Ex-girlfriend of boy band member charged with trying to hire a hitman to
kill him
[May 22, 2026]
By JAMIE STENGLE
The former girlfriend of a member of the boy band Why Don't We has been
charged with trying to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill him as part
of a custody dispute over their now 7-year-old daughter, prosecutors
said.
Gabriela Gonzalez, a 24-year-old with a large social media following,
was charged Tuesday with one count of attempted murder, conspiracy to
commit murder and solicitation of murder in the alleged plot to kill
Jack Avery, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.
Gonzalez's father, Francisco Gonzalez, 59, and her then-boyfriend Kai
Cordrey, 26, face the same charges.
“This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great
lengths to find someone to commit murder," Los Angeles County District
Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a news release.
He said the charges were the result of a lengthy investigation that was
initiated by the FBI and eventually turned over to the district
attorney's office.
Avery thanked prosecutors and law enforcement for their support in an
Instagram post Thursday and said his focus is on “being the best father
I can be.”
Prosecutors say Gonzalez is accused of seeking the help of Cordrey to
hire someone to kill Avery between 2020 and 2021. Then, in April 2021,
her father allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 as front money in the plot,
prosecutors said. Two months later, prosecutors said, Cordrey allegedly
requested and got $4,000 more from Francisco Gonzalez when the alleged
hit man asked for more money.
In September 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a
hitman spoke with Cordrey about the murder-for-hire plot. Cordrey is
accused of telling the undercover officer that Avery was the target and
discussed payment and proof of death, prosecutors said.
[to top of second column]
|
Jack Avery, of the band Why Don't We, poses, Dec. 16, 2019, in
Washington, D.C. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)
 Gabriela Gonzalez, who has over
450,000 followers on Instagram, was being held in a Los Angeles-area
detention facility on $2 million bond on Thursday. Her attorney,
Elliot Zarabi, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida and is awaiting
extradition. He was being held in a jail in Florida in Seminole
County on Thursday. It was unclear if he had an attorney to speak on
his behalf on the charges.
Los Angeles County jail records show that Cordrey was arrested
Thursday. His bail was set at $2 million, according to a
spokesperson for the district attorney's office. Jail records did
not show an attorney for him.
If convicted, all three defendants face up to life in prison.
The boy band Why Don't We released their debut album in 2018, which
included the song “8 Letters,” and a sophomore album three years
later. They have since disbanded, and Avery released the single
“XOXOX” on his own this year.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
