Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for the murders of four University of Idaho students, a crime that shocked the quiet college town of Moscow nearly three years ago.
Judge Steven Hippler ordered Kohberger to serve four life sentences without parole for four counts of first-degree murder in the brutal stabbing deaths. He was also given a 10-year sentence for burglary and assessed $270,000 in fines and civil penalties.
At the time of the killings, Kohberger was pursuing graduate studies in criminology at Washington State University, located just across the state line. Prosecutors say he entered the students’ rental house through a sliding kitchen door and murdered the four victims, with no apparent personal connection to any of them.
The case initially baffled investigators. With no suspects, fear spread quickly across the community. Many students from both Washington State and the University of Idaho opted to leave town mid-semester, shifting to remote classes amid growing anxiety about a killer still at large.
Investigators were eventually able to piece together events based on the sheath for a large knife recovered near Mogen’s body, containing a single trace of male DNA on its button snap. Surveillance footage also captured a white Hyundai Elantra circling the area around the house close to the time of the killings.
Utilizing genetic genealogy, authorities linked the DNA to Kohberger. Phone records placed him near the crime scene that night, and online purchase history revealed that he had previously bought a military-style knife and a matching sheath.
The sentencing hearing allowed the families of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves to speak publicly about the devastation they have endured since 13 November 2022, the day their loved ones were found fatally stabbed in an off-campus home.
Alivea Goncalves, sister to Kaylee, spoke directly to Kohberger and said: “You want the truth? Here’s the one you’ll hate the most. If you hadn’t attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your fucking ass.”
She went on to refer to Kohberger as “pathetic”. Her statement was met with a standing ovation from the courtroom.
Steve and Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee’s parents, were also among those who delivered victim impact statements. The Goncalves family had expressed disappointment in the past that Kohberger would not be facing the death penalty.
“The state is showing BK mercy by removing the death penalty. BK did not show Kaylee ANY mercy … If your 21yr old daughter was sleeping in her bed and BK went into her house with the intention to kill her and he did, by stabbing her MANY times, as well as beating her in the face and head while it was clear that she fought for her life ... what would you want?” Kristi had written on Facebook earlier this month, the day after the plea hearing for Kohberger.
Kristi told her daughter’s killer in court that “hell will be waiting” for him. “You are nothing. May you continue to live your life in misery. You are officially the property of the state of Idaho, where your fellow inmates are anxiously awaiting your arrival,” she said.
Scott Laramie, stepfather to Maddie Mogen, read a statement on behalf of himself and Karen Laramie, Mogen’s mother. “Karen and I are ordinary people, but we lived extraordinary lives because we had Maddie. Maddie was taken senselessly and brutally in a sudden act of evil,” he said. “Since Maddie’s loss, there’s emptiness in our hearts, home and family, an endless void.”
Laramie went on to say that the family supports the plea agreement because “society needs to be protected against this evil”.
Randy Davis, Xana Kernodle’s stepfather, addressed the other victims’ families, saying this was probably the last time they would all be gathered in the same room. “I love you all and I feel your pain,” he said.
He then addressed Kohberger directly, shaking while he spoke: “You’re gonna go to hell … you’re evil ... you took our children … you are gonna suffer, man.” He concluded by telling Kohberger to “go to hell”, a statement that was met with clapping.
Kim Kernodle, Xana Kernodle’s aunt, said in her statement: “This is probably gonna bother everybody, but Bryan, I’m here today to tell you I’ve forgiven you, because I could no longer live with that hate.”
She continued by telling Kohberger that “any time you want to talk and tell me what happened … I’m here, no judgment.”
After listening to the statements from victims’ families, Kohberger chose not to address the court, saying “I respectfully decline” when asked to speak.
Kohberger was taken into custody in Pennsylvania nearly six weeks after the slayings. During his arraignment, he declined to enter a plea, prompting the judge to do so on his behalf: not guilty.
The Latah county prosecutor Bill Thompson announced early on that he intended to pursue the death penalty. In response, Kohberger’s defense team, led by Anne Taylor, contested the reliability of the DNA evidence and asked repeatedly for the death penalty to be taken off the table.
These legal challenges proved unsuccessful as Kohberger ultimately agreed to plead guilty. In exchange, prosecutors dropped their pursuit of capital punishment.
The plea deal includes four life sentences to be served back-to-back, an additional 10-year sentence for burglary and a waiver of Kohberger’s right to appeal.
