After slicing the throat of his 10-month-old kid and shooting his pregnant wife four times in the back, an Idaho man will be imprisoned for the rest of his life.
On Thursday, 50-year-old Jeremy Albert Best was given three consecutive life terms by District Judge Dane H. Watkins Jr. for the killings of his son Zeke Gregory Best, his wife Kali Best, 39, and their unborn child Freya. In February, Jeremy Best entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder in connection with the death of his son and second-degree murder in connection with the killings of his wife and Freya. In a joint press release, Teton and Bonneville prosecutors stated that the plea agreement was reached during mediation and with the help of the victims’ relatives.
Due of his drug usage and financial difficulties, the defendant and his wife had a “rocky and quite volatile” relationship, according to Teton County Prosecutor Bailey A. Smith. The pregnancy merely “added fuel to the fire,” according to Smith, who also claimed that he verbally abused his wife. According to the text messages, Jeremy Best frequently discussed his financial difficulties and his attempts to secure loans. He thought about selling all he had and “leaving with just a backpack,” according to one text message his wife wrote.
A neighbor who heard gunfire coming from the Best property and a detective who looked into the area also testified before the judge during the three-day sentencing session.
Smith stated that Jeremy Best should receive a life sentence due to the heinousness of his conduct.
She reportedly stated, “This isn’t just a murder case,” as reported in court. “The defendant in this case destroyed the family by making risky, self-centered decisions and still does. The defendant has committed some of the most terrible and evil crimes the state has ever seen.
The family of Kali Best also talked about how her passing has completely changed their life.
“I was the first in our family to find out that one of the most beautiful humans on this earth, my sister Kali, had been horrifically murdered, that our sweet baby Freya was gone, and that the happiest, most love-filled baby boy, Zeke, was missing — all at the hands of the very person we trusted to keep her safe,” Emma Brice, her sister, said.
She remembered her mother’s reaction when she heard the news.
“I can still hear my mother’s screams,” she stated. “While I sleep, I hear them. In the silence, I hear them. And when I notice how frail everything really is when I gaze at my own child, I hear them.”
As previously reported, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office responded to a general store in Swan Valley, close to the Potato State’s border with Wyoming, for a nude man who was walking through the store just before noon on Nov. 30, 2023, which is when police initially discovered something was wrong, according to a press release. The man, identified as Jeremy Best, was shown slouching over a counter in video that EastIdahoNews.com was able to obtain before being led outside. According to deputies, he was transported by ambulance to a hospital for mental and medical issues. After receiving treatment, he was set free.
According to a press release, a dispatcher in neighboring Teton County heard a “disturbance” during a 911 call approximately 12 hours after the general store call. When deputies arrived at the residence at 4600 Skyline Loop in Victor, they discovered Kali Best unconscious. She was declared deceased by the first responders. Investigators soon came to the conclusion that Jeremy Best had abducted their son after killing his wife.
Authorities acquired a warrant for Jeremy Best’s arrest and issued an Amber Alert for Zeke, describing him as “armed and very dangerous.”
by December 2, 2023, at around 9:17 a.m., hunters east of Idaho Falls reported a man in a sleeping bag by the side of the road to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a news release, “The caller stated the man was naked and making odd statements.”
When deputies located the man, they recognized him as Jeremy Best and took him into custody. According to authorities, they found his black SUV down in an embankment and close to the road. Inside, they discovered Zeke dead.
Meg Fischer, Kali Best’s cousin, had told local news sources that she loved living in Idaho.
“She made the mountains her home after being summoned there. “She loved animals, particularly her dogs,” Fischer remarked. Her greatest delight was being a mother, and we presume that she sacrificed her life to keep her kids safe. We adore her unconditionally.
