After Bryan Kohberger entered a formal guilty plea to four counts of first-degree murder, most of us assumed the University of Idaho mass slaying case had reached its close. A trial—and possible death penalty—had been avoided, and he was expected to spend the rest of his life at the infamous Idaho Maximum Security Institution. Over a year later, Kohberger is now challenging his conviction, with a claim that he was “convinced to falsely confess.” VF’s Savannah Walsh spoke with Alivea Goncalves, the older sister of one of the victims, about what this means for her still-grieving family—and why she believes Kohberger made his stunning reversal.
Also sharing their story with Vanity Fair this week are Liz Stein, Maria Farmer, Annie Farmer, Lara Blume McGee, and Dani Bensky, all survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s far-reaching criminal enterprise. “We want justice, transparency, accountability. We want people investigated,” McGee tells VF contributors Abby Ellin and Stacy Schneider. “We’re not saying that everybody in the files is guilty, but let’s investigate them and let’s follow the money.”
Heavy, important stuff. For a change of pace, I suggest chasing those reports with the following: Margaux MacColl’s look at the tech bros who’ve “discovered” the tough business of mining; Kenneal Patterson’s conversation with Ella Rubin, star of summer streaming sensation Sterling Point; and Vanity Fair Italy’s chat with Simone “Sinck” Moncada, a hip-hop dancer who pivoted to stunt work—and can now be seen in another summer sensation you might have heard of, The Odyssey.
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Alivea Goncalves, whose family appears in the Netflix documentary The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, reflects on her powerful victim impact statement at Kohberger’s sentencing, and fighting the latest legal hurdle in her sister’s murder case: “Just very desperate.” |
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Silicon Valley is headed underground. |
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Ella Rubin, who’s at the center of this summer’s hottest love triangle, talks twinning with costar Keen Ruffalo, almost killing her castmates in Canada, and why it’s cool to be embarrassing (even in front of Jeffrey Dean Morgan). |
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From multicolored swimsuits to leopard-print skirts, take a look back at the princess’s most memorable summer looks for a dose of inspiration. |
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