True Crime Tuesday
True Crime Girl on the Alexander brothers, girl gone from a DR beach, and two cases that just won't go away
Celebrity Real Estate Brokers… With A Very Dark Secret?
In December 2024, headlines in Miami, FL, reported on two local real estate brokers facing charges in three separate cases of sexual assault and abuse. Among those charged were 37-year-old Oren Alexander, his twin brother Alon, their 38-year-old brother Tal Alexander, and family friend, Ohan Fisherman.
The brothers were high-flying fixtures on the celebrity social scene in Miami, L.A, and New York, making millions in high-end real estate. According to the allegations, however, that’s not all they were up to.
The first case dates back to 2016 in Miami, when a woman was invited to a barbecue at Alon’s beach-side apartment. However, upon arrival, she found only Alon, Oren, and Ohan present. The victim alleges that she was led to Alon’s bedroom, where Ohan held her down while the brothers argued over who would rape her first.
The second case occurred in Miami in 2017, when a woman suspected she had been drugged. She recalled drinking a glass of wine at Oren’s apartment before suddenly feeling extremely weak and unable to control her body. It was then, she claims, that Oren began to assault her.
These cases were followed by a third, strikingly similar incident. In October 2021, another woman in Miami alleged that Oren assaulted her after she and a group of friends went back to his apartment following a dinner.
Each of these cases quickly caught the attention of local media, sparking widespread coverage. As the allegations surfaced, more details emerged about the brothers, including their meteoric rise to prominence in the real estate industry.
The Alexander brothers, particularly Oren and Tal, launched their real estate careers at Douglas Elliman, one of the largest brokerages in the country. They quickly climbed the ranks before establishing their own firm, Official, which specializes in high-end real estate properties for celebrities and wealthy clients across New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, their brother Alon took a different path, serving as an executive at a private security firm owned by their family.
The brothers, along with Ohan—who is also a real estate broker—were convicted on state charges for sexually assaulting three women, but were released on bail. But as the cases gained attention, more women from Miami, New York, and Los Angeles came forward with allegations spanning over two decades. What started as state charges quickly escalated into numerous federal charges against the brothers, including charges of human trafficking.
Since December, more than 60 women have come forward to prosecutors, alleging sexual assault or abuse by at least one of the brothers. Each woman recounts eerily similar experiences of meeting one of the men, being drugged, and then assaulted.
On Friday, February 7, all three brothers were officially charged in Manhattan federal court with using their wealth and influence in the high-end real estate markets to rape and sexually abuse women over a span of more than two decades. The known cases date from 2002 to 2021.
Due to this, prosecutors have recently requested a superseding indictment—a formal accusation that will replace the original indictment—as additional individuals continue to step forward, strengthening the case.
In addition, the prosecution has gathered substantial evidence from the data extracted from eight electronic devices seized during searches of the defendants' homes. This includes corroborating information from iCloud, Instagram, and Facebook accounts, as well as data from dating apps, hard drives, laptops, and cellphones.
One key piece of reported evidence is footage showing the brothers engaged in sexual acts with women who appear to be under the influence and unaware they’re being filmed.
The FBI has also seized an additional 19 devices that have yet to be examined.
As of Friday, February 7, the prosecution expects at least 10 of the 60 women who have come forward to testify during the trial. However, the identities of these women have not yet been disclosed to the defense, who will likely need several months to review all of the claims.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that is already stacked against them, each of the brothers is pleading not guilty to the federal charges. And throughout the proceedings, the brothers appear entirely unconcerned; there are multiple videos of them laughing and joking in the courtroom.
The judge has informed prospective jurors that the trial is expected to last at least six weeks, with a start date of January 5, 2026. If convicted, the brothers face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison.
Given the substantial evidence already presented—ranging from witness testimony to data extracted from electronic devices—the prosecution appears to have a strong case against the Alexander brothers. With more than 60 women coming forward, each recounting eerily similar experiences, it seems likely that the brothers will face serious consequences.
However, it will be fascinating to see how the defense counters these claims. Clearly, the brothers can afford pricey lawyers. And with months to review the evidence and prepare their case, they will undoubtedly attempt to discredit the allegations, which could potentially shift the dynamics of the trial.
Once the brothers are extradited from Florida to New York, expect a growing media frenzy akin to what we’ve seen with the Menendez brothers and Luigi Mangione.
Just what we need — another set of criminal brothers becoming “celebrities.”
Vanished From The Beach
Few things are more horrifying than a family waiting for information on a loved one who has suddenly disappeared. Unfortunately, 20-year-old Sudiksha Konancki's family is experiencing this now.
The University of Pittsburgh pre-med student was last seen early Thursday morning at a beach resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic around 4:50am. The friends she had traveled there with to enjoy Spring Break did not report her missing until 4pm the same day.
It has now come to light that a companion named Joshua Steven Ribe admits he was swimming with her in rough surf and he was able to make it back to shore. No word yet as to why he did not tell anyone that she had not made it back. Were alcohol or drugs involved?
Police are leaning towards the theory that she drowned but her family has their doubts. Her dad, Subbarayudu, filed a complaint on Monday to expand the search over “growing suspicion” that she may have been kidnapped.
Unfortunately, this disappearance has echoes of the Natalie Holloway case. Natalie was 18-years-old when she went missing in Aruba while on her high school senior trip in 2005. A harrowing search ensued but her remains have never been found.
Multiple people were arrested and released after Natalie’s disappearance but the prime suspect was a 17-year-old man named Joran van der Sloot, who she was last seen with leaving a nightclub.
In 2010, van der Sloot cruelly attempted to extort the Holloway family with an offer to reveal the location of Natalie’s body and details about her death. Later that year he was found guilty of murdering a 21-year-old student named Stephany Flores Ramirez who went missing in Lima, Peru.
In 2023, he confessed to killing Natalie in a proffer letter saying he bludgeoned her after she refused his advances and dumped her body in the ocean. However, he had previously told multiple conflicting stories about her disappearance, so many were skeptical of this new account of what happened. He is currently jailed in Peru for the second homicide.
In the Holloway case, numerous questions were raised about the competence of the Aruba police. There is little doubt mistakes were made.
Are Dominican authorities up to this investigation?
Here’s hoping the circumstances in Sudiksha’s case are not as tragic as in the Holloway case, and that she is ultimately found safe.
At this writing, she is still missing.
Even More Menendez
So now comes word that the L.A. District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, has filed a motion against having a resentencing hearing for the Menendez boys.
Now, Hochman has already filed a motion opposing a whole new trial for the brothers. That is still pending — but in the view of many, likely to succeed.
So what the new motion means is that we may finally be nearing the end of this charade. Because if the new motion succeeds — over the objections of the Menendez attorneys, obviously — the brothers will have lost in their bid for both a new trial and a new sentence.
This would leave only one option left: to directly petition California Governor Gavin Newsom for clemency.
That would be the Gavin Newsom who just broke with his party over men playing in women’s sports. Not that he’s got presidential aspirations or anything….
Newsom won’t touch this with a barge pole. If Hochman succeeds, the Menendez brothers die in jail. Where they belong.
As of now, a decision is set for next week.
Is Bryan Kohberger Autistic?
In a clear sign of a tactical change, the defense in the murder of four co-eds in Idaho has shifted to alleging that Bryan Kohberger’s alleged “autism” should prevent him from receiving the death penalty if found guilty.
Now that the defense has failed to strike perhaps the most damning evidence against Kohberger — the DNA found at the scene — this new tack seems almost an acknowledgment of a likely guilty verdict.
But as with the DNA argument, this is a major longshot. Legal experts note that Idaho does not have an insanity defense — and autism wouldn’t qualify as “insanity” anyway.
And while the defense is parading experts to diagnose Kohberger now, there is no indication that he was ever previously diagnosed at any point in his life.
The defense is fighting hard — but the evidence against Kohberger is strong. And the judge is finally moving things along quickly.
Expect this latest tactic to fail.
Which likely means: a summer trial. One that could be televised.
As of now, it’s set for August 11th.
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