The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the four University of Idaho students murdered in November 2022, says they are working to refund more than $85,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign that launched during Bryan Kohberger’s trial.
Kohberger, the man accused of killing Kaylee, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, recently accepted a plea deal—avoiding the death penalty by pleading guilty to four counts of murder. The deal has left Kaylee’s family devastated and angry.
The GoFundMe campaign raised $85,583 before it was closed, and Kaylee’s father, Steve Goncalves, told TMZ the family doesn’t want to keep the money under false pretenses. “I won’t bait and switch these beautiful people like [Latah County Prosecutor] Bill Thompson did to our family,” he said.
‘Please Give Me Time’
The Goncalves family shared a lengthy emotional post on their Facebook page explaining their frustration with the plea deal and the overwhelming challenge of returning donations.
“I’m sorry if you don’t agree with our recent decisions,” the post read. “BK [Kohberger] is too afraid to die, but he wasn’t afraid to kill. He was offered mercy. Kaylee was not.”
The family expressed their belief that Kohberger deserved not just life in prison, but life on death row—a punishment they feel more fitting given the brutality of the crime.
Addressing critics who have accused them of seeking vengeance rather than justice, the family responded:
“If your 21-year-old daughter was sleeping in her bed and BK broke in and stabbed her many times… would you want justice or vengeance? Maybe a little of both?”
On Returning the Donations
As public conversation around the GoFundMe intensified, the family assured donors that they are committed to returning the funds. However, the process is complicated now that the money has already been deposited into their personal bank account.
“Please give me time to figure out the best way to do this,” they wrote. “I can’t just ask GoFundMe to reimburse everyone. Steve and I need a few days alone to process what just happened.”
The post ended with a plea for compassion and patience:
“It is so hard to describe what we’re going through. It is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Please give us some grace. I promise—we won’t skip town.”
