Bryan Kohberger, a former criminology student, has admitted to murdering four University of Idaho students in their off-campus rental house in 2022. The 30-year-old was studying for a Ph.D. at Washington State University when he drove to the rental house in Moscow, Idaho. During a change of plea hearing, he confessed to killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, but provided no motive for his actions.
The victims’ families are set to confront Kohberger directly during the sentencing hearing, which will include victim impact statements. The plea deal, which requires him to forgo his right to appeal and forfeit potential sentence reductions, has divided some families. While some, including the parents of Chapin and the mothers of Kernodle and Mogen, support the deal on grounds of reducing trauma and legal appeals, others, including Goncalves’ father and President Trump, have urged for more accountability from Kohberger.
The prosecution is seeking the maximum punishment, which could include four consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole, along with an additional 10 years. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Mountain Time, and is expected to last for several hours. The emotional weight of the proceeding has been underscored by the survivors’ accounts, including a roommate who described hearing a masked intruder leave the scene. Kohberger’s only known physical evidence was a Ka-Bar knife sheath linked to Mogen’s body, with his DNA found on the snap.
With the families’ statements likely to play a pivotal role, the sentencing process will be deeply personal, reflecting both the gravity of the crime and the complex emotions of those left behind. As the proceedings unfold, the focus remains on how justice will be served for the victims and the community impacted by the tragedy.