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📚 Episode 3 of 3: “The Cell” Series
This is the final episode. Catch up on the complete story:
- Episode 1: The Escape – Adult Victim 1 punches through a metal door
- Episode 2: The Blueprint – Building the concrete cell
- Episode 3: The Reckoning – You are here
The Final Chapter
When Adult Victim 1 punched through a metal door with her bare hands and climbed a fence to freedom on July 15, 2023, she set in motion a reckoning that would expose a decade-long pattern of violence.
In this final episode of our three-part series on Negasi Zuberi, we take you inside the federal courtroom where justice was finally delivered. But what the jury never heard during trial—and what prosecutors revealed at sentencing—changed everything.
Important Note: Throughout this series, we refer to Adult Victim 1 (AV1) and Adult Victim 2 (AV2). These designations don’t reflect the chronological order of the crimes. AV2 was kidnapped first on May 6, 2023, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. AV1 was kidnapped second on July 14, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. The numbers refer to how victims were identified in the legal case.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The disturbing history the jury never heard during trial
- Prior convictions dating back to 2017 and a judge’s prophetic warning
- What went wrong with the Klamath Falls police investigation
- Victim impact statements that brought federal marshals to tears
- The sentencing that ensures Zuberi will never walk free again
- How systemic failures gave him time to finish building the cell
- The moment justice finally caught up
A History of Violence
What the jury never heard during the trial was that Negasi Zuberi had a history of escalating sexual violence that prosecutors would reveal only at sentencing.
In 2017, at age 23, court records show Zuberi was convicted of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl. He received probation.
Four years later, in 2021, he was convicted in California of assault for soliciting sex from another 16-year-old girl and beating her in a remote area of Alameda County.
⚖️ The Judge’s Warning: At that 2021 sentencing, a California judge told Zuberi directly that he was concerned about the pattern of behavior and feared something “really, really bad” might happen if Zuberi didn’t change course. The judge urged him to “wake up before you find yourself in a heap of trouble.”
Two years later, that warning would prove prophetic.
The Investigation That Fell Through
On May 6, 2023, Adult Victim 2 escaped from Zuberi after being kidnapped at an Irish pub in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She reported the kidnapping to police immediately.
According to trial testimony, AV2 felt local officers were reluctant to follow up. She had preserved her bloodied clothes and had visible facial injuries. Court records indicate that officers did not take photos or collect the physical evidence that day.
Officer Young attempted contact three days later, but the case didn’t move forward. That two-month delay gave Zuberi the time he needed to finish building the concrete cell that would imprison Adult Victim 1.
💔 The Cost of Delay: Between May and July 2023, Zuberi made multiple trips to Home Depot purchasing 286 concrete blocks and five tons of construction materials. The cell he was perfecting would trap his next victim.
Inside the Courtroom
In January 2025, the federal trial began. Zuberi faced charges for both kidnappings—Adult Victim 2 in May and Adult Victim 1 in July 2023.
The jury heard about the concrete cell. They heard about the bloody escape. They heard about the arrest in Reno, Nevada, where Zuberi cut himself and tried to destroy his phone, telling officers “I’m fucked.”
But they didn’t hear about the 2017 conviction. They didn’t hear about the 2021 assault. They didn’t hear about the judge’s warning that something “really, really bad” would happen.
That evidence would be saved for sentencing.
The Verdict
The jury deliberated. On all counts—interstate kidnapping, transportation for criminal sexual activity, conspiracy—they returned the same verdict:
GUILTY
But the story wasn’t over. The most powerful testimony was yet to come.
Victim Impact: The Voices That Mattered Most
At sentencing, prosecutors revealed Zuberi’s full history. Adult Victim 1 and Adult Victim 2 both delivered impact statements.
According to court observers, their testimony was so powerful that federal marshals in the courtroom were visibly moved to tears.
These were not just victims. They were survivors who had fought back, escaped, and lived to see justice delivered.
🎙️ From the Podcast: “When Adult Victim 1 stood in that courtroom and spoke about punching through steel until her hands were bloody, she wasn’t just telling her story. She was speaking for every victim who Zuberi had hurt, every warning that had been ignored, every system that had failed.” — Steve Rhode, host
The Sentence: Justice Delivered
The federal judge considered everything: the escalating pattern, the ignored warnings, the concrete cell, the violent assaults, the trauma inflicted on two women who fought for their lives.
The sentence was clear and unequivocal:
LIFE IN FEDERAL PRISON
Negasi Zuberi will spend the rest of his life behind bars. No parole. No second chances. No more victims.
This is what justice looks like when the system finally works.
The Systemic Questions That Remain
Even as justice was delivered, questions linger:
- What if the 2021 warning had been heeded? Could intervention have prevented the 2023 kidnappings?
- What if Klamath Falls police had collected evidence? Would Adult Victim 1 have been spared?
- How many other cases fall through similar cracks? What changes need to happen?
These aren’t questions with easy answers. But they’re questions we must ask.
📄 Download Official Case Files
Read the court documents, FBI affidavits, and trial transcripts yourself. All source materials are available for free.
📥 Download Case FilesAll details in this episode come from official court documents and verified public records.
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🎯 Key Takeaways from Episode 3:
- Prior convictions matter. Zuberi had been convicted twice before—in 2017 and 2021.
- Warnings were ignored. A California judge predicted something “really, really bad” would happen.
- Systemic delays have consequences. The two-month gap gave Zuberi time to finish the cell.
- Survivors’ voices are powerful. Victim impact statements brought federal marshals to tears.
- Justice was delivered. Life ensures Zuberi will never harm anyone again.
💬 Share Your Thoughts
Have questions about this case or any case we’ve covered? Want to suggest an overlooked case for a future episode? We read every message, and your question might be featured at the start of a future episode.
About the Host: Steve Rhode
Steve Rhode brings real-world public safety experience to True Crime Cases You Haven’t Heard:
- Police Dispatcher: Two years taking emergency 911 calls
- Surveillance Photography: Worked directly with local law enforcement
- Chief Pilot: Public safety search and rescue operations for police, fire, and state departments
“I’ve seen firsthand how the system works—and how it sometimes doesn’t. These stories matter because the people in them matter.” — Steve Rhode
About Dr. Patricia Wells
Dr. Patricia Wells is a fictional character created for educational context. Her insights are based on established criminological research, expert consultation, and academic literature on behavioral patterns, criminal psychology, and systemic analysis.
All case facts come exclusively from court documents, trial transcripts, law enforcement reports, and verified public records. Dr. Wells’ commentary provides research-based context to help listeners understand the patterns and systems involved in these cases.
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✉️ Sign Up for Alerts📻 More from This Series:
Episode 1: The Escape
Adult Victim 1 wakes up in a concrete cell. No windows. No light. A metal door she can’t open. Then she does something that changes everything—she fights back.
Listen to Episode 1 →Episode 2: The Blueprint
Two months before Adult Victim 1’s escape, another woman reported a kidnapping to Klamath Falls police. Evidence wasn’t collected. That delay gave Zuberi time to perfect his concrete cell.
Listen to Episode 2 →