VICTOR, Idaho — 48-year-old Jeremy Best pleaded not guilty to the murders of his pregnant wife and infant son on Wednesday.
Best is facing three counts of murder in the first degree and three enhancements for the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon during the commission of a crime. During an arraignment via Zoom, Best's attorney, John Archibald, entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Best garnered attention on Nov. 30 of 2023, when police arrived to his house in Victor and found his wife, 38-year-old Kali Jean Best, dead. The Teton County Coroner confirmed Kali was 28 weeks pregnant when she died. The following day police issued an AMBER Alert for the couple's 10-month-old son, Zeke. Police said Best was likely "armed and very dangerous".
On Dec. 2, Best was found east of Idaho Falls by hunters in a sleeping bag on the side of the road. According to a news release, he was supposedly "naked and making odd statements". When police arrived, they found Best's car in a nearby embankment. Zeke was found dead in the area near the vehicle.
The criminal indictment says Best killed his 10-month-old son Zeke by “inflicting an injury on Zeke Gregory Best’s neck using a knife and thereby causing his death.” It's still unclear where or when Zeke died. The court document also says Best shot his wife and unborn son.
After his arrest, Best appeared shirtless for his first court appearance via Zoom from jail. It was at that time the court ordered a mental competency evaluation. Best was found competent on Dec. 22.
Best faces up to life in prison or the death penalty for the murder charges. The prosecution has not announced whether they will seek the death penalty in this case.
A status conference has been set for March 14 at 1 p.m. in Teton County.
Meanwhile, Best is being held in jail without bond.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.