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Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty In 2022 University Of Idaho Student Murders, Avoiding Death Penalty

July 2, 2025
01:55 PM
4 min read
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Kohberger reportedly accepted a plea deal to serve four consecutive life sentences.

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July 2, 2025

01:55 PM

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NewsBryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty In 2022 University Of Idaho Student Murders, Avoiding Death PenaltyByZachary Folk, Forbes Staff

AuthorJul 02, 2025, 01:55pm EDTJul 02, 2025, 04:50pm EDTToplineBryan Kohberger agreed to plead guilty Wednesday to murdering four University of Idaho students in November 2022, accepting a plea deal that will see him avoid the death penalty in exchange for multiple life sentences without the possibility for appeal

Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho before changing his plea to

Associated PressKey FactsKohberger pleaded guilty to five criminal charges including burglary and four counts of first-degree homicide

Kohberger agreed to serve a 10-year sentence for burglary, three consecutive life sentences for the murder charges, and agreed not to advocate for a lesser sentence

When asked if he understood the plea agreement, charges, and penalties Kohberger responded in single-word answers of “yes,” and said “no” when the judge asked if he was not threatened or mised leniency for his plea

Before the hearing, Kohberger signed a document confirming the written factual basis of the case, admitting to entering the Idaho and killing each victim, then confirmed each charge to District Judge Steven Hippler with a calm answer of “yes. ”Kohberger’s trial was scheduled to begin in August, and secutors said they were seeking the death penalty

A Facebook post reportedly from the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves first confirmed the rumors, while admonishing the state of Idaho for offering the deal

Hippler maintained the gag order on Kohberger’s full plea deal until his sentencing

How Did The Victims’ Families React

A Facebook post reportedly from the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves first confirmed the rumors, while admonishing the state of Idaho for offering the deal

Steve Goncalves, her father, later echoed this sentiment on the “Today Show,” telling the hosts "Idaho has failed

They failed my whole family. " At least one other parent, Xana Kernodle’s father, confirmed to the New York Times in a statement that he disagreed with the plea deal

However, victim Madison Mogen’s father said Kohberger’s apaching trial was a “nightmare” for his family

After the hearing Wednesday, an attorney for Mogen’s family said the family “100%” supported the plea agreement. “While we know there are some who do not support it, we ask that they respect our belief that this is the best outcome for the victims, their families and the state of Idaho,” they wrote

Hippler said the victims’ families would have a chance to make statements at Kohberger’s sentencing hearing, which was scheduled for July 23

TangentJudge Hippler condemned what he said were numerous messages sent to him and the court, which he called "extraordinarily disruptive for court staff. ” The case attracted considerable media attention, and the court received a deluge of s from the public after the plea deal was first reported. “The court is not supposed to, and this court will never, take into account public sentiment in making an opinion in its judicial opinion in cases,” Hippler said. “I have not read any of the numerous messages, or listened to any of the numerous voics, sent to me and my staff

It is not appriate, and frankly not something I would take into account when deciding a case this. ” Hippler also reminded observers that he cannot, as a judge, require a secutor to seek the death penaltyKey BackgroundThe bodies of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, were discovered on November 13, 2022 in an off-campus apartment the women d

Kohberger, a criminology graduate student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, was arrested over one month later in Pennsylvania

Investigators identified Kohberger, 30, as the suspect through DNA evidence left on a knife sheath at the crime scene, as well as cell phone GPS data that placed him as the ly driver of a Hyundai Elantra seen near the site of the murders in Moscow, Idaho

A judge entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf, after he stood silent when asked to enter a plea

At the hearing on Wednesday, Latah County secuting Attorney Bill Thompson laid out the facts of the case his office was prepared to present, revealing new details the extensive investigation

Investigators managed to compile significant amounts of footage of Kohberger’s Hyundai Elantra from surveillance cameras at local es, returning to the area of the off-campus apartment 23 times before the murders

Thompson said Kohberger made efforts to conceal the crime, including applying for Washington state license plates and attempting to erase his purchase of a KA-BAR knife from his Amazon account

This is a story and will be d

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