Bryan Kohberger due in court today to plead guilty in Idaho college killings

Yahoo

3 days ago

Bryan Kohberger is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday to all counts in the killings of four University of Idaho students, despite the former criminology student's initial eagerness to be exonerated in the high-profile case.
Kohberger -- who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the 2022 killings of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin -- will be spared the death penalty as a part of the plea, according to a letter sent to victims' relatives.
He'll be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count, according to the agreement.
Kohberger will also waive all right to appeal, the agreement said.
The plea comes just weeks before Kohberger's trial was to get underway. Jury selection was set to start on Aug. 4 and opening arguments were scheduled for Aug 18.
Prosecutors -- who met with victims' families last week -- called the plea a "sincere attempt to seek justice" for the families.
MORE: Idaho victim's dad slams Kohberger plea deal: 'I can't pretend like I feel like this is justice'
But the dad of 21-year-old victim Kaylee Goncalves is blasting the move, accusing the prosecutors of mishandling and rushing the plea deal.
"At the least, justice starts with an interview of the families to ask them what justice is. And we didn't get that," Steve Goncalves told ABC News.
The Goncalves family told ABC News they contacted prosecutors on Tuesday asking for the terms of Kohberger's deal be amended to include additional requirements: they asked for a full confession and for the location of the alleged murder weapon -- described by authorities as a KA-BAR-style hunting knife -- which has never been found.
The family said prosecutors turned down the request, explaining that an offer already accepted by the defendant could not ethically be changed. The family said the prosecutors indicated they're asking the court to allow the prosecution to include a factual summary of the evidence against Kohberger at Wednesday's hearing, and that more information about Kohberger's actions would be presented at his sentencing hearing.
MORE: Idaho college victims' friends recall moment they responded to home: 'You know something's wrong'
The family of 20-year-old victim Ethan Chapin said in a brief statement that they'll be in Boise on Wednesday "in support of the plea bargain."
Idaho law requires the state to afford violent crime victims or their families an opportunity to communicate with prosecutors and to be advised of any proposed plea offer before entering into an agreement, but the ultimate decision lies solely with the prosecution.
Prosecutors anticipate sentencing to take place in late July, as long as Kohberger enters the guilty plea as expected on Wednesday, according to a letter prosecutors sent to victims' families. In the event Kohberger fails to enter the pleas, prosecutors indicated they are ready to proceed to trial in August, the letter said.
MORE: Idaho college victim's siblings remember arriving at crime scene: 'Not on this earth anymore'
Attorneys for the Kohberger family said in a statement on Tuesday, "The Kohbergers are asking members of the media for privacy, respect, and responsible judgment during this time. We will continue to allow the legal process to unfold with respect to all parties."
Prosecutors allege Kohberger fatally stabbed Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin in the students' off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Two roommates in the house survived, including one roommate who told authorities in the middle of the night she saw a man walking past her in the house, according to court documents. The roommate described the intruder as "not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows," according to the documents.
Kohberger, who was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at nearby Washington State University at the time of the crime, was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania in December 2022.
Defense lawyers have said Kohberger was driving around alone on the night of the murders.
ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams said Kohberger may have agreed to the plea because the defense has lost numerous arguments to the judge.
MORE: Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty to all counts in Idaho college murders case
"The defense had tried to get the death penalty taken off the table again and again, and they kept losing. Most recently, they tried to point the finger at other possible suspects," but the judge rejected that argument, citing a lack of evidence, Abrams told "Good Morning America" on Tuesday.
With the prosecution's DNA evidence, video evidence and cellphone records, the defense was faced with "a pretty bad case in the end," Abrams said.
A key piece of evidence against Kohberger is his DNA, which was found on a knife sheath left by one of the victim's bodies, prosecutors said. Kohberger's defense attorneys sought to exclude DNA evidence, but the judge denied their request.
"You put it all together and it was tough to figure out exactly where the defense was gonna go with this," Abrams said.