The Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery murder plot 2026 case has shocked social media and the music world after a TikTok influencer with nearly half a million followers was charged with conspiracy to murder musician Jack Avery — the father of her seven-year-old daughter and a former member of boy band Why Don’t We. Prosecutors allege that Gonzalez, 24, enlisted her father and her then-boyfriend to hire a hitman through a dark web murder-for-hire service, funding the scheme with Bitcoin in a plot allegedly motivated by a bitter custody dispute over the couple’s child.
Gabbie Gonzalez appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday, wearing a blue hoodie and handcuffs, her long curly hair familiar to the hundreds of thousands of followers who know her from TikTok and Instagram. She did not enter a plea. Her lawyer requested additional time to review the evidence and her arraignment was continued to Thursday. The judge set bail at $2 million and ordered Gonzalez to remain at least 100 yards from Avery and their child at all times, with no contact permitted.
Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery Murder Plot 2026: The Charges
The Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery murder plot 2026 charges were filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office against three defendants simultaneously — Gabbie Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, 59, and Kai Faron Cordrey, 26, Gabbie’s ex-boyfriend at the time of the alleged offences.
Each of the three defendants faces one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder — a set of charges that reflects both the alleged planning of the attack and the steps prosecutors claim were taken to execute it.
The three defendants and their charges:
| Defendant | Age | Relationship | Charges | Custody Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabbie Gonzalez | 24 | Target’s co-parent / TikTok influencer | Attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation of murder | Arrested Northern California — bail set at $2 million |
| Francisco Gonzalez | 59 | Gabbie’s father | Attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation of murder | Arrested Seminole County, Florida — held without bond |
| Kai Faron Cordrey | 26 | Gabbie’s ex-boyfriend | Attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation of murder | Charged Tuesday |
Francisco Gonzalez was arrested on Monday in Seminole County, Florida, and was being held without bond according to online jail records — a detention status that reflects the severity of the charges and the flight risk assessment made by Florida authorities.
Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery Murder Plot 2026: What Prosecutors Allege
The Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery murder plot 2026 allegations, as laid out in the felony complaint filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, describe a sustained and deliberate conspiracy that began in October 2020 and extended through May 2021.
Prosecutors allege that between October 2020 and May 2021 Gabbie Gonzalez “repeatedly discussed wanting Jack Avery dead” — language that suggests not a moment of rage or impulse but a pattern of sustained intent articulated across multiple conversations over a period of months. She allegedly enlisted Cordrey — her boyfriend at the time — to help identify and hire someone capable of carrying out the killing.
The alleged plot involved Bitcoin as the payment mechanism and the dark web as the platform through which the hitman would be hired — choices that reflect an attempt to avoid the financial and digital trails that conventional payment methods and mainstream internet platforms would create.
The alleged conspiracy in detail:
- Between October 2020 and May 2021 Gabbie repeatedly discussed wanting Avery dead — per prosecutors
- She enlisted then-boyfriend Cordrey to help hire someone to carry out the killing
- The plan involved using Bitcoin on the dark web to find and pay a hitman
- The conspirators discussed making the killing appear to be an accident
- On April 26, 2021 Francisco Gonzalez allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 as front money for the plot
- Cordrey allegedly transferred the money into a Gemini cryptocurrency account
- Cordrey allegedly began using a dark web murder-for-hire account under the alias “LizardKing69”
- On May 22, 2021 Cordrey allegedly identified Jack Avery as the target by name
- An address in Los Angeles was provided for the target
- Cordrey allegedly instructed the account’s participants that Avery “should be killed by whatever method was easiest”
The instruction that Avery “should be killed by whatever method was easiest” — as alleged in the felony complaint — is among the most chilling details in the charging documents. It suggests a deliberate indifference to the manner of the killing and a focus purely on the outcome — Avery’s death — rather than any specific method.
The alleged attempt to make the killing appear accidental reflects an awareness of the investigation that would follow and a desire to avoid the scrutiny that a suspicious or violent death would attract — particularly given the custody dispute that allegedly motivated the plot.
Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery Murder Plot 2026: The Custody Dispute Motive
The Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery murder plot 2026 alleged motive centres on a bitter custody dispute over the couple’s seven-year-old daughter. Prosecutors allege that Gonzalez’s desire to resolve the custody situation on her own terms — rather than through legal proceedings — drove her to allegedly devise a murder-for-hire scheme that would permanently eliminate Avery from both the custody equation and her life.
Gabbie Gonzalez and Jack Avery share a daughter who was born when both were teenagers. The custody arrangement between the two — involving a child who is now seven years old — has reportedly been a source of significant and sustained conflict between them.
The custody dispute context:
- Gonzalez and Avery share a seven-year-old daughter
- The custody dispute is alleged by prosecutors to be the primary motive for the murder plot
- Prosecutors allege the plot was devised to “resolve” the custody situation
- The alleged discussions about wanting Avery dead began in October 2020 and continued through May 2021
- A murder-for-hire plot — if successful — would have permanently eliminated Avery’s legal standing as a parent
- The custody motive, if proven, places the child at the centre of a deeply disturbing set of alleged decisions by her mother
The involvement of Gonzalez’s father — who allegedly provided $10,000 in front money for the plot — suggests the conspiracy extended into the wider family unit. Francisco Gonzalez’s willingness to allegedly fund an attempt on the life of his grandchild’s father represents one of the most troubling elements of the alleged conspiracy.
Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery Murder Plot 2026: Who Is Jack Avery?
The Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery murder plot 2026 case centres on a musician who rose to fame as a member of Why Don’t We — a boy band that built a significant following among younger audiences across social media platforms and through their music releases.
Avery, 26, was one of five members of Why Don’t We — a group that positioned itself as a successor to the great boy band traditions of previous generations. The band attracted a dedicated fanbase and achieved commercial success before the individual members pursued different paths in their careers and personal lives.
Jack Avery — key profile:
- Age: 26 years old
- Former member of boy band Why Don’t We
- Father of a seven-year-old daughter with Gabbie Gonzalez
- The alleged target of a dark web murder-for-hire conspiracy
- A Los Angeles address was provided to the alleged hitman as his location
- Has not made public statements about the charges as of this report
- The judge has ordered Gonzalez to remain at least 100 yards from Avery at all times
- No contact is permitted between Gonzalez and Avery under the judge’s order
The judicial protection orders — 100 yards minimum distance and no contact — reflect the court’s assessment of the threat level Avery faces from Gonzalez, even in the period before trial. Those orders apply to both Avery himself and to their shared child.
Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery Murder Plot 2026: Who Is Gabbie Gonzalez?
The Gabbie Gonzalez Jack Avery murder plot 2026 has brought Gonzalez from social media fame to criminal infamy with extraordinary speed. Before Tuesday’s court appearance, she was known primarily as a TikTok and Instagram influencer with close to half a million followers on each platform — a presence built around the kind of personal, lifestyle, and family content that characterises the influencer economy.
Her appearance in court — handcuffed, in a blue hoodie, her appearance recognised by those familiar with her social media presence — created a stark contrast between the curated digital persona she had built and the criminal charges she now faces.
