Gabriela Gonzalez, a 24-year-old social media personality, was arrested in California this week and charged with attempting to hire someone to kill Jack Avery, the father of her child and a member of the band Why Don’t We. Los Angeles County prosecutors say the alleged plot involved Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, and her ex-boyfriend Kai Faron Cordrey, and stretches back to a custody dispute between the parties. Authorities say the investigation began with the FBI and was later handed to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which filed the charges.
Prosecutors accuse Gabriela Gonzalez of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder, with the alleged scheme taking place between 2020 and 2021. The charges were announced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as officials moved to bring formal counts after a lengthy probe. It is not clear if any of the defendants have retained lawyers, and Jack Avery could not immediately be reached for comment.
Officials say Gabriela Gonzalez sought help from her then-boyfriend, Kai Faron Cordrey, to locate a hit on Avery through dark web contacts while she was involved in a custody fight over her then 7-year-old daughter. Prosecutors describe a three-person effort that included Francisco Gonzalez, who allegedly provided money to kick-start the scheme. The case hinges on messages, payments, and conversations investigators say point to a planned murder-for-hire.
According to the criminal complaint, Francisco Gonzalez, identified as a Florida-based personal injury attorney, wired $10,000 to Cordrey in April 2021 as front money to locate, hire and pay someone to kill Avery. Prosecutors say Cordrey later asked for another $4,000 after the supposed hit man requested additional funds, and then pressured that the killing take place within days. The timing of the payments and follow-up requests is a key part of the prosecution’s narrative.
In September 2021, investigators say an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman spoke with Cordrey about the plot. Prosecutors allege Cordrey discussed payment terms, asked for proof of death and identified Avery as the target. In one exchange, Cordrey told the purported hitman “that Gabriela Gonzalez wanted the murder to happen” and that her father could pay for the expense, according to charging documents.
Both Francisco Gonzalez and Cordrey are charged alongside Gabriela Gonzalez. Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida and is awaiting extradition to California, while a district attorney’s spokesperson, Greg Risling, said Cordrey has not yet been detained. Those developments mean the case will likely involve coordination across jurisdictions as the extradition and potential arrests move forward.
If convicted, prosecutors say the three defendants could face sentences ranging from 25 years to life in state prison. The charges reflect the serious nature of conspiracy and solicitation related to murder-for-hire, and prosecutors emphasized the severity of the alleged conduct in public statements. “Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.
Investigators say the case began as an FBI inquiry before files were turned over to the county for prosecution, and that tip-and-trace work plus undercover contacts helped produce the evidence now in the complaint. That mix of federal and local work is common in investigations that touch interstate payments and internet-facilitated criminal plans. Officials have not released every piece of evidence but say the collaboration led to the current charges.
On social media, Gabriela Gonzalez has cultivated a sizable following and posts lifestyle content on multiple platforms. Pictures on her Instagram show her posing under palm trees and near waterfalls, often in brightly colored swimwear, and her biography reads “lover of life” and a “mermaid a heart.” On TikTok she posts short clips of cooking, dancing and pop culture takes, and prosecutors included references to her online presence in background material.
In a 2024 video Gonzalez described her taste in music, saying her favorite song from Taylor Swift’s then-new album was “I Can Do With a Broken Heart.” She also commented more broadly about heartbreak in another recent clip: “I feel like so many can relate to this because so many people are getting their hearts broken every day in different way, shapes or forms, and we still be doing it,” she said. Those posts are part of the context prosecutors and reporters have noted while covering the case.
The indictment sets up what will likely be a lengthy legal process: extradition logistics for Francisco Gonzalez, potential arrest efforts for Cordrey, arraignments in Los Angeles, and pretrial motions as defense teams, if retained, respond. For now, the charges stand and officials say the investigation produced enough to bring the case into court on serious felony allegations.
