BOISE, Idaho – Accused quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger has pleaded guilty to all five counts against him.
Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder for the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen.
The University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in an off-campus home in November 2022.
Kohberger has maintained his innocence for the last 31 months. He was scheduled to go to trial in August.
Monday, news broke that the prosecution and defense had struck a plea deal, with Kohberger pleading guilty and the death penalty being removed as a possible punishment.
Kohberger instead agrees to serve four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. He’ll also serve 10 years in prison for the burglary charge for breaking into the home.
In court Wednesday, Kohberger acknowledged he understands the charges and the penalties and that no one coerced or threatened him in exchange for the plea.
“Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty,” the judge asked.
“Yes,” Kohberger replied.
The defense cannot argue for a lower sentence.
Kohberger also waives his right to appeal.
The judge could still lower the sentence later, but the defense cannot ask him to do so.
Judge Hippler set the sentencing for July 23rd.
The victims’ families were split on support of the deal.
The Chapin and Mogen families expressed support of the deal before the hearing. The Goncalves family was vocally opposed.
Outside of the courtroom before the hearing began, Kaylee’s father Steve stood on the courthouse steps and said “they made a deal with the devil.”
In recent weeks, Kohberger’s defense team has lost significant motions, including a motion to delay the trial and a motion to present information about possible “alternate perpetrators.”
Judge Steven Hippler struck down both motions.
Before formally entering his plea, Kohberger heard prosecutor Bill Thompson recite the case against him, from the time he bought the knife in Pennsylvania in March 2022 until the morning of the murders in November.
Kohberger sat expressionless as Thompson recited the evidence against him, looking at Thompson throughout from the defense table.
Thompson did not present anything that had not been previously reported and did not indicate any previous connection between Kohberger and the victims.
He did say Kohberger killed Kaylee and Madison first, leaving the sheath from the knife near Madison’s body.
Kohberger’s DNA matched the DNA found on the sheath.
Thompson said Xana was still awake on the second floor of the King Road home and encountered Kohberger.
He killed her, then found Ethan sleeping in Xana’s bedroom and killed him.
Thompson said there’s no indication of any sexual assault.
The prosecutor referenced Kohberger’s vehicle being seen on surveillance cameras at the scene of the crime and as he re-entered the City of Pullman after the murders.
He also spoke of the selfie Kohberger took after the murders, back at his apartment in Pullman.
Thompson detailed how law enforcement officers tracked Kohberger to his parents’ home in Pennsylvania in December of 2022 and how they pulled the family’s garbage and matched DNA on a Qtip to the father of whoever’s DNA was found on the knife sheath.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania and a DNA match taken from Kohberger again matched the knife sheath.
The murder weapon has never been found.
Thompson says when law enforcement searched Kohberger’s car in Pennsylvania, they said it had been “meticulously cleaned.”
They say Kohberger had a plan to clean the crime scene and even referenced an academic paper he wrote about crime scenes.
‘Highly Inappropriate’
Before accepting the change of plea, Judge Hippler spoke about the Goncalves’ family encouraging people to call him to reject the plea deal.
Hippler admonished that effort, saying it was disruptive to the court staff and other cases.
“It’s also highly inappropriate,” Judge Hippler said. “This court will never take public sentiment into account… the court will always make decisions on where the facts and the law lead. Period.”
He said he hasn’t listened to the voicemails or emails, but instead has forwarded those to court security.
Hippler also apologized to all of the families for how quickly this plea agreement came together.
He said, like others, he did not know of the plea agreement until Monday afternoon.
Hippler said once he knew of the plea deal, he wanted to get this hearing set as quickly as possible because of the administrative process that was ahead if the case were to go forward.
A non-dissemination order (gag order) in the case will remain in place at least until the sentencing.
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