TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, and her ex-boyfriend Kai Cordrey all pleaded not guilty on September 14, 2026, to charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.
TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, and her ex-boyfriend Kai Cordrey all pleaded not guilty on September 14, 2026, to charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. Prosecutors allege the three conspired to kill Jack Avery, former member of the boy band Why Don’t We and the father of Gonzalez’s seven-year-old daughter, amid a bitter custody dispute.
The alleged plot involved a dark web murder-for-hire account accessed under the alias “LizardKing69,” paid through Bitcoin and Gemini cryptocurrency. An FBI undercover agent posing as a hitman helped foil the plot. All three are out of custody on conditions. The next hearing is set for November 18, 2026.
Gabbie Gonzalez, 25, spoke only once during the hearing. When the judge asked whether she agreed to delay her next court date to November 18, she said: “Yes, your honor.” She didn’t answer media questions when she left the courthouse.
Her father, Francisco Gonzalez, 59, a Florida-based attorney, and her ex-boyfriend, Kai Faron Cordrey, 26, a Hawaii surf instructor, entered the same not-guilty pleas at the same hearing. All three face identical charges: attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder.
Who Is Gabbie Gonzalez?
Gabriela “Gabbie” Gonzalez built her following on TikTok and Instagram through lifestyle, travel, and motherhood content. She has close to one million combined followers across both platforms. She has spoken publicly about her relationship with Jack Avery and about co-parenting their daughter.
She was 24 years old when she was arrested at a Humboldt County jail in Eureka, Northern California on May 15, 2026. County jail records confirmed the booking. She was subsequently charged in Los Angeles County.
Who Is Jack Avery?
Jack Avery, 26, was a member of Why Don’t We, a pop boy band that released its debut album in 2018. The band’s most recognisable song, “8 Letters,” was on that album. A second album followed in 2021. The band has since disbanded. Avery released a solo single, “XOXOX,” earlier this year and has more than 1.4 million Instagram followers.
He shares a seven-year-old daughter with Gabbie Gonzalez. He is raising the child as a single father. When the case became public in May 2026, Avery sought a civil restraining order in Los Angeles County Family Court. In a sworn declaration, he wrote: “I was notified by the FBI that a hit man was hired to kill me.”
How the Plot Allegedly Started
Prosecutors say the scheme began in late 2020, rooted entirely in a custody dispute over the couple’s daughter.
According to the charges and court filings, Gabbie allegedly told Cordrey and her father that she wanted Avery dead as a way to resolve the custody battle in her favour. The alleged plan then evolved over months of planning and communication.
Deputy DA Alexander Bott described the escalating pattern in a July 22 court filing: “Gabbie and her father’s alleged conduct escalated from family-court litigation and efforts to discredit Jack, to surveillance and attempted third-party intimidation, and ultimately to a funded murder-for-hire plot designed to remove Jack permanently.”
The dark web, which isn’t indexed by standard search engines and is accessible only through software like Tor, hosts hidden marketplaces where criminal services โ including, allegedly, contract killing, are advertised. As we’ve covered in detail looking at how dark web murder-for-hire sites actually operate, these platforms are almost universally fraudulent, designed to take payments from desperate people and deliver nothing. But attempting to use one is still a serious criminal offence regardless of whether any killing occurs.
The Dark Web Account and the Money Trail
This is where the prosecution’s case gets specific.
On April 26, 2021, prosecutors allege Francisco Gonzalez sent Cordrey $10,000 through the Square payment app. The payment was disguised as a web development fee. Cordrey allegedly told investigators that no such work was ever performed.
Cordrey then transferred that $10,000 into a Gemini cryptocurrency account, a real, US-regulated cryptocurrency exchange, and used funds from it to access a dark web murder-for-hire account. He operated under the alias “LizardKing69.”
On May 22, 2021, Cordrey allegedly identified Avery as the target, providing his Los Angeles address and specifying that Avery “should be killed by whatever method was easiest.”
On June 4, 2021, the dark web account’s administrator demanded an additional $4,000. Cordrey went back to Francisco for the money. Francisco allegedly sent it. Days later, Cordrey allegedly asked for the killing to happen within a couple of days.
The money trail mattered to investigators for the same reason Bitcoin trails matter in every major dark web crime case, as we covered in our analysis of how cryptocurrency forensics helped crack the AudiA6 ransomware laundering network. Blockchain records are permanent and traceable even when the person making the payments believes Bitcoin is anonymous.
The FBI Undercover Operation
The plot was intercepted before any harm came to Jack Avery. The FBI, which had been investigating the case, deployed an undercover agent posing as a hitman.
Francisco Gonzalez allegedly spoke with that undercover agent over the phone. During the call, he allegedly used code words โ “bull run” was referenced in connection with the conversation, and discussed previous Bitcoin payments already made, along with an additional fee to be paid after the job was completed.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the case publicly: “This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder.”
The FBI’s involvement, and the undercover agent’s role in intercepting the plot, followed a pattern seen in similar cases. Law enforcement has become increasingly sophisticated at monitoring dark web murder-for-hire platforms and positioning agents as service providers to catch clients. The Operation Alice investigation documented how law enforcement engaged with dark web criminal platforms to identify clients on a global scale.
Gabbie also allegedly discussed with Cordrey the idea of staging Avery’s death as a car accident, according to court documents.
What Happened After the Arrests
Gabbie was arrested in Humboldt County on May 15, 2026, and charges were filed in LA County on May 19-20. At her initial court appearance she appeared in a plexiglass holding pen wearing a blue hoodie, with handcuffs. Bail was set at $2 million with a GPS monitoring requirement and a 100-yard no-contact order covering both Avery and their daughter.
Francisco Gonzalez was in custody in Florida, facing extradition proceedings to California.
Avery said family members of Gonzalez had been calling and texting him “relentlessly” demanding to know where their daughter was. Two women he identified as Gonzalez’s friends allegedly showed up at his location.
Their daughter, who had been placed with a foster family at the time of Gabbie’s arrest, was picked up by Avery after a detective informed him of the situation.
The arraignment was delayed multiple times at the defendants’ lawyers’ request, citing the volume of discovery material. All three eventually waived their right to a speedy arraignment and agreed to push the plea hearing to September 14, 2026.
The Not-Guilty Pleas and What’s Next
At the September 14 hearing, all three defendants appeared out of custody on differing bail conditions. Each entered a not-guilty plea.
Gabbie’s only public statement in the courtroom was confirming she agreed to delay the next hearing until November 18. She declined all media questions.
The next court date is November 18, 2026. No trial date has been set.
The charges are serious. Under California law, solicitation of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder each carry significant prison sentences. Unlike states where mandatory minimums dominate sentencing, California judges have discretion in many cases, but these are felony charges carrying the potential for life sentences if convicted on the most serious counts.
And as the Rotterdam hitman case we covered in September illustrated, attempting to hire a hitman through a dark web platform is prosecutable regardless of whether the murder was ever carried out. The attempt itself is the crime.
The Wider Pattern: Custody Disputes and Dark Web Violence
There’s a thread running through this case and others like it that goes beyond celebrity gossip.
Custody disputes generate some of the most intense interpersonal conflict that ordinary people experience. The combination of a contested child, financial stakes, and sustained emotional pressure can push people toward decisions that, in any other context, would be unthinkable. The dark web’s existence as an apparent marketplace for extreme outcomes, where someone believes they can resolve an unbearable situation with a payment and a URL, is a genuinely dangerous feature of how these platforms are perceived.
The Gonzalez case also began in 2021 but took five years to reach a courtroom for arraignment. The FBI’s initial investigation, the undercover operation, the coordination with LA County prosecutors, and the extradition logistics for Francisco Gonzalez from Florida all took time. Dark web cases rarely produce immediate outcomes. They produce long-running investigations that eventually surface publicly, often long after the targets of the alleged plots have been living with knowledge of the threat.
Jack Avery has known about this alleged plot since 2021. He wrote in his court declaration that he was notified by the FBI that a hitman had been hired to kill him. He has been raising his daughter alone since then.
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges does Gabbie Gonzalez face?
Attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. Her father Francisco Gonzalez and ex-boyfriend Kai Cordrey face the same three charges.
Did Gabbie Gonzalez plead guilty?
No. All three defendants pleaded not guilty at their September 14, 2026 arraignment in Los Angeles.
Who is Jack Avery?
A 26-year-old singer-songwriter and former member of the pop boy band Why Don’t We. He shares a seven-year-old daughter with Gabbie Gonzalez and is raising the child as a single father.
How was the plot allegedly carried out?
Prosecutors allege Kai Cordrey used a dark web murder-for-hire account under the alias “LizardKing69,” funded by $14,000 in payments from Francisco Gonzalez, routed through a Gemini cryptocurrency account. An FBI undercover agent posing as a hitman intercepted the plot before any harm occurred.
What happens next?
The next hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2026. No trial date has been set.
Is it a crime if no one was actually killed?
Yes. In California, solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder are criminal offences regardless of whether the intended killing occurred. The attempt itself constitutes the charge.
