Bryan Kohberger May End Up in Max Security Prison with Chad Daybell or Facility in Middle of Arizona Desert

Bryan Kohberger may soon find himself serving out his life sentences in the same maximum-security prison as another infamous Idaho killer—Chad Daybell.

The 30-year-old former criminology student is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23 after pleading guilty earlier this month to four counts of murder and one count of burglary. In exchange, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. Kohberger will receive four fixed life sentences, meaning he will never be eligible for parole.

Given the severity of his crimes, he is expected to be housed at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI) in Kuna, just outside Boise. The facility is the state’s highest-security prison and can accommodate roughly 549 inmates, according to the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC).

Inmates at IMSI are typically classified as “close custody” or “administrative segregation,” per IDOC guidelines. “Close custody” is reserved for prisoners serving long sentences, with a history of escape or serious disciplinary issues. Kohberger’s sentencing would place him in that category.

However, even if Kohberger is placed at IMSI, it’s unlikely he’ll have much interaction with Chad Daybell.

Daybell, who was sentenced to death in 2024 for the murders of his wife and his new partner’s two children, is on death row and being held in solitary confinement, as required for all condemned inmates in Idaho. IMSI is also home to the state’s execution chamber.

While IMSI is the most probable destination for Kohberger, there’s still a possibility he could be sent out of state. The IDOC has an active contract with the Saguaro Correctional Center (SCC) in Arizona, where other high-profile Idaho inmates—such as Majorjon Kaylor, who murdered four of his neighbors in 2023—are currently serving their sentences. Due to the nature of Kohberger’s crimes, the state may decide to relocate him to that facility instead.

Before his final placement, Kohberger will spend approximately two weeks at the IDOC’s reception and diagnostic unit, where he’ll undergo physical and psychological evaluations, as well as educational assessments.

Kohberger has been in custody for 915 days, beginning with his extradition to Idaho from Pennsylvania in January 2023. In September, he was transferred to the Ada County Jail after a judge approved his request to move the trial out of Latah County. That trial, initially expected to begin in August 2025, will no longer proceed due to his recent plea deal.

Kohberger now faces three more weeks at Ada County Jail before officially learning where he will spend the rest of his life.