Attorney weighs in on family's rage after Kaylee Goncalves' sister scorches 'stupid, clumsy' killer Kohberger
The killer barely moved, not even when Stevenson told him to "sit up straight when I talk to you." She pressed on, taunting him with words the defense tried to have blocked from mention in the capital trial that his plea deal got him out of – calling him "Sociopath, psychopath, murderer."
"The truth is you're as dumb as they come. Stupid, clumsy, slow, sloppy, weak, dirty. Let me be very clear. Don't ever try to convince yourself you mattered just because someone finally said your name out loud. I see through you. You want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most. If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep in the middle of the night, like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f------ a--."
Kohberger pleaded guilty to killing the 21-year-old Goncalves and three of her close friends, Madison Mogen, also 21, and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. He offered no explanation or remorse.
"Based on what has come out since the sentencing, it is clear why the Goncalves family has been so angry. The manner in which their daughter was murdered, leaving her unrecognizable, has to be the worst pain parents can feel," said Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based criminal defense attorney whose former clients include Harvey Weinstein.
Moscow police documents, revealed for the first time Wednesday, described a grisly crime scene in greater detail than previously shared with the public.
Goncalves, who was asleep at the start of the attack, was "unrecognizable" when police found her remains in a bed next to Mogen, her best friend. Kohberger also dropped a Ka-Bar knife sheath near their bodies, which ultimately led to his arrest, thanks to a single-source DNA sample he had left on the snap.
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Kohberger waived his right to appeal or seek a sentence reduction and will never become eligible for parole under the sentence Judge Steven Hippler handed down after the plea deal. He avoided the death penalty and received four consecutive life sentences plus another 10 years.
The families were split over the deal, with Goncalves' camp fiercely opposed.
"I thought she was strong, I thought she was fierce and confident. Also brave," Rotunno said of Stevenson. "I think she knew he would not feel moved by the statements addressing who the victims were as people and what the families have lost out on. I think she knew the only way to get to him was try to make him small."
WATCH: Donna Rotunno, Ted Williams and Joshua Ritter react moments after Bryan Kohberger's sentencing
Kohberger looked smaller than he has in the past, with thin upper arms and a gaunt face as he sat in shackles and handcuffs.
Supporters in the gallery applauded when Stevenson stepped away from the mic. The court called a recess a few minutes later, after her mother also delivered a statement.
During the break, Brett Payne, one of the lead detectives on the case, gave Stevenson a supportive pat on the shoulder.
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