Multiple life terms issued without parole
Bryan Kohberger has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of four University of Idaho students. The sentencing includes consecutive life terms for each victim and an additional 10-year sentence for a related burglary charge.
The decision follows Kohberger’s guilty plea as part of a deal that removed the death penalty from consideration. The 30-year-old also received a $50,000 fine and a $5,000 civil penalty for each death. He waived his right to appeal or seek leniency.
Victims’ families express grief and lasting trauma
The victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—were all in their early twenties. At the sentencing hearing, survivors and family members delivered emotional statements highlighting their loss and ongoing trauma, and questioning the motive behind the killings.
Dylan Mortensen, one of the surviving roommates, described the psychological impact of the attack, including panic attacks, anxiety, and a lasting sense of fear. She recalled being just 19 at the time and now living with heightened vigilance.
Some family members chose not to address Kohberger directly. Others, like Steve Goncalves, father of one victim, confronted him, stating that the global attention was about honoring the victims—not the accused.
Case background and evidence trail
The murders occurred on November 13, 2022, at an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. The victims had returned home after a night out. Roommates later discovered the scene and alerted authorities.
Investigators connected Kohberger to the crime using surveillance footage, cellphone data, and DNA evidence. A knife sheath found next to one of the victims contained DNA that matched a sample from trash collected at Kohberger’s family home in Pennsylvania.
At the time of the incident, Kohberger was a Ph.D. criminology student at Washington State University, located near the University of Idaho. He was arrested weeks later and extradited to Idaho to face charges.
Now convicted, Kohberger will remain in prison for the rest of his life.
