KJ Biermann Pleads Not Guilty, Siders Patriarch Charges Dismissed, and Cornell 7 Phone Calls, with Jordan Berman

This episode of The MK True Crime Show covers three distinct true crime stories with legal experts Dave Aronberg and Ashleigh Merchant as primary hosts, joined by attorney Jordan Berman for the Cornell case segment. The first major topic concerns assault allegations against KJ Biermann, the fifteen-year-old son of reality TV personalities Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann. The hosts discuss his not-guilty plea, shocking prior charges from 2023 that surfaced during his 2026 bond hearing, and the legal question of whether he'll be charged as an adult. The second segment covers the dismissal of child endangerment charges against Gary Sr., the Siders family patriarch, including details about his competency evaluation and what "unrestorable" means legally. The hosts also mention additional family members facing charges. The third major segment shifts to the Cornell Seven case, where the hosts discuss the appointment of Sally Yates as an independent investigator, her scope of review, and newly surfaced phone calls between the accuser (Jane Doe) and two Chi Phi brothers. This segment includes one accused man's counter-claim that Jane Doe assaulted him, campus protests following her civil suit, and analysis of the case's trajectory. A brief final segment covers the death of Gypsy Rose Blanchard's former partner Ken Urker at age 34, internet speculation about the circumstances, and reactions from Gypsy Rose's ex-husband. The episode features three sponsor reads (SelectQuote, Home Title Lock, and Smalls cat food) integrated throughout. The show leverages the hosts' legal backgrounds to provide expert commentary on procedural matters, competency evaluations, and investigative developments, positioning itself as current-events legal analysis rather than deep historical investigation.

Verdict: This is a competent legal-news roundup with credible expert hosts, but it prioritizes breadth over depth and reads as a news digest rather than true crime storytelling, making it suitable only for viewers already invested in these specific cases.

True Crime rubric

• Research depth 2/5 20%

  Show notes indicate coverage of recent developments and legal updates but no mention of original reporting, court records analysis, or investigative work beyond discussing publicly available case information.

• Storytelling 2/5 20%

  Episode jumps between three unrelated cases (Biermann, Siders, Cornell, Gypsy Rose) with no narrative arc; structure appears to be news-update format rather than crafted storytelling.

• Respect for victims 3/5 15%

  No evidence of sensationalism in the description, though the rapid case-switching and inclusion of the Gypsy Rose segment (which appears tangential) suggests potential for treating serious allegations as content fodder rather than human-cen

• Substance 2/5 15%

  Four separate cases covered in 54 minutes means each receives shallow treatment; show notes suggest updates and commentary rather than deep exploration of any single story.

• Delivers on its title 3/5 15%

  Title promises updates on Biermann, Siders, and Cornell cases, which the episode delivers, but the Gypsy Rose segment appears extraneous to the stated focus.

• Value for time 2/5 15%

  Covering four cases plus three sponsor reads in 54 minutes suggests rushed pacing; listeners get surface-level updates on multiple stories rather than substantive deep-dives on any single case.

How we score True Crime

Worth it if you're actively following the Biermann, Siders, or Cornell Seven cases and want quick legal expert commentary on recent developments.

Content flags

• Ad-heavy Three sponsor reads (SelectQuote, Home Title Lock, Smalls) noted in a 54-minute episode represents significant ad load relative to content.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.