Victim's sister rips into Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger: 'You're as dumb as they come, stupid, clumsy, slow'
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'Don't ever try to convince yourself you mattered just because someone finally said your name out loud,' said Alivea Goncalves, as she tore into Kohberger.
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Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin were all stabbed to death while they slept in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. Six weeks later, police arrested Kohberger at his family home in Pennsylvania. He was a 28-year-old Washington State University graduate student at the time.
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A white Hyundai Elantra sedan, the same kind that Kohberger drove, was captured on video near the students' Moscow home. But DNA played the most crucial role in linking him to the scene.
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Police were able to take a sample from a knife sheath left behind. They sent it to a lab to be analyzed and used a public ancestry database to search for matches. They discovered cousin matches and then narrowed it down, WPBF 25 reported. They relied on public records and online tools like Ancestry.com. Authorities eventually honed in on the Kohberger family.
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Police tested items that were thrown out in the family's trash, which matched the DNA profile found on the knife sheath. This link reportedly gave authorities what they needed in order to arrest Kohberger.
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The deal led to disappointment among some of the family members of the victims, and even got the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump. Ahead of the sentencing hearing, Trump urged the judge to make Kohberger explain his motive.
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'These were vicious murders, with so many questions left unanswered. While Life Imprisonment is tough, it's certainly better than receiving the Death Penalty but, before Sentencing, I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders,' wrote Trump on July 21 in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
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'There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING. People were shocked that he was able to plea bargain, but the Judge should make him explain what happened.'
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At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, when asked by the judge if he would like to make a statement, Kohberger said: 'I respectfully decline.' Instead, the families and friends of the victims addressed Kohberger.
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