Bryan Kohberger, the 30-year-old charged with the brutal 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, has agreed to a plea deal that would spare him the death penalty and likely bring an end to a long and emotionally fraught legal process.
According to a source familiar with the arrangement, Kohberger will plead guilty to four counts of murder in exchange for prosecutors dropping their pursuit of capital punishment. The plea was confirmed by Shanon Gray, the attorney representing the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves. A court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
The announcement came via a letter sent to victims’ families, catching many off guard and sparking outrage. In a Facebook post, the Goncalves family called the development “very unexpected” and expressed anger at state prosecutors:
“They have failed us. Please give us some time,” the post read.
In a statement shared with CNN, the family added,
“We weren’t even called about the plea; we received an email with a letter attached. After more than two years, this is how it concludes—with a secretive deal and a rushed attempt to close the case without any input from the victims’ families.”
Legal Setbacks for the Defense
The plea deal follows a series of setbacks for Kohberger’s defense team. Last week, the judge denied their request to delay the trial and dismissed an attempt to suggest an alternate perpetrator theory, calling the evidence “rank speculation.” The court had previously rejected an alibi defense due to a lack of corroboration regarding Kohberger’s whereabouts at the time of the murders.
Initially set for trial in August, Kohberger’s case had already faced repeated delays over disputes involving evidence and witnesses. The trial was ultimately moved from Latah County to Boise due to concerns about a fair jury pool.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kohberger would serve life in prison without the possibility of parole and waive his right to appeal, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,” read the letter from Moscow Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson. “This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction appeals.”
The 2022 Murders
Kohberger, a former PhD student in criminology at Washington State University, was arrested in January 2023 and charged with killing four University of Idaho students: Ethan Chapin, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21.
The victims were found stabbed to death in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on the morning of November 13, 2022. Investigators believe the killings occurred between 4:00 a.m. and 4:25 a.m.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania more than a month later. DNA evidence collected from a knife sheath found near one of the victims—along with forensic genealogy tracing—led authorities to him. Additional evidence included cellphone records and surveillance footage of a white Hyundai Elantra, a vehicle matching Kohberger’s.
Defense attorneys previously argued Kohberger was out driving alone that night and mentioned his autism diagnosis as part of their effort to avoid the death penalty.
Survivors and Aftermath
Two surviving roommates were expected to testify at trial. One, Dylan Mortensen, told investigators she saw a masked man with “bushy eyebrows” in the house that night. She and Bethany Funke called 911 the next day when they were unable to reach their roommates.
Audio from the 911 call captured heavy breathing, crying, and confusion. The call reported Kernodle as “unconscious,” and responding officers found her and Chapin dead on the second floor. Goncalves and Mogen were found upstairs in bed, both with visible stab wounds.
Families Still Seeking Justice
In another Facebook statement, Kaylee Goncalves’ sister, Aubrie, wrote:
“They were sons, daughters, siblings, and friends—real people with real dreams. They deserve to be remembered for who they were in life, not just for the tragedy of their deaths. But before that can truly happen, they deserve justice.”
Despite the plea deal potentially closing a painful chapter, several families feel blindsided by the process. Gray, the Goncalves family attorney, criticized the timing of the plea hearing, saying families were only given a day’s notice to travel to Boise.
CNN reached out to the families of the other victims—Chapin, Kernodle, and Mogen—for comment. Prosecutors declined to speak due to a gag order still in effect.
Kohberger is expected to officially change his plea to guilty on Wednesday.
