Kaylee Goncalves’ Dad Has Been Outspoken About Idaho Murders — But Says 1 Aspect Must Remain ‘Close to the Chest’

Steve Goncalves, father of one of the University of Idaho murder victims, has voiced his concerns about the possible release of graphic crime scene photos and autopsy reports, stressing that certain details should remain private to honor the victims and their families.

Speaking on NewsNation’s Banfield on Wednesday, Aug. 6, Goncalves shared that families were consulted about which records they felt comfortable having made public, with some materials considered too distressing to share.

“No, they asked us about the toxicology report after we got that, we said we didn’t care,” he explained. “The autopsies of some, others wanted to keep that, and I understand that has, you know, injury-by-injury write-ups, so it’s pretty gruesome. So those are the ones that we were, I think that’ll be the last one that we really will try to keep close to the chest.”

Goncalves emphasized that while some documents might be acceptable to release, others—like crime scene photos—should remain sealed. “Yeah, I believe all families have let that be known to the prosecuting team, that’s not anything that we’re interested in, and we’ve been worried that we would see those leaked at any time when you had certain stories and things leaked since the very beginning,” he said.

“We’re afraid that we’d wake up one morning and that may be on, you know, might be on TV,” Goncalves added.

He made clear how deeply personal this issue is for him and the other families. “You don’t get that those are our children, and we’re not settling for that type of thing. I hope that we can give these kids some dignity, and we don’t have to go there.”

Kaylee Goncalves, 21, was one of four college friends — along with Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20 — who were brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

The discussion over which case documents should remain sealed has grown more intense since 30-year-old Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders last month, avoiding a trial and the death penalty. Kohberger was sentenced on July 23 to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. The former criminology student declined to offer any insight into his motive.

At the sentencing, the Goncalves family was among several who delivered victim impact statements. They had previously expressed frustration over Kohberger not receiving the death penalty and the family never getting an explanation for why he killed their daughter.

Judge Steven Hippler described Kohberger as “the worst of the worst” without any redeeming qualities, calling his actions that night an “unfathomable, senseless act of evil” and “the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted upon a person,” PEOPLE previously reported.