A man from Idaho has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after being found guilty of fatally shooting his pregnant wife four times in the back and slitting his 10-month-old son’s throat.

On Thursday, District Judge Dane H. Watkins Jr. imposed three consecutive life sentences on 50-year-old Jeremy Albert Best for the murders of his son, Zeke Gregory Best, his 39-year-old wife, Kali Best, and their unborn child, Freya. In February, Jeremy Best admitted guilt to first-degree murder in his son’s case and second-degree murder for the deaths of his wife and Freya. According to a joint press release by Teton and Bonneville prosecutors, the plea agreement came about following mediation that included the victims’ family members’ input.

Teton County Prosecutor Bailey A. Smith commented that the relationship between the defendant and his wife was “rocky and quite volatile”, exacerbated by financial difficulties and his drug usage. Smith noted that Jeremy was verbally abusive toward his wife, with the pregnancy further intensifying their conflicts. Text messages revealed that Jeremy frequently mentioned his financial issues and efforts to secure loans. In one message, his wife indicated he contemplated selling all his possessions and “leaving with just a backpack.”

During the three-day sentencing hearing, the judge also heard from a detective who investigated the scene as well as a neighbor who heard gunshots coming from the Best property.

Smith said the heinous nature of Jeremy Best’s crimes deserve a life sentence.

“This isn’t just a murder case,” she said, according to a courtroom report from the Jackson Hole News & Guide. “This is a case of family annihilation by a defendant who made — and continues to make — dangerous, selfish choices. The defendant’s crimes are heinous, some of the most depraved acts the state has ever witnessed.”

Kali Best’s family also spoke about how her death has turned their lives upside down.

“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,” said her sister Emma Brice, per the News & Guide.

She recalled how her mother reacted to the news.

“I can still hear my mother’s screams,” she said. “I hear them in my sleep. I hear them in the quiet. And I hear them when I look at my own child and realize how fragile everything truly is.”

As Law&Crime previously reported, cops first learned something was amiss shortly before noon on Nov. 30, 2023, after the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office responded to a general store in Swan Valley — near the Potato State’s border with Wyoming —  for a nude man walking through the store, a press release said. Video obtained by EastIdahoNews.com showed the man identified as Jeremy Best slumped over a counter before being escorted outside. An ambulance took him to a hospital for medical and mental health concerns, deputies said. He was treated and released.

About 12 hours after the call to the general store, a dispatcher in nearby Teton County heard a “disturbance” during a 911 call, a press release said. Deputies rushed to the home at 4600 Skyline Loop in Victor and found Kali Best inside unresponsive. First responders pronounced her dead. Detectives quickly determined Jeremy Best killed his wife and then kidnapped their son.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Zeke and obtained a warrant for Jeremy Best’s arrest, calling him “armed and very dangerous.”

Around 9:17 a.m. Dec. 2, 2023, a group of hunters east of Idaho Falls called the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office after they saw a man in a sleeping bag on the side of the road.

Left: Jeremy Best. Right: Zeke Best in Idaho. Inset: Jeremy Best (Teton County Sheriff’s Office).

“The caller stated the man was naked and making odd statements,” a press release said.

Deputies found the man and identified him as Jeremy Best before arresting him. Authorities said they located his black SUV nearby off the road and down in embankment. They found Zeke dead inside.

Kali Best’s cousin Meg Fischer previously told the local news outlets she enjoyed living in Idaho.

“She was called to the mountains and made her home there. She was a lover of animals, especially her dogs,” Fischer said. “Motherhood was her greatest joy and we assume she gave her life protecting her children. We love her endlessly.”