THE CELL: Inside Negasi Zuberi’s Concrete Prison | Episode 3: The Reckoning

[0:05] Previously on True Crime Cases You Haven't Heard. [0:16] On July 15th, 2023, adult victim one escaped from a concrete cell after punching through a metal door until her hands were very bloody. We learned about A.B. 2, kidnapped on May 6 at an Irish pub in Klamath Falls. She reported to police. They didn't take her evidence. For two months, Zubiri perfected the cell. Multiple trips to Home Depot, almost 300 concrete blocks, five tons of concrete and construction materials. On july 16th in reno surrounded by police zubari cut himself bled profusely and tried to destroy his phone law enforcement reports captured his words i'm fucked but the story of how nagasi zubari reached that moment and what happened in the courtroom afterward, well, that reveals something even more disturbing. This is Episode 3, The Reckoning. [1:32] Before I get into that, Sarah from Cape Town, South Africa, sent in a question about Episode 2 that I think a lot of our international listeners have been wondering about. Maybe. She asked, AV2 reported her kidnapping to Klamath Falls Police in May 2023. What went wrong with the investigation? Why didn't it pursue? [1:58] Well, Sarah, here's the reality. According to trial testimony, AV2 felt local officers were reluctant to follow up. She had preserved her bloodied clothes and had visible facial injuries, and I don't believe the police took photos or collected the physical evidence. Officer Yelling attempted contact three days later, but the case didn't move forward. Now, these situations are emotionally difficult for everyone involved. The police may have been overworked, under-resourced, juggling multiple cases, multiple calls, AB2 was rightfully traumatized and on edge after what happened to her. Sometimes victims and law enforcement just miss each other in these critical moments. There's a lot going on all around. And it's a sad reality. I've seen it many times myself in the field. And that's exactly why immediate evidence collection protocols exist. To bridge that gap. When human connection fails. That two-month delay gave Zuberi time to finish building the cell. If you haven't heard Episode 2, it's worth going back now. Now, let's talk about what happened in the courtroom. [3:21] A quick note before we begin. Throughout this series, you'll hear me refer to Adult Victim 1 and Adult Victim 2, or AV1 and AV2. These designations can be confusing because they don't reflect the chronological order of the crimes. AV-2 was actually kidnapped first, on May 6, at an Irish pub in Klamath Falls, Oregon. AV-1 was kidnapped second on July 14, in Seattle, Washington. The numbers 1 and 2 refer to how the victims were identified in the legal case, not the order in which the kidnappings occurred. [4:07] I'm Steve Rode, former police dispatcher, surveillance photographer for law enforcement, and chief pilot for public safety search and rescue operations. A quick disclaimer. This final episode contains descriptions of prior sexual offenses, escape attempts, and the courtroom proceedings, including sentencing. The content may be disturbing for some. All case facts come from court documents and official records. For educational contacts, I feature Dr. Patricia Wells, a lovely person, but a fictional criminologist whose insights are based on established research and expert consultation. Feel free to download the case files at TrueCrimeUnheard.com. They're on the Episode 3 page. In Episodes 1 and 2, we covered the kidnappings of AV1 and AV2, the construction of the cell, and Zubiri's arrest. Today, we're going into the courtroom and into the darker history that the jury never heard during trial, but that prosecutors revealed at sentencing. This is the story of escalation, denial, and justice delivered. [5:25] What the jury never heard during the trial was that Nagasi Zubiri had a history of escalating sexual violence. In 2017, at age 23, court records show Zubiri 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 then beating her in a remote area of Alameda County. At that sentencing, a California judge said something that would prove prophetic. Let me give you a sense of what he told Zubiri from the bench. According to court records, the judge warned that he was concerned about Zubiri's pattern of behavior and that he feared something really, really bad might happen if Zubiri didn't change course. He told him directly that he saw troubling signs and urged him to wake up before you find yourself in a heap of trouble. Zuberi responded, No, sir, you won't. You will not. The judge replied, Time will tell. [6:44] As someone who's worked in public safety, I can tell you, when a judge makes a prediction like that from the bench, they're not guessing. They've got experience. They're warning. They're seeing something in the pattern that the system can't quite capture in sentencing guidelines That judge gave him two years And you know what? Time did tell Less than two years later, Zubiri would kidnap and sexually assault two 21-year-old women He would build a five-ton concrete cell He would create targets lists and research underground structures, I told our favorite series forensic criminologist, Dr. Patricia Wells, about that California sentencing in 2021. [7:31] Hey, what do you think about the judge warning that he feared something really, really bad might happen? Two years. He gave him two years. Until what? Until exactly what that judge predicted. [7:44] Steve, judges don't usually make prophecies like that. It's actually remarkable he was that explicit. What do you think he saw? Pattern without remorse. Two teenage victims, violence escalating, and when confronted, Zuberi said, No, sir, you won't. You will not. That's not remorse. That's defiance wearing a politeness costume. And look what happened next. Within two years, local assault, then kidnapping with interstate transport, then a five-ton concrete cell. Each crime informed the next. AV2 struggled in rigid handcuffs, so he bought leg irons for AV1. The cell wasn't done in May, so he improvised, then spent six weeks perfecting it for July. So Zuberi was learning, right? He was iterating. That's what makes the Judge Judy appearance so chilling. Four years before the cell, he seemed completely normal on national television going after his wife on Judge Judy. On television, he was articulate, presentable, and won his case. The problem is, a bad situation doesn't look like what people think it looks like until it's too late. If people have not heard him on television in episode one, they should go back and listen to it. [9:07] On August 2, 2023, according to court documents, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Zubiri with kidnapping and transporting a victim with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. On February 15th, 2024, a superseding indictment added a second kidnapping charge, charges for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, and an attempted escape charge. [9:42] The trial began in October 2024 at the James Redden U.S. Courthouse in Medford, Oregon. For eight days, according to press coverage and court filings, the jury heard testimony that would be difficult to forget. Both AV1 and AV2 took the stand. Both were 21 years old at the time of their ordeals. Both testified about the yellow and black taser. Both described being handcuffed at the wrists and ankles. Both said Zuberi claimed to be a police officer. And both testified he drove them to the garage at 1336 North El Dorado Avenue. Both testified they were sexually assaulted. Reporters in the courtroom noted that the jurors looked to be listening closely as the victims testified. At one point, prosecutors wheeled in the actual metal door, the same door AV1 had crawled through to escape. They wheeled it into the James Redden U.S. courthouse. When asked to identify her abductor, AV1 pointed to Zabiri. She described him as looking both young and old. [11:04] In his closing argument, according to trial transcripts, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Lichversick told the jury, quote, AV1 told you what Nagasi Zubiri did to her. AV2 told you what Nagasi Zubiri did to her, how they both got into the Honda Pilot and did not come out the same. The problem is not with the Honda Pilot. It's the man driving it, unquote. He detailed six core commonalities Yellow and black taser pointed straight at them Both said that Cuffed at the wrists Both said that Cuffed them both at the ankles Both said that Drove them both to the 1336 North El Dorado garage Both of them, Covered their faces with a sweatshirt backwards Both of them And raped them, He continued with 10 more similarities Both women were 21 years old, small in stature Both encounters occurred late at night He asked both their Zodiac signs He told them both he was a police officer, Both were told their cell phones wouldn't work Both saw him doing something with tinfoil. [12:26] Regarding Zabiri's behavior after AV-1's escape The assistant U.S. Attorney said, quote, You're seeing reality catch up with the man. You watch as he realizes he's left a dump truck of evidence behind him. He's desperate. He's caught red-handed. He's completely out of options, and he just can't even help it. He blurts it out, I'm fucked, unquote. [12:57] The prosecutors went on to say to the defense attorney, Berthoff, Mr. Berthoff talked about AV1 being sympathetic. How about powerful? She doesn't want Mr. Berthoff's sympathy. Neither does AV2. They were powerful. AV1 clawed her way out of that cell. It was her power that let her get out. The jury began deliberations at 12.15 p.m. on October 18th, 2024. By 4.45 p.m., they were back. Four and a half hours. For a complex federal case with eight days of testimony, multiple victims, evidence spanning multiple states, that's not just a verdict. That's a consensus that required almost no discussion. Guilty on all counts. [13:57] If you thought the story ended there, oh, you're wrong. Even behind bars, court filings reveal, Zuberi refused to accept his fate. On August 23rd, just over a month after his arrest, a jail employee at Jackson County Jail heard a tapping sound from outside the building. According to incident reports, deputies rushed to Zaberi's cell. He was standing on the top bunk by the window. Glass shards littered the bunk. Books covered the window. When deputies moved the books, they discovered the reinforced glass had been chipped and damaged. In the cell, reports state, deputies found a sandal with a large screw pushed through it, an improvised tool. The screw had been removed from the cell's desk. Zuberi was moved to a hard cell without exterior windows. [14:58] On November 8, 2024, less than a month after being found guilty, he tried again. Medical staff noticed a large hole in an interior window. According to incident reports, Zuberi had thrown a wheel from a mop bucket against it. Once it cracked, he kicked it with his heel to shatter it. Then he and another inmate used a broom handle to make the hole larger. When deputies inspected the inmates, only Zabiri had an injury A bleeding cut on his finger Blood was also found on his boxer shorts The mop wheel had a red substance on it, These escape attempts, prosecutors argued in sentencing memoranda Formed the basis for an obstruction of justice enhancement. [15:55] On January 17, 2025, the courtroom in Medford was packed, according to press coverage. FBI agents filled the gallery. Investigators from Klamath Falls Police and Oregon State Police took seats also. At least seven security personnel were present. And Susan P. was there. She had been one of the 12 jurors who convicted Zuberi in October. She had driven two hours each way during the eight-day trial. The verdict was delivered. She had no legal obligation to return for sentencing in January. But she came anyway. She needed closure. She needed to see justice completed. That's what civic participation looks like when it matters. All rise. [16:48] Judge Michael McShane called the proceedings to order. Zuberi, representing himself after waiving counsel, sat alone in orange jail scrubs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Sweet began, Quote, Your Honor, the violence he inflicted on women and his detailed plans to do so, His conduct was monstrous It was depraved It was demented It was cruel He put the victims through a nightmare Unquote. [17:21] Sweet detailed the timeline again, the methodical planning, the purchases, the construction. He showed the court photographs of the cell from Zuberi's own iCloud account. Then, referencing evidence the jury never heard, Sweet revealed the two prior convictions in detail. The California judge's warning. The two escape attempts. Photographs of damaged jail windows. Improvised tools. Blood on boxer shorts Sweet told Judge McShane Per transcripts Quote Your Honor We know that Nagasi Zubiri Was not done We know He was not finished He didn't build a cell Drive all the way to Seattle Kidnap AV1 Drive her all the way back And imprison her Just to drive back to Seattle And drop her off, Nagasi Zubiri's plan Was not done Unquote. [18:25] Sweet asked AV2 to address the court. The young woman stood. She'd chosen to stand, not sit. She told Judge McShane that writing her statement had taken a very long time, that she didn't know how to start or where to stop. Her friends and family had supported her decision whether to come forward or not, but she decided it felt unfair to everyone zubiri had or would hurt not to be there. [18:57] Quote, Mr. Zuberi took away my ability to feel remotely safe around people I'm unfamiliar with, people who should be safe, unquote. Well, that's what she said, according to her victim impact statement. She told the court that Zuberi had robbed her of her ability to feel safe around people. She'd cut her hair, hair he used like a leak to yank her around his vehicle. She stopped wearing makeup. She stopped going out alone, even to get her mail. Quote, after what this man did to me, I couldn't look in the mirror. Unquote, she said. Quote, I don't feel clean. I don't feel human. Unquote. She added that she can still recall the smell of his car. Sweet relayed, per her transcripts, that he had spoken with AB1, who had asked him to convey her hope for the sentence. She hoped he'd never walk the streets again. It's not safe for our society. [20:05] When it was Zuberi's turn to speak, court transcripts show he'd launched into denials and conspiracy theories. False victim one and false victim two have unbelievable and nonsensical stories, he said. However, they want to give me life in prison based on an illogical case. Then he made a bizarre claim. My former attorney, Amy Potter, whispered in my ear, It is politically correct that you are found guilty. Prison will be fine. I guess this means I'm a political prisoner of the political left. He continued with more accusations. The prosecutors are angry because I will not accept their unconditional guilty verdict. I will never accept it. It's nothing but lies. lies. Prosecutors noted Zubiri maintained a defiant tone throughout his statement until he broke down in tears talking about his two sons. When the prosecutor mentioned Zubiri using his son as a human shield during his arrest in Reno, Zubiri blurted out, objection, I didn't do this, that's a lie. All of these things are lies that's been said in this courtroom. Judge McShane remained calm throughout. [21:28] I asked our friend Dr. Wells about Zuberi's claim that the cell he built was really a music studio. A music studio. With reverse doors, double deadbolts, no interior handles, soundproofing. And two women who testified they were imprisoned inside it. You know, Judge McShane said, no one believes that except you. But does Zuberi actually believe it? That's the terrifying question. Either he knows he's lying, pure manipulation, or he genuinely believes it, fundamentally detached from reality. I honestly don't know which is worse. He claimed his attorney whispered, is it politically correct that you are found guilty? What do you think about that? Everyone's conspiring against him. His victims, his lawyers, the prosecutors, abstract political forces, everyone but himself. But why do you think he would maintain that at sentencing? I mean, the jury already convicted him. Because admitting guilt would require confronting what he actually is. And that's incompatible with how he sees himself. The Judge Judy version. Presentable, articulate, the wronged party. The denial isn't strategic anymore. It's structural. He can't acknowledge what he did because then he'd have to acknowledge what he is. Yeah, and then Judge McShane said... He simply cannot be in the community. [22:53] That's what matters. You can't rehabilitate someone who won't admit they have a problem. Two consecutive life sentences means there's no scenario, no parole hearing, no sentence reduction, no future legal change where he should ever be free. [23:13] Then Judge McShane spoke, according to court transcripts. He began by acknowledging what gave him hope. He said, it was the courage of both Adult Victim 1 and Adult Victim 2 who were willing to come forward under such difficult circumstances. I know it took a lot of courage to do so, especially with the threats that had been leveled against them. He spoke about Melissa Geary, the witness dressed as Rosie the Riveter where we began this story, the woman who stopped to help, the resident who was driving to a comic book convention when she saw a woman running towards her RAV4 along a residential road. If there's anything I would take away from this case that was positive in addition to remarkably good investigative work by law enforcement, it really is that the piece of the case where you realize that there are good people out there willing to help somebody in a desperate situation. And then his tone changed. [24:24] He said, that's about as far as my hopefulness goes in this case. Though, Mr. Zaberi, I'm not going to spend time trying to reason with you. It would be a ridiculous fool's errand to try to convince you that your assessment of this case is so far off. He addressed the music studio claim. That one note too high for his attorneys to sing. No one believes that was a music studio, except you. Judge McShane noted the pattern of escalation from sexually abusing a 16-year-old in 2017 to beating a 16-year-old in California in 2021 to kidnapping and imprisoning two 21-year-old women in 2023. And then he said this. The next step, I have no idea what it would be Well, I do I think almost everybody in this room would believe your next step was to murder the next victim Because you could not possibly keep leaving them around in cells in your house In the community, But that's never going to happen You simply cannot be in the community. [25:47] Then came the words that would define the rest of Zabari's life. He said, I am going to impose a life sentence on count one and three. They are consecutive to each other. Count two, 120 months consecutive to count one, and consecutive to count three. Counts four through six are 180 months each. They are consecutive to each other, and they're consecutive to counts one, three, and two. All sentences will be consecutive. Two life sentences running consecutively. Ten years for transportation. Fifteen years each on three firearm charges. All consecutive. All running one after another. Nagasi Zabiri would spend the rest of his life in federal prison. He showed no emotion as the sentence was delivered. [26:49] Outside the courthouse, Susan P., that juror, spoke to reporters. She said, I just can't believe how much in denial he is. She had driven two hours each way, a juror with no obligation to return. But she needed closure. She needed to see justice completed. The cell was deconstructed on July 24, 2023. It took a contractor and his son with a sledgehammer more than five hours to dismantle that cell. The materials were taken to the dump and weighed over 10,000 pounds. That five-ton concrete structure had been intended as a prison. Instead, it became evidence. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Shark said at a press conference, This woman was kidnapped, chained, sexually assaulted, and locked in a cinderblock cell. Police say she beat the door with her hands until they were bloody in order to break free. Her quick thinking and her will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare. [28:05] The handwritten plan found in Zabiri's bedroom said, make sure they don't have a bunch of people in their life. You don't want any type of investigation. But AV1 and AV2 did have people in their lives. Investigators who believed them. Prosecutors who fought for them. A judge who saw through the denial. A jury that weighed the evidence and delivered justice. And AV1 had a woman in a Rosie the Riveter costume who stopped her car and called 911. [28:39] But there are questions that still haunt this case. Quinn and June, two women whose names appeared on Zubiri's targets list alongside their work schedules. According to the documents I reviewed, there's no evidence they were ever contacted by investigators. No record of interviews, no victim statements, no testimony. Quinn, whose workplace Zubiri visited multiple times, in April of 2023, spending hours watching her work, spending over $70 over several visits, surveillance, shopping. June, whose name sat next to screenshots of her schedule, they were on a Predators shopping list. Do they know? Did anyone tell them? And then there's the high school student, the GPS tracker on her vehicle titled Operation One, the geofence around her house. I mean, Operation 1, not Operation Takeover. It was a different plan, a different numbered operation. So how many operations were there? [29:45] FBI agents stated Zuberi had committed sexual assaults in at least four other states. He lived in 10 states between 2016 and 2023. California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Utah, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Alabama, and Nevada. The FBI even set up a website asking anyone who believed they may have been a victim to come forward. As of this recording, that line, that page, is still active. Hopefully they're still receiving calls. [30:21] As an airplane search and rescue pilot, I've looked for missing people. I know what happens when someone disappears. I know how investigations work and how they fail. I know what the first 48 hours means, and I know what happens when those hours turn into days, and then weeks, and then months, and then go cold. [30:41] This case reminds us that predators plan and they calculate. They build infrastructure, they create targets lists They purchase tools, they construct cells They believe they can control every variable, But they cannot account for human will For survival instinct, for a woman who was locked inside Five tons of concrete And decides she will not die without a fight No, not today. [31:10] They cannot account for ordinary people who stop to help a stranger. Is that something you'd do? And they cannot account for the evidence they leave behind. Receipts, photographs, surveillance videos, GPS data, handwritten notes, all that electronic garbage that we all leave behind that will ultimately send them to prison for life. On January 17, 2025, when Judge McShane pronounced those consecutive life sentences, the message was clear to anyone who would hear it. Nagasi Zubiri would never hurt another woman again. That cell he built became his own prison. But somewhere in case files, there might be more names, more addresses, more women who don't know yet how close they came. If you have information about Nagasi Zubiri or believe you may have been a victim, the FBI tip line remains active. The number is 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also submit tips online at fbi.gov. [32:26] Your information could help identify other victims. Your voice could provide closure for someone else. To download the official source documents for this case, or to sign up for new episode alerts, visit truecrimeunheard.com. Next time, I've got a doozy for you. Be sure that you're following this podcast on the platform that you're listening on. And hey, leave this show a five-star review. It really helps others define this show. [33:02] The reason it's important to subscribe for email notifications is because you will get extra behind-the-scenes information that I don't present on the podcast. So, subscribe at truecrimeunheard.com. If you have questions about a case, feedback on the show, or just want to say hello, you know, truecrimeunheard.com is the place to go. You can use the comment form on this episode or the site contact form. I read all the comments and feedback. I read every single one. And I might feature your question in a future episode. Until next time, stay safe. Stay curious. Stay subscribed. I'm Steve Rode. See ya.