BOISE, Idaho (AP) — More than two years after the shocking murders of four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger, the former criminal justice doctoral student charged in the killings, is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in a deal to avoid the death penalty.
Kohberger, arrested in late 2022, agreed to the plea deal just weeks before his trial was set to begin. His attorneys had unsuccessfully tried to remove the death penalty as a sentencing option.
The plea agreement has drawn mixed reactions from the victims’ families.
“Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world,” wrote Aubrie Goncalves, sister of victim Kaylee Goncalves, on Facebook. “Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever.”
The murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen stunned the small community of Moscow, Idaho, where there had been no homicides in five years. The victims were attacked while likely asleep on Nov. 13, 2022, some suffering defensive wounds.
Investigators linked Kohberger to the crime through surveillance footage of his car, genetic genealogy matching his DNA to a knife sheath at the scene, and cellphone data tracking his movements near the victims’ home. Online purchases revealed he bought a military-style knife and sheath months before the killings.
No clear motive has been identified, and it remains unclear why two roommates in the home were spared.
Kohberger, who was studying at Washington State University, is scheduled to appear before Judge Steven Hippler in Boise at 11 a.m. MDT Wednesday. If the plea deal is approved, sentencing could happen in July.
The Goncalves family opposes the deal unless it forces Kohberger to fully confess and reveal the murder weapon’s location. Meanwhile, Ethan Chapin’s family supports the plea, seeking closure.
Ben Mogen, father of victim Madison Mogen, told CBS News he felt relief:
“We can actually put this behind us… We get to just think about the rest of our lives and have to try and figure out how to do it without Maddie and the rest of the kids.”
