Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty to all counts in Idaho college murders case
Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to all counts in the killings of four Idaho college students sparing him from the death penalty, according to a letter sent to victims' family members.
Kohberger will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences and waives all right to appeal. A court hearing is scheduled for July 2.
The plea comes just weeks before Kohberger's trial was set to begin. Jury selection was set to start on Aug. 4 and opening arguments were scheduled for Aug 18.
Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the killings of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. The four victims were all stabbed to death in the girls' off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
MORE: Idaho college victims' friends recall moment they responded to home: 'You know something's wrong'
Two roommates inside survived, including one roommate who told authorities in the middle of the night she saw a man in black clothes and a mask walking past her in the house, according to court documents.
The shocking quadruple killings shook the small college town of Moscow and launched a nearly seven-week manhunt.
In December 2022, Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University at the time, was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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Fox News
33 minutes ago
- Fox News
Family of victim in Bryan Kohberger case say they were sent into 'panic mode' after plea deal
The family of Kaylee Goncalves — one of the victims of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger — said Monday they were sent "scrambling" and "jumped into panic mode" after Kohberger accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. Kohberger, 30, is accused of killing Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack on Nov. 13, 2022. Goncalves' 18-year-old sister, Aubrie, said she refuses to stay silent and reaffirmed her family support for the death penalty in this case. She said she was unable to attend the family's meeting with prosecutors in person to make her case. She said what the victims' families have endured since the murders is "beyond comprehension," pointing to delays and the relocation of proceedings that made it harder for loved ones to attend. She argued that the justice system has placed "heavy burdens" on people "already carrying unimaginable grief" but that they have attempted to hold on to hope. "We've believed in the process. We've had faith in the system. But at this point, it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth: the system has failed these four innocent victims and their families," Aubrie wrote on the family's Facebook page. "These are not just names or headlines. Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle were beautiful human beings who touched countless lives," she continued. "They are not just 'The Idaho Four.' They were sons, daughters, siblings, and friends—real people with real dreams. They deserve to be remembered for who they were in life, not only for the tragedy of their deaths. But before that can truly happen, they deserve justice. Nothing less." The introduction of the plea deal weeks before the scheduled trial is "both shocking and cruel," she said, adding that the families could have had time to "process, discuss and potentially come to terms with the idea of a life sentence" if it had come sooner. "Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world," she said. "Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever. That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the victims' pasts." She said the justice system "was created to serve and protect—not to retraumatize grieving families," adding: "time and time again, we find ourselves blindsided, unheard, and unsupported." "This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought," she said. "We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking—pleading—for a justice system that truly lives up to its name." The family said in another post that they vaguely spoke to prosecutors Friday about the possibility of a plea deal but that it was a "hard no" for them. They said the majority of the conversation was about the upcoming trial and nothing prepared them for the next steps. They said they received an email Sunday night that sent them "scrambling" and they "immediately jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails." The family met with the prosecution again on Monday to reiterate their support for Kohberger receiving the death penalty. "Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter," the family said. "We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder than anyone could EVER imagine." The four victims had all been stabbed multiple times with a large knife, according to prosecutors. Police recovered a Ka-Bar sheath that they allege had Kohberger's DNA on it near Mogen's body.
CNN
an hour ago
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The firefighters killed and injured in Sunday's attack had nearly 70 years combined experience. Here's what we know
Two firefighters were fatally shot and a third is seriously injured after investigators say a lone gunman opened fire on crews responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain Sunday, near Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. The now deceased suspect is believed to have started the fire intentionally to draw-in and target responding firefighters, officials have said. Within an hour of being deployed, firefighters reported being shot at as the blaze continued to burn. Various agencies, including the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Idaho State Police and Coeur d'Alene Police Department, were caught in an exchange of fire for about 90 minutes, according to Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris. The two firefighters killed in the fray have been identified as Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison. The injured firefighter has been identified as Coeur d'Alene Fire Department engineer Dave Tysdal, according to fire officials. He is in critical condition. 'This wasn't an event that we had trained for,' said Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Chief Tom Greif during a Monday news conference. 'We train every day for high risk, low frequency events that are dangerous in our profession, but we never imagined that we would be ambushed responding to a wildland incident at a command post,' Greif said. With nearly 70 years of fire fighting experience combined, Harwood, Morrison and Tysdal have left an indelible impact on the Coeur d'Alene community, fire officials said. Here's what we know: A member of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue for 17 years, Harwood was married and had two children, Chief Christopher Way said. Harwood was also a former Army National Guard combat engineer, Way said. 'Chief Harwood was a leader in our organization. He did an amazing job. He was a shift commander and he was well respected by his shift,' Way said Monday. 'This loss is felt by so many, including all of the members of his shift.' Morrison served with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department for more than 28 years and moved up the ranks in his department from firefighter to battalion chief, Greif said. 'These guys were hard workers,' said Gabe Eckert, President of the Coeur d'Alene Firefighter's union. 'They loved their families.' Eckert shared his final memory with Morrison during Monday's news conference, recalling a time when the pair smoked cigars during a rare lull at the fire station. 'We talked about being better fathers, we talked about being better leaders, talked about being better firefighters,' Eckert said. 'I just want to say I am so incredibly grateful that that gets to be my last memory with him.' An engineer with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Tysdal is recovering after undergoing two surgeries and is in critical condition, according to Greif. Tysdal has been an engineer with the fire department for 23 years, Grief said. 'We thank everyone for their love and support,' a family statement read by Greif said. 'Dave is surrounded by his family, and he is able to open his eyes and the two surgeries have gone well,' the statement added.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
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