Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death, has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in a deal that will allow him to avoid the death penalty.
According to a letter sent to the victims’ families, prosecutors will drop their pursuit of capital punishment in exchange for Kohberger’s guilty pleas. The 30-year-old will instead receive four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. A formal plea hearing is scheduled for July 2, and Kohberger has reportedly waived all rights to appeal.
Kohberger had been set to stand trial later this month for the November 13, 2022, killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Investigators believe at least some of the victims were asleep when the attack began.
Kohberger, a criminology graduate student at the time, was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022 and extradited to Idaho to face charges.
The decision to accept a plea deal has left some families outraged. The Goncalves family, who lost 21-year-old Kaylee in the attack, voiced their anger in a Facebook post shortly after the announcement.
“It’s true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.”
Kohberger’s legal team had long sought to eliminate the death penalty from the case. They argued that Idaho’s death penalty procedures, including prolonged time spent on death row and the state’s methods of execution, amount to cruel and unusual punishment. The defense also cited violations of international human rights treaties that ban the torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners.
While the plea deal spares the state a potentially lengthy and emotionally exhausting trial, it has also reignited debate over justice, closure, and whether life in prison is a fitting punishment for one of the most shocking mass murders in recent memory.
