Latest news with #IdahoMurder
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Why an Idaho Victim's Dad Is Apologizing to His Late Daughter — and Saying He Feels 'Used' by Prosecutors
Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves's father is livid over the prosecution's decision to offer Bryan Kohberger a plea deal sparing him the death penalty Kohberger's murder trial was scheduled to take place in August, but in a surprise move, he pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder on July 2 He is expected to be sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prisonSteve Goncalves apologized to his late daughter, Kaylee, for the prosecution's decision to offer now-convicted killer Bryan Kohberger a plea deal that spares him the death penalty. 'It's my mistake. I'm sorry Kaylee,' Goncalves said on Banfield on NewsNation on Wednesday, July 2. 'I'm truly sorry that I didn't get you a prosecutor who really believed what happened to you could only be fixed with life.' Hours earlier, Kohberger, 30, had pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing University of Idaho students Goncalves and her best friend, Maddie Mogen, both 21, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20, at their off-campus rental house in Nov. 2022. Families of the victims gathered inside the courthouse on Wednesday to hear Kohberger plead guilty, coming face to face with the killer who viciously ended their loved ones' young lives. Related: Best Friends of University of Idaho Murder Victims Speak Out: What We Saw (Exclusive) Steve Goncalves and his family came to the courthouse, but did not go into the courtroom, NewsNation reported. 'It's a pointless exercise,' he said. During the tense plea hearing, the judge asked Kohberger, 'Did you on Nov. 13, 2022, in Latah County, Idaho, kill and murder Kaylee Goncalves, a human being?' Showing no emotion and answering in a matter of fact tone, Kohberger replied, 'Yes.' The judge then asked him, 'Did you do that willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and malice aforethought?' Again, Kohberger answered 'Yes' in an emotionless tone, and did so when he was asked about murdering the other three victims. Related: Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty, Confessing to Murders of 4 University of Idaho Students to Avoid Possible Execution Kohberger's murder trial was supposed to take place in August, but in a surprise move, he asked for, was granted and agreed to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the Nov. 2022 deaths of the four students, according to a letter sent to victims' families from prosecutors, cited by ABC News, the Idaho Statesman, and The New York Times. Steve Goncavles and his family criticized the plea deal, writing on Facebook that the prosecution 'failed us." They noted that they met with prosecutors on Friday, June 27, about "the possibility of a plea deal and it was a hard no from our family.' Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. On Tuesday, July 1, the family wrote that prosecutors "vaguely mentioned a possible plea on Friday, without seeking our input, and presented the plea on Sunday." On Wednesday, July 2, Steve Goncalves told Banfield host Ashleigh Banfield he and his family feel 'used' by the prosecution. He also said that he wished Kohberger's fate had been decided by a jury of his peers, who could have decided whether or not to give him the death penalty. Related: 'Furious' Idaho Murders Victim's Father Wanted to Face Killer in Court. Plea Deal Was a 'Hard No' from Family When Banfield asked him what he would like to say to Kohberger, he replied that he would tell him he is 'a complete loser. 'I'm ashamed that we couldn't have ended you,' he said. 'You beat me on that. My bad.' Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Bryan Kohberger's plea deal splits Idaho apart... as judge scolds people trying to sway his mind
The relatives of the Idaho murder victims are bitterly divided over Bryan Kohberger 's plea deal, which came at the 11th hour and was a shock even to the judge. Two families have slammed the deal for allowing him to avoid the death penalty, while the other two breathed a sigh of relief that the case never has to go to trial. Kohberger, 30, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to killing Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Madison Mogen, 21, on November 13, 2022. He made the bombshell admission at Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, while sitting meters away from the heartbroken families who have waited years for justice. The plea deal was approved by Judge Steven Hippler, who was then inundated with calls from angry members of the public asking him to reject Kohberger's cowardly agreement. Hippler hit out at observers who had tried to influence his decision making, slamming it as 'inappropriate'. 'My role is to ensure the defendant's plea is given voluntarily,' Hippler said, adding that he only learned of the agreement on Monday. Several relatives of the victims broke down in tears in the courtroom - as did Prosecutor Bill Thompson when he read out the victims' names. The Goncalves and Kernodle families have said the plea pact means they will never have justice for their children who he brutally stabbed to death in one of the most horrific events ever to unfold on a college campus. Kaylee's family issued a statement blasting the prosecutor's office for making 'a deal with the devil' and spoke of their sense of betrayal over the backroom agreement. 'This ain't justice, no judge presided, no jury weighed the truth,' they wrote. '(Prosecutor Bill) Thompson robbed us of our day in court. No negotiations, no jury of our peers, not even the pretense of cooperation and fairness.' 'Instead, Thompson cut his deal with the devil, his negotiations didn't require anything other than a simple guilty plea,' their statement added. 'Allowing him the leeway to blame the same people you are paid to protect. You betrayed us, Thompson.' Goncalves' father, Steve, said outside the courtroom on Wednesday that he wanted to see Kohberger admit that 'he did it on his own and nobody else was responsible' so he would no longer have 'supporters'. 'He's not going to take accountability,' the anguished father added. When asked whether he thought four life sentences was justice, Goncalves said: 'No, of course not.' Over the past two years, the Goncalves family has publicly supported Kohberger receiving the death penalty if convicted of the murders. Steve was involved in pushing to pass the state law to make firing squad a legal method of execution, while some of their other loved ones have worn pro-death penalty shirts to court hearings. Kernodle's aunt, Kim, has echoed similar views. TMZ said she was so furious when she heard about the plea deal that she broke down in tears. She hit back against prosecutors' claims that the deal was brokered partly to spare the victims' families from the pain of the trial. Kernodle said they have already seen the gruesome pictures of the crime scene. 'We know the graphics. They were not trying to spare us,' she said. But for the family of Maddie Mogen, news of the deal came as a relief, because they wanted to move on with their lives while Kohberger never escapes jail. 'If you get that quick death sentence, you don't have to spend decades thinking about how terrible you made the world,' Maddie's father, Ben Mogen, told CBS News. 'We can actually put this behind us and not have these future dates and future things that we don't want to have to be at, that we shouldn't have to be at, that have to do with this terrible person,' he added. 'We get to just think about the rest of lives and have to try and figure out how to do it without Maddie and the rest of the kids.' Maddie Mogen's mother and stepfather, Karen and Scott Laramie, also said via a statement through their attorney that they supported the deal. Pictured: The family of Ethan Chapin including mother Stacy Chapin and father Jim Chapin arrive at Ada County Courthouse for Bryan Kohberger's plea deal hearing on Wednesday Their attorney, Leander James, said that they were in favor of the agreement '100 percent' as he spoke on their behalf outside Ada County Court on Wednesday. Ethan Chapin's parents, Stacey and Jim, also said they supported the deal in a brief statement, but did not elaborate on their reasons. They appeared at Kohberger's plea hearing along with Goncalves and Mogen families, as each sat meters away when their childrens' killer coldly pleaded guilty to ending each of their lives. Kernodle's family did not attend the hearing. Kohberger stared straight ahead and showed no sign of emotion as he admitted stabbing the happy college students to death in their off-campus home. The chilling hearing saw Kohberger break his silence in court for the first time, and he spoke only to answer in the affirmative when Judge Steven Hippler asked if he was guilty of the crimes, and whether he understood the terms of the plea agreement. When asked whether he was pleading guilty because he is guilty, he said: 'Yes'. Kohberger will be sentenced for his heinous crimes over two days at Ada County Courthouse from July 23. The court will also hear heart-wrenching victim impact statements from the victims' families.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Idaho murder victim families frustrated at not being consulted in Kohberger plea deal
Steve Gonvalves, father of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves, spoke to the press outside of the Idaho courthouse after a plea deal was offered and accepted by Bryan Kohberger on Monday. Gonvalves, along with the other four families, was enraged that they were not consulted on the terms of the plea deal that would sentence Kohberger to a lifetime in prison. He claimed that the prosecuting attorney did not give "the common courtesy to negotiate with [the families]". Bryan Kohberger appeared in court on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, to plead guilty to killing four Idaho college students in December 2022. Speaking to the press outside the courthouse, Mr. Gonvalves said, "We didn't agree to this. We didn't agree on any of it."
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Bombshell update in murder of four Idaho students
Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger has reportedly accepted a plea deal in order to avoid the death penalty. Kohberger will now plead guilty to the brutal killing of four American students in their own home in Idaho, according to reports. A life sentence is also part of the plea deal, which was first reported by NewsNation reporter Brian Entin on Monday evening. He must reportedly spend the rest of his life locked up with no possibility of parole and must waive his right to appeal. A court hearing over the bombshell U-turn is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Kohberger's trial had been scheduled to start on August 18. The family of one of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, expressed their anger in a statement. 'It's true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us,' the family said. 'Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.'
