"Such posttrial disclosures cannot retroactively alter the trial's outcome -- either to acquit or to convict," Georges wrote. "Accordingly, we affirm the trial judge's denial of the motion to dismiss and the defendant's request for a posttrial juror inquiry."

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Read's new trial is expected to be led by a special assistant prosecutor, Hank Brennan, who once represented the mobster James "Whitey" Bulger and has already begun trying to obtain unpublished records from Massachusetts reporters who have interviewed Read.

Read the court's decision

WATCH: DASHCAM FROM THE NIGHT JOHN O'KEEFE WAS FOUND DEAD

"I don't see how that was going to fly, because it was a mistrial, she wasn't found guilty or not guilty," said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector and attorney. "Double jeopardy applies when you have a verdict. It's in the Constitution."

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"This is settled law," he added. "This is not double jeopardy, I agree with the court. Let's get to a new trial and resolve this."

The new trial is scheduled to begin on April 1.

She is also facing a wrongful death lawsuit from O'Keefe's family.

Read, in a recent round of interviews, argued that she was framed by the real killers, whom she believes are other members of law enforcement O'Keefe got into a fight with after she dropped him off at the home of fellow Boston Police Officer Brian Albert. O'Keefe was found dead in the snow on Albert's front lawn.

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Testimony from Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, one of the key investigators, severely hurt prosecutors in court.

Jurors were seen shaking their heads in court as Read's defense team read some of his text messages.

In them, he called Read a "wack job," a "babe … with no a--" and a "c---." He wrote that he wished she would kill herself and joked about looking for nude selfies while searching her phone.

Luxury real estate brokers Tal and Oren Alexander and their brother Alon pleaded not guilty in New York Friday to charges they conspired to sexually assault women in multiple states, and prosecutors said there are more than 60 alleged victims.

The Alexander brothers entered their pleas before U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan. Tal, 38, and his younger twin brothers, Alon and Oren, both 37, entered the courtroom dressed in tan, short-sleeved prison uniforms.

All three brothers were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and a separate count of sex trafficking of one woman by force, fraud or coercion. In addition, Tal was charged with the sex trafficking of a second victim. 

They would face life in prison if convicted.

ALEXANDER BROTHERS' ALLEGED VICTIMS RECOUNT TERRIFYING ATTACKS IN IMPACT STATEMENTS

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Espinosa said the government has interviewed more than 60 people who have reported being sexually assaulted by at least one of the brothers. Prosecutors previously alleged 40 victims.

Federal investigators said they examined iCloud accounts and Instagram and Facebook social media accounts for all three brothers, along with dating app accounts for Oren and Alon, who works as a security firm executive.

HIGH-PROFILE REAL ESTATE BROTHER MISSES HEARING AFTER MIX-UP IN IDENTICAL TWINS' SEX TRAFFICKING CASE

Searches of their New York and Miami homes turned up 19 devices like laptops, iPads, hard drives, thumb drives and SD cards, according to prosecutors. Also recovered was a Motorola cellphone and an Apple Watch. 

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Their parents and Oren’s wife attended Friday’s hearing. 

The brothers are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, alongside disgraced rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs and the alleged killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Luigi Mangione.

The sordid accusations allege that the siblings used their wealth and positions to lure women to nightclubs and parties and other events before drugging them and sexually assaulting them.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tal's attorneys, Deanna Paul and Milton Williams Jr., said the charges "are an overreach by the government."

"We have no doubt the evidence will prove that these are all false allegations and the Alexanders are innocent," they said.

Fox News Digital reached out to attorneys for Alon and Oren.

WEALTHY FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BROTHERS' 'TROPHIES' UNCOVERED AS JUDGE DENIES BAIL: FEDS

Their trial date is set for Jan. 5, 2026, and their next hearing is July 15, 2025.

Oren and Tal Alexander co-founded the real estate firm Official, which offers luxury listings in places like New York City, the Hamptons, Miami and Los Angeles, in 2022 after rising through the ranks at Douglas Elliman, one of the largest real estate brokerages in the country, according to prosecutors.

Their past clients include Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Liam Gallagher and Lindsay Lohan, according to CBS News.

Two potential witnesses who say they ran into OJ Simpson on June 12, 1994 – the night his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were brutally hacked to death outside her upscale condo – are sharing their stories in a new docuseries decades after they were left out of the ensuing murder trial.

One, who later sued prosecutors for libel, could have placed Simpson within a mile of the crime scene after she said she narrowly missed crashing into his SUV. 

The other said he saw Simpson acting oddly and dumping a wrapped item in a trash can at Los Angeles's largest airport 30 minutes later.

Due to his fame as a football star, a TV sports commentator and actor, he was highly recognizable at the time.

FBI RELEASES HUNDREDS OF PAGES ON OJ SIMPSON MURDER INVESTIGATION

Both appear in Netflix's new docuseries, "American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson."

The first is Jill Shively, who lived in Santa Monica at the time and encountered Simpson in a traffic altercation around 11 p.m. on the night of the murders. 

Less than a mile from the crime scene, Shively told investigators she nearly crashed into a white Ford Bronco with no headlights on.

"I could see who it was and I knew it was a football player, but I wasn't sure who," she elaborated to People Wednesday. "He was yelling at another driver, ‘Move, move.’ I recognized his voice because I had just seen a Naked Gun movie. It was O.J. Simpson." 

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OJ SIMPSON PROSECUTOR MARCIA CLARK DISSECTS EVOLVING MEDIA'S IMPACT ON TRIALS AND TRUE CRIME

Shively testified before the grand jury, then sold her story to the tabloid TV show "Hard Copy" for $5,000, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Her then-boyfriend also allegedly told prosecutors that she was a "felony probationer" and not a credible witness. She sued him and county officials over the latter claim but was never called to the stand at trial. 

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The other is Skip Junis, who claimed to have seen Simpson arrive at Los Angeles International Airport around 11:30 p.m. the same evening.

PHOTOS: OJ SIMPSON THROUGH THE YEARS

As he was waiting to pick up his wife, he claimed, he saw Simpson get out of a limo with a duffle bag.

"O.J. went to a trash can and plopped the bag on top," Junis told People. "What was really peculiar is when he unzipped the bag, he pulled out a long item that was covered with a white rag or cloth and put it in the trash can."

A murder weapon was never found in connection with the case.

Simpson's lawyers had maintained that he was home at the time of the murders, waiting for a limo to LAX. He took a red-eye flight to Chicago for a golf outing but was asked to return to Los Angeles by police the next morning. 

Junis said he told police what he had seen but was not called to the witness stand during the trial.

"I think Marcia Clark forgot about me," he told the outlet, referring to the lead prosecutor on the case.

Clark declined to comment when contacted by Fox News Digital. She also declined to appear in the docuseries, according to Netflix. 

Simpson had an elite team of attorneys known as the "Dream Team" that included Johnnie Cochran, Alan Dershowitz, Robert Kardashian, Shawn Holley, Robert Shapiro and others. They ultimately convinced jurors of enough reasonable doubt to acquit Simpson in the murders.

A Heisman Trophy winner from USC nicknamed "Juice," Simpson went on to a stellar NFL career as a running back with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. But after briefly flirting with Hollywood stardom, he became the most prominent U.S. figure to face murder charges after the brutal double stabbing left Brown Simpson and Goldman dead at her Brentwood condo.

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The two victims were not believed to have been romantically involved. 

Although he was acquitted in that case, Simpson later lost a civil lawsuit connected to the deaths. Years later, at the age of 61, he took part in an armed robbery to steal some of his own memorabilia. He served the minimum nine years of a 33-year sentence before receiving parole.

Simpson died last April after a private cancer battle. Near the end of his life, he remained in Las Vegas and returned to the public eye on X, posting reactions to current events.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It’s been 18 years since a South Florida community was rocked by a series of murders and a kidnapping at a local mall, and a retired FBI agent who worked on the cases for over a decade believes the crimes are connected and that the killer may still be "out there."

After shopping at the Boca Raton Town Center Mall, mother of two Randi Gorenberg and Nancy Bochicchio and her 7-year-old daughter Joey were murdered, and another mother known as Jane Doe was kidnapped with her 2-year-old son, all within a nine-month timeframe in 2007.

"I heard about them just like everybody else on the news, and it was just horrible," retired FBI Agent John MacVeigh, who investigated the three cases for 10 years, told Fox News Digital. "We contacted Boca Police Department, knowing that it was something that, you know, we could possibly assist." 

'DATING GAME' SERIAL KILLER'S RISE TO FAME WAS KEY TO HIS DOWNFALL, ARRESTING OFFICER REVEALS FOR FIRST TIME

Gorenberg, 52, was last seen on surveillance video walking out of the Town Center Mall in the early afternoon of March 23, 2007. About 45 minutes later, someone called 911 from a park about five miles away, claiming to hear gunshots and seeing someone being pushed out of a vehicle. Authorities soon found Gorenberg's body at Governor Lawton Chiles Memorial Park. 

"It does appear that she resisted at some point," MacVeigh said of Gorenberg. "She was shot and basically thrown out the car while the suspect drove away."

Less than five months later, Jane Doe and her young son were kidnapped from the parking lot at the same mall. MacVeigh described the harrowing incident as Jane Doe got into her SUV Aug. 7, 2007. 

"She puts her son from the passenger side into the center car seat. She walks around to the trunk," MacVeigh said. "She opens the trunk. She puts the stroller in. She walks back around. As she opens the door to get in the driver's seat, the suspect had already jumped in the back passenger seat. Now, you're talking seconds … so he had to be extremely close to her."

HUSBAND OF NURSE, MOM OF THREE FOUND DEAD AT BOTTOM OF STAIRCASE WENT FOR BEER AFTER FINDING BODY: POLICE

The suspect forced Jane Doe to drive to an ATM and take out $600. 

"Just terrified. I mean, she's in the car with her 2-year-old, and this man has got a gun on her and threatening her," MacVeigh said. 

Unusually, the perpetrator seemed to be "a little bit sympathetic" toward the mother and son, the retired FBI agent added. The gunman decided to drive them back to the mall, where he put blacked-out swim goggles over her eyes and handcuffed her wrists before fleeing. 

MacVeigh said, to escape, Jane Doe "took the handcuffs and went up under her feet around to get out from behind her back" and then drove to the valet and reported the attack. 

"It was just so blatant and bizarre because you just wouldn't think that somebody would be accosted in the middle of the day — handcuffed, blindfolded — forced to go to an ATM and then brought back to the same location and dropped off," he said. "It wasn't the norm." 

'DATING GAME KILLER' KEPT 'TROPHIES' THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO HIS DOWNFALL: DETECTIVE

Four months later, 47-year-old Bochicchio and her young daughter Joey went shopping at the Boca Raton Town Center Dec. 12, 2007. And, just like in the case of the abduction, authorities believe they were attacked as they were trying to leave the mall's parking lot.  

Investigators believe they were abducted and taken to an ATM, where they were forced to withdraw $500 and that the suspect used duct tape, plastic ties, handcuffs and goggles to bind and control Bochicchio and her daughter, according to the Boca Raton Police Department's website. 

"Nancy resists. She breaks her handcuffs. We do believe that she tried to get Joey out of the car, and then he turned around and shot both of them," MacVeigh said. 

Officers found the mother and daughter dead shortly before midnight in their vehicle in the mall's parking lot with the car's engine still running, police say. 

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Now a private investigator, MacVeigh observed an similar theme in all three attacks tied to the local mall. 

"The suspect was trying to control women," he explained. In both the Jane Doe and Bochicchio cases, the suspect used a pair of blacked-out swim goggles, as well as other material, to bind and control the victims.  

MacVeigh said another repeated detail was the time of day. All three crimes took place in "broad daylight" and "right around the same time." 

"It's not a small little coincidence. There's not … one or two small things. This is an accumulation of things," he added, referring to the related details among the cases.  

NEWS ANCHOR'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE WAS CRIME OF ‘JEALOUSY’: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

Detectives with the Boca Raton Police Department and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office created a task force in January 2007 to work together on solving the Gorenberg and Bochicchio murders, according to the Boca Raton Police Department website. However, the task force later disbanded, and both departments continued working on the individual cases with the FBI's assistance, MacVeigh said. 

Investigators collected several hundred pieces of evidence from the Bochicchio crime, including DNA samples, and "a massive investigation involving resources from around the country" unfolded, the Boca Raton police website added. Detectives went through hours of surveillance video, searched various locations and followed up on leads. 

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"We sent agents to the mall because they were interested in trying to find out if maybe it was somebody that had worked there," MacVeigh said. "We issued subpoenas, and we went door to door. It was pretty overwhelming because you don't realize how many people work at that mall. And I think the number when we were done was somewhere in the neighborhood of 14,000." 

After her abduction, authorities spoke with Jane Doe about the individual who attacked her and created a composite sketch to try to determine his identity.

"You and I could both be that composite. I mean, it's just you have a hat on with glasses and all you're seeing is the bottom part of the face," MacVeigh explained about the drawing's details. 

COP WHO SURVIVED SERIAL KILLER AS A TEEN IS NOW ON TRACK TO BECOME A DETECTIVE

Despite two people of interest being initially identified in the Bochicchio case, according to police, all three cases remain unsolved, and MacVeigh believes the crimes are all connected. 

"It's just so hard to believe that it's not the same person," MacVeigh said. "Three of these incidences … in the same area, and very similar. Here you have a very affluent mall … and, you know, you are targeting people that you suspect have money.

"While there is presently no physical or forensic evidence directly linking this case to any other investigations, there are enough similarities to lead Boca Raton investigators to believe this case is related to the August 7, 2007 Town Center Mall carjacking incident," the Boca Raton Police Department states on its website, referring to the Bochicchio murders being related to the Jane Doe abduction. 

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MacVeigh said he continues to get calls from investigators who are still tracking down new leads and working on the case today. 

"As technology changes and evolves regarding DNA testing, this case is continuously being reevaluated. We remain optimistic that technological advances will lead our investigators to a breakthrough in the investigation," Jessica Desir, a spokesperson for the Boca Raton Police Department, told WPTV last month regarding the Bochicchio murders. 

MacVeigh explained that although the Boca Raton Town Center Mall might have more security measures in place today, a killer is still "out there probably committing other crimes." 

"You want to feel safe going to the mall," MacVeigh added, stressing the importance of finally solving the cases and getting justice for the Gorenberg and Bochicchio families.

The Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and Boca Raton Town Center Mall did not immediately respond for comment. 

Authorities are investigating an apparent murder-suicide after a family of four was found dead last week in their Pennsylvania home. 

Paul Swarner, 35, Karen Swarner, 32, and their two young children were found dead in their house in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania, on the morning of Friday, Jan. 24, according to police and a public report by the Westmoreland County Coroner.

Law enforcement believe Paul Swarner shot and killed his wife and two children before killing himself, Trooper Steve Limani of the Pennsylvania State Police explained in a press conference Friday, covered by WTAE. 

"It's unthinkable, unfathomable. To be honest with you, I don't have the words to describe how awful it is," Limani said. "You're talking about your wife, but then a 5-year-old and a 1-year-old. It's just devastating."

HUSBAND OF NURSE, MOM OF THREE FOUND DEAD AT BOTTOM OF STAIRCASE WENT FOR BEER AFTER FINDING BODY: POLICE

Authorities believe the last person to have spoken with the family had "a normal conversation" with Karen on Wednesday, Limani said, adding, "There was no, what you'd consider strife or any type of concern of, fear of endangerment."

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The following day, Paul's parents tried calling the family in the afternoon but did not hear back from them. Karen's father then called 911 at 11:30 p.m. Thursday. 

Limani noted that authorities recovered a Ruger .22 from the home, adding, "It appears that was the firearm that was used." 

FAMILY OF MISSING PREGNANT WOMAN REVEALS SUSPICIONS ABOUT DISAPPEARANCE

When asked about a possible motive, Limani said, "We're trying to see if there's a reason. There's maybe a baby-camera… that we're trying to look through to see if there's anything that took place. To see if there was a triggering point or something that would've caused Paul to have these, experience these thoughts."

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"We don't have any domestic violence history when it comes to the state police being involved in anything [in] that particular household," he added.

Limani said the couple was married for about 10 years and had an "all-American family," adding, "It looked like a very loving household with pictures and all the things that you would ever think that you would walk into a home and see." 

WEALTHY FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BROTHERS' 'TROPHIES' UNCOVERED AS JUDGE DENIES BAIL: FEDS

A reporter at Friday's conference noted that this incident marked the second murder-suicide in Westmoreland County since Christmas Eve, 2024.

GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB

"Generally in the holidays we do have most of our problems…when it comes to mental health," Limani said.

"I don't know what was going on with Paul. I don't know why it would've happened," he added. "I hope we're able to find some answers." 

Authorities asked that anyone with information contact state police in Greensburg. 

The wife of Tal Alexander, a high-profile real estate agent accused last month with his two brothers of drugging and then sexually assaulting and raping dozens of women in multiple states, has reportedly filed for divorce amid the scandal. 

Tal, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, two prominent jet-setting brokers in New York and Miami, and their brother Alon Alexander, Oren's identical twin, were arrested in Miami Beach Dec. 11 and have since been taken into federal custody. 

"I will continue to provide my young baby with love and support as I leave my husband," Tal Alexander's wife, Arielle Kogut, who recently welcomed a baby with her husband, told the Real Deal in a statement via her attorney confirming the split. 

"This commitment to my child’s best interests and well-being will remain my highest priority."

WEALTHY FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BROTHERS' 'TROPHIES' UNCOVERED AS JUDGE DENIES BAIL: FEDS

Prosecutors allege the Alexander brothers "worked together, and with others known and unknown to repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault, and rape" victims in New York, Miami and elsewhere, according to a federal indictment filed in December.

According to the charges in the indictment, the three wealthy brothers had conspired in the sex trafficking scheme since at least 2010, but prosecutors have alleged that their sexual violence against women spans more than 20 years, dating as far back as when the men were in high school in Miami.

HIGH-PROFILE REAL ESTATE BROTHER MISSES HEARING AFTER MIX-UP IN IDENTICAL TWINS' SEX TRAFFICKING CASE

Law enforcement officers have interviewed over 40 women who reported "being forcibly raped or sexually assaulted by at least one of the Alexander Brothers," and each of the brothers has separately been accused by at least 10 women of forcible rape between 2002 or 2003 and 2021, according to a recent letter by the prosecution. 

GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB 

Investigators say they uncovered "trophies" during a search at Tal Alexander's apartment on Manhattan's "Billionaire's Row," including sexually explicit photos and videos showing "women in states of intoxication and undress."

Other videos found allegedly show Alon and Oren Alexander and other men engaged in sexual contact with women "who are visibly under the influence of alcohol or other substances," the letter continues. In some cases, it added, at least one of the brothers and another man "physically manipulated the women’s bodies in order to have sex with them while the women did not actively participate in the sexual activity or turned away."

"The fact that video versions of trophies of the defendants’ criminal conduct were found in Tal Alexander’s residence as recently as last month also suggests that the defendants have not closed the door on their criminal conduct," prosecutors have argued. 

LUXURY REAL ESTATE BROTHERS LURED DOZENS OF WOMEN OVER TWO DECADES WITH PROMISE OF LAVISH LIFESTYLE: FEDS

The skyscraper apartment was previously shared by Oren and Tal Alexander, and the photos and videos were found on a hard drive in a closet that appeared to include items belonging to Oren. 

All three brothers were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and a separate count of sex trafficking of one woman by force, fraud or coercion. In addition, Tal Alexander was charged with the sex trafficking of a second victim.

As part of their alleged sex trafficking conspiracy, the Alexander brothers "engaged in a persistent pattern of rape and sexual assault, which included both pre-planned trips and events for which the defendants recruited women to attend and then raped and sexually assaulted them, as well as opportunistic rapes and sexual assaults of numerous victims who they encountered by chance," prosecutors say.

'DIDDY' MAKES 3RD BAIL ATTEMPT AFTER PROSECUTORS ALLEGE HE BLACKMAILED VICTIMS FROM BEHIND BARS

Defense attorneys for the three brothers have argued the brothers committed no sexual assaults, and that their relationships with the alleged victims were consensual, according to court records.  

A judge last week said the Alexander brothers will likely be housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center, the same prison where Sean "Diddy" Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried are being held. The next status conference in the case is scheduled for Jan. 29. 

Tal Alexander's attorney and his wife's attorney did not immediately respond for comment. 

Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this report.

Idaho lawmakers are moving to bolster their newly restored firing squad as the state's primary means of execution with eight current death row inmates and the capital murder trial of student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger approaching.

"I, along with many others, believe the firing squad is more certain, has less appellate issues, and is more humane than other forms of execution," Idaho state Rep. Bruce Skaug, who introduced the legislation, told Fox News Digital. "We had a botched lethal injection attempt in Idaho last year."

In March 2023, the state revived the firing squad as a backup option for when lethal injection, a troubled and increasingly controversial method of execution, is not available.

IDAHO SERIAL KILELR SURIVES LETHAL INJECTION ATTEMPT, PROMPTING RENEWED PUSH FOR FIRING SQUAD

Then last year, condemned serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech survived his lethal injection, prompting renewed interest in the firing squad.

The new move would make the firing squad the state's primary means of capital punishment – without any additional cost to taxpayers, since funding for the execution chamber was included in the previous bill.

Kohberger's defense, meanwhile has sought to have the death penalty taken off the table and is challenging warrants and DNA evidence used in his arrest.

Two days of hearings on defense motions in the quadruple murder case against University of Idaho student stabbings suspect ended without any official decisions but revealed new details ahead of his highly anticipated trial later this year. The judge is expected to deliver his decisions within a couple of weeks.

IDAHO'S MOVE TO RESURRECT FIRING SQUAD ‘MAKES SENSE’ AS ‘QUICKEST, SUREST’ DEATH PENALTY OPTION, EXPERT SAYS

Fordham Law School professor Deborah Denno, a leading expert on the death penalty in the U.S., previously told Fox News Digital that the firing squad is accepted as the most efficient and humane means of execution.

"We've had three modern firing squad executions, and they have gone off as intended, and the inmate has died quickly and with dignity," she said after Creech's failed execution. "So, I think that is something to emphasize."

Lethal injections have been plagued by mishaps, drug shortages and botched attempts. Creech was the fourth person to survive a lathe execution in just the last few years.

IDAHO GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW ALLOWING FIRING SQUAD EXECUTIONS

Denno has advocated for giving inmates a choice in their means of execution.

"I have a hunch that more inmates would choose firing squad," she told Fox News Digital, noting that Tennessee inmates have begun choosing electrocution over lethal injection when given the choice.

Only four states have an option for the firing squad, although its use is extremely rare, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which also describes lethal injections as the "most-botched" execution method.

Matt Mangino, a former Pennsylvania prosecutor who wrote a book on capital punishment, "The Executioner's Toll, 2010," said in the current political climate, he believes the new Idaho bill will pass.

IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS SUSPECT BRYAN KOHBERGER COULD FACE DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD UNDER PROPOSED LAW IF CONVICTED

Lethal injections look modern and even "clinical," he said, but can be far more gruesome than they appear. One of the drugs in the typical injection cocktail is a paralyltic meant to keep the condemned from writhing – for witness' comfort not their own. 

Idaho currently has eight death row inmates, including Creech, and is gearing up or a high-profile trial over the stabbing murders of four college students. Suspect Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old former criminology Ph.D. student, could face the death penalty if convicted.

Kohberger is scheduled for trial later this year in connection with the home invasion murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, an Ethan Chapin, also 20.

The firing squad bill remains in committee. A hearing and public testimony has not yet been scheduled, Skaug said.

As Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's trial approaches, his defense is drawing comparisons to another high-profile case that rocked the state, the murder trial of "cult mom" Lori Vallow, who, along with her fifth husband, killed her two children and his ex-wife in 2019.

She's scheduled to go on trial for two additional homicides in Arizona, the murders of her ex-husband Charles Vallow and a man named Brandon Boudreaux, who had been married to her niece.

Kohberger, accused of massacring four University of Idaho students in a 4 a.m. home invasion in November 2022, asked a Boise judge to punish prosecutors for their handling of discovery in his case.

IDAHO MURDERS SUSPECT BRYAN KOHBERGER IN COURT AS DEFENSE CHALLENGES PROSECUTION METHODS

The University of Idaho victims were Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. All four died of multiple stab wounds.

Police said they found a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen's body with DNA on it that led them to arrest Kohberger at his parents' house in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. He was a Ph.D. student studying criminology at Washington State University at the time of the slayings.

The school is a 10-minute drive from the site of the crime.

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"Kohberger’s defense team is going to try every way possible to get the death penalty off the table," said Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based defense attorney who previously represented Vallow. "To accomplish that would be a massive win. But, at this stage, I do not think the defense’s arguments regarding discovery will accomplish that. However, they are clearly paving the way to raise this in the future. "

She said she could not comment on Vallow specifically due to their past attorney-client relationship.

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Kohberger's defense last month asked for sanctions against the prosecution. Defense lawyers did not ask for those sanctions to include striking the death penalty, but, down the line, they could ask for more.

"There’s a strategic reason the defense is doing this. If the judge agrees that the prosecution hasn’t complied with its discovery obligations, he can sanction the prosecution, and one of those sanctions may be taking the death penalty off the table," said Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who first noted the Vallow sanction earlier this month, when Kohberger's defense asked the judge to punish prosecutors for delays.

Kohberger could face the death penalty if convicted, but in Vallow's Idaho murder trial, capital punishment was taken off the table after prosecutors missed a deadline.

BRYAN KOHBERGER DEFENSE WANTS PROSECUTION PUNISHED OVER DELAYS

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"That’s what happened in the recent Lori Vallow doomsday ‘cult mom’ case in Idaho," Rahmani said. "The judge in that case removed the death penalty because of the prosecution’s delay in turning over evidence. Saving Kohberger’s life would be a huge win for the defense."

The defense only needs to convince one juror of reasonable doubt to upend the case, said David Gelman, a New Jersey-based defense attorney who is also following the case closely.

"Vallow uses reasonable doubt perfectly and keeps hounding that nobody can place her there," he said. "The Kohberger attorneys are doing the same thing."

Kohberger has been in court multiple times this week and is due back later Friday as he seeks to have key evidence tossed. His lawyers have also accused prosecutors of repeated delays in the discovery process.

IDAHO PROSECUTORS REJECT BRYAN KOHBERGER'S MANY ATTACKS ON SEARCH WARRANTS

"The bulk of the State’s expert disclosures fail to include opinions and reports. These inadequate disclosures greatly prejudice Mr. Kohberger who is obligated to submit defense guilt phase expert disclosures by January 23, 2025," Kohberger defense lawyers Anne Taylor, Jay Logsdon and Elisa Massoth wrote in a court filing in late December. 

The sanctions considered must be the exclusion of the experts or, at a bare minimum, an order compelling proper disclosure and an extension of Mr. Kohberger’s January 23, 2025 deadline."  

Without the disclosures, they argued, they have no idea what expert evidence to prepare to fight in court.

"In a perfect world, they would have had everything by now, but this case is so big that there’s always more discovery that comes up," Gelman said.

Judge Steven Hippler on Wednesday denied a defense motion to unseal documents related to some of the disputed DNA evidence in the case, agreeing with prosecutors that letting it out before trial could potentially influence the jury pool. 

"The best defense is a good offense, and I’m not surprised Kohberger’s team is aggressively going after the prosecution," Rahmani said. "Discovery is one way in criminal cases, which means the state has to turn over all of its evidence, including expert witness reports."

Kohberger could face the death penalty if convicted. He faces four charges of first-degree murder and another of felony burglary.

Three wealthy brothers were accused last month of drugging and then sexually assaulting and raping dozens of women in multiple states, and authorities say new video evidence in the case shows the "depraved" nature of their alleged crimes. 

Tal, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, two prominent jet-setting brokers in New York and Miami, and their brother Alon Alexander, Oren's identical twin, were arrested in Miami Beach on Dec. 11 and have since been taken into federal custody. 

Law enforcement officers have interviewed over 40 women, who reported "being forcibly raped or sexually assaulted by at least one of the Alexander Brothers," according to a recent letter by the prosecution, obtained by Fox News Digital. 

HIGH-PROFILE REAL ESTATE BROTHER MISSES HEARING AFTER MIX-UP IN IDENTICAL TWINS' SEX TRAFFICKING CASE

In many of these alleged instances, "one or more of the Alexander Brothers drugged their victim prior to the rape," prosecutors wrote in the letter filed last week and addressed to U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, the New York judge who presided over a hearing in the case on Wednesday. 

Prosecutors on Wednesday argued against setting bail for the brothers, whose "incentives to flee are through the roof," they said, arguing that the Alexanders have significant foreign connections. 

After hearing arguments for three hours, Judge Caproni denied bail, finding the Alexander brothers pose a flight risk and a risk to the community. She said the evidence is strong, adding that the men pose a danger to unsuspecting women. 

Each of the brothers has separately been accused by at least 10 women of forcible rape between 2002 or 2003 and 2021, the letter continues. 

Authorities executed a warrant on Dec. 11 to search Tal Alexander's apartment inside a skyscraper on Manhattan's "Billionaire's Row." During the search, multiple hard drives were discovered and seized, including one with a large quantity of sexually explicit videos and pictures, according to the letter and prosecutor's statement during Wednesday's hearing.

The apartment was previously shared by Oren and Tal Alexander, the letter continues, adding that the photos and videos were found on a hard drive in a closet that appeared to include items belonging to Oren. 

LUXURY REAL ESTATE BROTHERS LURED DOZENS OF WOMEN OVER TWO DECADES WITH PROMISE OF LAVISH LIFESTYLE: FEDS

The seized photos and videos depict "at least Oren, Alon, and several third parties recording or photographing themselves with women in states of intoxication and undress," and in multiple videos, "the women appear initially unaware that they were being recorded and became upset and attempted to hide or flee from the camera after realizing they were being filmed," prosecutors wrote. 

Other videos found in Tal Alexander's apartment show Alon and Oren Alexander and other men engaged in sexual contact with women "who are visibly under the influence of alcohol or other substances," the letter continues, adding that in some cases, at least one of the brothers and another man "physically manipulated the women’s bodies in order to have sex with them while the women did not actively participate in the sexual activity or turned away."

Prosecutors explained that the new evidence reveals the "depraved nature" of the brothers' actions, as well as the "immense danger" they present. 

"The fact that video versions of trophies of the defendants’ criminal conduct were found in Tal Alexander’s residence as recently as last month also suggests that the defendants have not closed the door on their criminal conduct," the letter continues. 

'DIDDY' MAKES 3RD BAIL ATTEMPT AFTER PROSECUTORS ALLEGE HE BLACKMAILED VICTIMS FROM BEHIND BARS

Prosecutors allege that the Alexander brothers "worked together, and with others known and unknown to repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault, and rape" victims in New York, Miami and elsewhere, according to a federal indictment filed in December.

All three brothers were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and a separate count of sex trafficking of one woman by force, fraud or coercion. In addition, Tal Alexander was charged with the sex trafficking of a second victim.

As part of their sex trafficking conspiracy, the Alexander brothers "engaged in a persistent pattern of rape and sexual assault, which included both pre-planned trips and events for which the defendants recruited women to attend and then raped and sexually assaulted them, as well as opportunistic rapes and sexual assaults of numerous victims who they encountered by chance," prosecutors say.

According to the charges in the indictment, the three brothers had conspired in the sex-trafficking scheme since at least 2010, but prosecutors have alleged that their sexual violence against women actually spans more than 20 years, dating as far back as when the men were in high school in Miami.

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Defense attorneys for the three brothers have argued that they committed no sexual assaults, and that their relationships with the alleged victims were consensual, according to court records.  

Attorneys for Tal Alexander wrote a responding letter to Judge Caproni this week, arguing that the prosecution "fails to detail when the videos were taken, how many videos, if any, the defendants are in, whether the purported participants have been identified, or whether the videos even depict non-consensual sexual activity."

At Wednesday's hearing, Judge Caproni said the women in the videos appear visibly incapacitated, adding, "In my view, that is rape." 

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Oren and Tal Alexander co-founded the real estate firm Official, which offers luxury listings in places like New York City, the Hamptons, Miami and Los Angeles, in 2022 after rising through the ranks at Douglas Elliman, one of the largest real estate brokerages in the country, according to prosecutors.

Their past clients include Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Liam Gallagher and Lindsay Lohan, according to CBS News.

Alon Alexander, 37, did not work in real estate, but he socialized with them.

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The Alexander brothers are still in custody in Florida and will be moved to New York next week, the judge added. They will likely be housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), the same prison where Sean "Diddy" Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried are being held. 

The next status conference in the case is scheduled for Jan. 29. 

An Indiana woman was nine months pregnant when she disappeared over three months ago, and her family has suspicions about her last whereabouts.

Mother of three Emma Baum, 25, went missing Oct. 10 in Gary, Indiana, and she was about to give birth to her fourth child. 

Baum was last seen being dropped off at her boyfriend's house, her sister Hailey Baum-Waddell told Fox News Digital. 

"Looking for Emma has been a very struggling thing for everybody, mentally and physically and emotionally … but we're not going to stop looking for her," Baum-Waddell said. "I think if people keep going on and chanting that something needs to be done and chanting her name … just get the word out because a lot of people know, but not everybody knows."

MOM 9 MONTHS PREGNANT MISSING FOR A MONTH, LAST SEEN AT BOYFRIEND'S HOUSE, FAMILY SAYS

Authorities received a missing persons report for Baum from her family Oct. 28, Gary Police Cmdr. Jack Hamady told Fox News Digital. 

"A couple of days went by. … We all started, like, messaging each other, ‘Hey, have you heard from Emma? Anybody seen her? Can you message one of her friends to get a hold of her boyfriend?’ And it was kind of just a ring around with everybody and everyone's just trying to figure it out," Baum-Waddell said.

"Then we're like, ‘OK, well, this is not normal.’ … That's when my mom really started to panic," she added. "Then my mom ended up going to the police station."

SUZANNE SIMPSON'S HUSBAND WENT TO DUMP SITE, HOME DEPOT, CAR WASH HOURS AFTER REALTOR'S DISAPPEARANCE: DOCS

Officers with the Gary Police Department have used K-9s on several searches in the area, and the Lake County Sheriff's Department has assisted in a few of the searches, Hamady said.

"We have searched a house, apartment, recreational vehicles and one other property," he added.

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In addition to the police investigation, Baum-Waddell said she and other relatives of Baum have been organizing a widespread search after a social media post of hers drew hundreds of willing participants. 

"There's been a lot of people who have offered to come out and look for her," she said. "We've talked it over with other search groups. I made a post online just saying, you know, ‘Hands of how many people would be willing to come out,’ and I posted it in multiple groups."

Baum lived in Portage, Indiana, but was visiting her boyfriend in Gary when she was last seen.

WOMAN VANISHES AS POLICE FIND CAR IN DITCH, ARREST DRIVER IN PUZZLING DISAPPEARANCE

Baum-Waddell said her sister didn't have a working phone when she disappeared and that although her sister may have "gone off and done her own thing" for several days at a time, she would never disappear for such a long period of time.  

"That day, she was supposed to go with her boyfriend … to the phone store and get it activated, and she never got the phone activated," she said. "She's been completely silent on everything, and now that's not like her."

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Baum-Waddell also mentioned her sister's devotion as a mother and the close relationship she has with her oldest son.

"They have a freaking crazy, unbreakable bond," she shared. "For her not to be here to see him on Christmas or Thanksgiving or …  New Year's. It's unreal. There's no way she would do that to him."

Baum-Waddell believes her sister's boyfriend is "hiding something," she told Fox News Digital, and Baum's mother believes the boyfriend had something to do with her disappearance, WGN9 reported.

MISSING WOMAN FOUND DEAD AFTER GETTING IN STRANGE CAR: 'SOMEBODY KNOWS SOMETHING'

"We have not charged anyone with the disappearance of Emma Baum, and she has not been located yet," Hamady said. "We continue to search and interview individuals that are or maybe associated with this case."

Baum's boyfriend, who was originally in custody in an unrelated case, was released from Lake County Jail and is awaiting his court date for the separate charges, Hamady added. 

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Baum is approximately 5 feet, 3 inches tall, weighs around 136 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. She has several scars and tattoos, and she often wears colorful wigs. 

"Emma gave everybody her all, gave them all the love that she could," Baum-Waddell emotionally said about her sister. "She has these big brown eyes, and she always just wanted to make everybody, you know, laugh or feel good about themselves or have them feel included.

"It's very difficult because now it's not just her that's missing. It's her baby. And you don't want to think, you know, the worst because who would want to, you know, hurt a girl and her baby?" she added. "We're just hoping to find her safe."

Anyone with information on Baum's disappearance is asked to contact the Gary Police Department at (219) 881-1209. 

A recent fire destroyed the home of a Florida man who was reported missing nearly two years ago, deepening the mystery surrounding his disappearance. 

John Henry Mallouk, 78, was reported missing in January 2023 by a "concerned" relative, according to police. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division began investigating the case as Mallouk had not been seen or heard from since August 2022. 

The blaze broke out on Friday night at Mallouk's house in Okeechobee, Florida, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation. 

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACH DEAD, 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER MISSING AFTER CHRISTMAS EVE TRAGEDY

Firefighters at the scene were unable to save the home or the two cars located in the garage, including a red 1955 Ford Thunderbird.

Authorities said the fire has raised new questions regarding the fate of Mallouk, as detectives search for any connections to his disappearance. 

"When detectives initially searched Mallouk's home, they found no signs of struggle or foul play," the Martin County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. 

KILLER MOM SUSAN SMITH HEARD IN PRISON CALL MAKING VOW AMID PLOT TO PROFIT FROM HER CRIMES

"The premises appeared untouched, with doors left unlocked, food still in the refrigerator, and a cell phone abandoned on the counter," the statement continued. 

In light of Friday's fire, detectives revisited the site in search of any "additional clues" that might aid in the investigation of Mallouk's disappearance and to "explore whether there might be a correlation between the fire and his case," police said. 

WOMAN VANISHES AS POLICE FIND CAR IN DITCH, ARREST DRIVER IN PUZZLING DISAPPEARANCE

Detectives are urging anyone with information about the fire or the whereabouts of Mallouk to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.

"Our detectives have put so much time in this," Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek told WPBF. 

"We're just looking for closure wherever the answer leads us," he added. "He does have family who are concerned about him and his whereabouts."

South Carolina killer mom Susan Smith told an unknown male over the phone that she "wouldn't talk" to the media just weeks before she was ultimately disciplined behind bars for doing just that, according to prison calls newly obtained by Fox News Digital. 

The 53-year-old was denied parole on Nov. 20 after spending 30 years incarcerated – a decision that was made after she was found guilty of speaking with a documentary filmmaker, which was against prison rules. 

Smith was charged with communicating with a victim/and or witness of crime on Aug. 26 and was convicted on Oct. 3, Chrysti Shain, director of communications with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, previously told Fox News Digital.  

Less than two weeks before being charged with the incident, Smith told a male prison caller on Aug. 13 that she "got a letter from a woman," who she said worked for a national media outlet, adding "I've already thrown it away, so I can't even read it to you."

KILLER MOM SUSAN SMITH DENIED PAROLE 30 YEARS AFTER DROWNING SONS

When asked what the letter was about, Smith responded, "Just wanted to talk with me. The same thing, like most of them… want to give me a platform to tell my story."

"I wouldn't talk to them, even if I could," she told the male caller. 

Smith then mentioned another letter she received.

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"I did get a letter from some guy in California, but all he said was, 'Hi, you don't know me, and I've never done this before. Care to talk?' That was it – just one line. It was handwritten…it was kind of odd," she said. "It's probably going in the trash too."

In a previous recorded phone conversation, seemingly with the same male caller, Smith discussed the Freedom of Information Act. 

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The very same month, she was charged after having conversations with a filmmaker – Smith's first disciplinary action in almost 10 years. 

In their conversations, Smith and the filmmaker discussed conducting an interview and even filming for a documentary and ways to get paid for it. 

They also spoke about Smith's crime in depth and the events leading up to and after it, including details like "what was in the trunk of the car when it went into the water and her plans to jump from a bridge while holding the boys, but one woke up," the incident report says.

KILLER MOM SUSAN SMITH DISCIPLINED BEHIND BARS WEEKS BEFORE PAROLE HEARING

South Carolina Department of Corrections inmates are not allowed to do interviews on the telephone or in person, according to SCDC policy, but they may write letters. 

Smith agreed to provide the filmmaker with contact information for friends, family and victims, including her former husband. The filmmaker deposited money into Smith's account for "Calls and Canteen," according to the incident report, which redacted the filmmaker's name. 

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Smith lost her telephone, tablet and canteen privileges for 90 days. 

"SCDC inmates are issued tablets that are secured for correctional use. The tablets can be used to make monitored telephone calls and to send monitored electronic messages," Shain previously said. "They are considered a privilege. The department will determine when and if inmate Smith will earn the opportunity to be issued a tablet again."

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Smith strapped her sons, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander Smith, into the back seat of her car and let it roll down a ramp into John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina, on Oct. 25, 1994.

Smith, 22 at the time, watched as it took six minutes for water to fill the car, drown her boys and sink the car to the bottom of the lake. 

She was convicted for the murders of her two children on July 22, 1995, and though prosecutors argued that Smith should receive the death penalty, she was ultimately sentenced to life in prison. 

KILLER MOM SUSAN SMITH THINKS PAROLE IS NOW UNLIKELY AFTER SHE WAS CAUGHT TRYING TO PROFIT OFF CASE: REPORT

A board unanimously voted to deny Smith's parole on Nov. 20 after she appeared emotional and crying on a jailhouse court feed during her hearing. 

"I know that what I did was horrible…I’m sorry that I put them through that...I wish I could take that back, I really do...I was just scared," she said during the parole hearing. "I didn’t know how to tell the people that loved them that they would never see them again…I’m sorry, I know that’s not enough…just words, but they come from my heart."

The reasons for the parole board's denial were the nature and seriousness of the crime and Smith's institutional record of offenses. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman met Friday with the family of Lyle and Erik Menendez as the new top cop weighs resentencing the brothers.

The meeting and subsequent press conference came after the Menendez family called for a new sentence that "reflects Erik and Lyle's abuse, trauma, and demonstrated rehabilitation over the last 35 years."

"As we prepare to meet with DA Hochman, our family is hopeful for an open and fair discussion," the family said in a statement released Thursday evening ahead of the meeting with Hochman. "Despite the abuse they endured as children and the unfairness of their current sentence, Erik and Lyle Menendez have spent the last three decades taking responsibility for their actions and contributing positively to their community through leadership and rehabilitation."

The brothers are serving life sentences without parole for the 1989 shotgun slayings of their parents in their Beverly Hills, California, mansion. The case returned to the national spotlight after former Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón voiced his support for resentencing.

MENENDEZ BROTHERS RESENTENCING PUSHED BACK, JUDGE EYES LATE JANUARY

At a press conference, the newly sworn-in district attorney said the meeting with the family was "productive."

"It was a very productive session where they gave me all their thoughts about what should happen in this case, their experiences that they wanted to share, the directions that they wanted this case to go," Hochman said. "It was a very productive conversation over a number of hours." 

The district attorney said his office is working diligently to review the thousands of pages of transcripts and court records from the case.

"Right now, the resentencing hearing is set for Jan. 30 and 31. That date is the date we’re working against. And if that changes, we will certainly let you know," he said. "We will continue to do this difficult but important work of reviewing the facts of the law to make the right decision in this case."

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Hochman said his office expects to have a decision by the Jan. 30 hearing date.

WATCH ON FOX NATION: MENENDEZ BROTHERS: VICTIMS OR VILLAINS?

Hochman did not reveal what he spoke about with the family, saying it was an "informal, off-the-record conversation."

"We’re going to spend the time necessary to get this decision right," he said. "There’s not a lot of free time in my life right now, but that’s OK. I didn’t sign up for a job that said I was going to have a lot of free time."

New Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office is pushing back against a "meritless" claim of a potential conflict of interest in the Menendez brothers’ case amid reports that their relatives are looking to have their potential resentencing handled by the state attorney general's office instead of county prosecutors.

"The conflict of interest issue, raised to the media first before it was raised to the District Attorney’s Office, is meritless," a DA spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "All Menendez victim family members who want the opportunity to personally speak with the District Attorney before any final decisions are made have been invited to do so and these discussions should be completed in the coming weeks."

Hochman's predecessor, former DA George Gascon, had allegedly met only with relatives who supported the brothers' freedom and not their 90-year-old uncle, Milton Andersen. He has opposed any leniency for his nephews, who were convicted of shotgunning their parents, who were Andersen's sister and brother-in-law, in their Beverly Hills living room in the late 1980s.

MENENDEZ BROTHERS RESENTENCING PUSHED BACK, JUDGE EYES LATE JANUARY

Erik and Joseph "Lyle" Menendez snuck up behind their parents, Jose and Mary "Kitty" Menendez, and opened fire on Aug. 20, 1989. The brothers went on a $700,000 spending spree as investigators initially suspected a mob hit, but they were eventually arrested.

Their first trial ended with a hung jury, and they were later convicted and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole – a punishment they are hoping to have reduced under California's new resentencing law.

Andersen and Kitty's sister, Joan Andersen VanderMolen, 92, is among two dozen other relatives who support freedom for the brothers. There has also been public support for their release after a series of documentaries explored their claims of child abuse at the hands of their father, a former RCA Records executive.

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Their attorney also says new evidence bolsters their case: Roy Rosello, a member of the 1980s boy band Menudo, came forward with his own allegations of abuse against Jose Menendez last year. And a letter, purportedly written by Erik Menendez to his cousin, Andy Cano, eight months before the murders, could support some of the latter's trial testimony about Jose Menendez. Cano died in 2003, and the letter's authenticity has been called into question in court filings.

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Andersen VanderMolen's attorney, Bryan Freedman, plans to ask for their potential resentencing to be transferred to the California Attorney General's Office after a supportive Los Angeles district attorney lost his re-election bid, according to ABC News. 

In the final weeks of his term, Gascon pushed for a resentencing that could have led to the brothers' freedom under a new California law. But he lost in a landslide to Hochman, an independent, who said he would fully review the facts of each brother's case before taking a stance.

Freedman is claiming there is a conflict of interest because Andersen's former attorney, Kathleen Cady, has taken a job in Hochman's office, according to the ABC report.

LYLE MENENDEZ, WHO SHOTGUNNED PARENTS TO DEATH WITH BROTHER, PLANS FOR LIFE AFTER PRISON

Cady, who spent decades as a deputy district attorney before becoming a victims' rights advocate, will become director of the LA County DA's Bureau of Victim Services on Jan. 6. She declined to comment, citing her new role. She no longer represents Andersen.

The brothers claimed self-defense, arguing they killed their father because they were afraid he would kill them if they planned to expose him as a child molester.

But they also unloaded so many shells into their mother that they had to go outside and get more before finishing her off as she tried to crawl to safety.

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THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS: MONSTERS OR MISUNDERSTOOD?

Andersen vehemently opposed the idea of reducing their sentences and said in a statement to Fox News Digital this year that he does not believe the brothers' claims of sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

"Mr. Andersen loved his sister deeply and mourns her every day," his new attorney, R.J. Dreiling, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "He appreciates that the new DA seems genuinely committed to reviewing all the evidence, listening to everyone impacted by his sister’s murder, and ensuring justice is served."

A separate habeas corpus petition is making its way through the court, which would be an additional path to freedom for the brothers if successful. That petition relies on the Cano letter and Rosello's allegations.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also declined to grant a clemency petition for the brothers – at least for now – stating he would defer to Hochman's pending review of the case before making a decision.