Influencer, Father, and Ex-Boyfriend Charged in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot Targeting Singer

A social media influencer, her father, and her former boyfriend have been charged in Los Angeles County in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting former Why Don’t We member Jack Avery.

Los Angeles County prosecutors allege the conspiracy unfolded between 2020 and 2021 and centered on efforts to hire a hitman through the dark web to kill Avery, who shares a 7-year-old daughter with influencer Gabriela Lauren Gonzalez.

According to a May 19 news release issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Gabriela Gonzalez allegedly sought the assistance of her then-boyfriend, Kai Faron Cordrey, to arrange the killing.

Prosecutors said the alleged scheme intensified in April 2021, when Gabriela Gonzalez’s father, Francisco Gonzalez, allegedly transferred $10,000 to Cordrey as upfront money intended to locate and pay someone to kill Avery.

Two months later, prosecutors allege Cordrey requested and received an additional $4,000 from Francisco Gonzalez after the purported hitman demanded more money. Several days afterward, Cordrey allegedly pushed for the killing to take place “within a couple of days.”

Authorities said the investigation later involved an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman. In September 2021, Cordrey allegedly spoke with the undercover officer about Avery being the intended target and discussed both payment arrangements and proof of death.

During a separate conversation, Cordrey allegedly told the undercover operative that Gabriela Gonzalez wanted the killing carried out and that Francisco Gonzalez would finance the operation, prosecutors said.

All three defendants were charged in Los Angeles County Superior Court with one count each of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder. If convicted, they each face 25 years to life in state prison.

“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 statement released by his office. Hochman added that the investigation began with the FBI before being transferred to local prosecutors.

“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,” the statement added.

Gabriela Gonzalez was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles. As of Thursday, she was being held at a Los Angeles-area detention facility on a $2 million bond. Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida and remained in custody in Seminole County awaiting extradition. Cordrey was also taken into custody Thursday.

Avery later addressed the case in an Instagram post, thanking prosecutors and law enforcement officials while saying his focus remains on “being the best father I can be.”

The boy band Why Don’t We formed in 2016 and rose to prominence with songs including “8 Letters” and “What Am I.” The group amassed more than 3 billion global streams during its run and earned two Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. The band also performed on programs including “Today,” “Good Morning America,” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

The group disbanded in 2025.