Latest news with #victimfamilies
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bryan Kohberger to face victims' families on Wednesday, July 23. Here's what to know.
Bryan Kohberger, the former criminology graduate student who pleaded guilty to charges of stabbing four Idaho college students to death in 2022, is expected to face his victims' families and be handed multiple life prison terms in a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, July 23. The hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. Mountain Time at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. The court set aside a whole day for the hearing, which is also expected to include impact statements from the families and other loved ones of the victims, a process which could stretch the hearing into a second day depending on how many people speak. The public will be able to watch Kohberger's sentencing in person at the Ada County Courthouse and via livestream, according to the court's website. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more Kohberger's plea deal divided family members, with some supportive of the deal and others believing the case should have gone to trial. The plea was revealed at the end of June, just weeks before Kohberger's murder trial was set to begin in August. Who is Bryan Kohberger? Kohberger, 30, pleaded guilty on July 2 to the murders of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, who were found stabbed to death in their rental home near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger's plea was part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid a possible death penalty, and will carry four consecutive life sentences for the murders plus 10 years for burglary. The murders rocked the town of Moscow, setting the community on edge as investigators searched for weeks for a suspect before finally arresting Kohberger on Dec. 30 in Pennsylvania where his family lives. Prosecutors said Kohberger was linked to the crimes using DNA evidence found on a knife sheath near one of the victims' bodies, along with cell phone data and surveillance footage of his car's movements. TIMELINE: University of Idaho murder case and the arrest of Bryan Kohberger Still a mystery is the motive for the murders. President Donald Trump this week called for the judge to require Kohberger to explain his actions at the sentencing, though the terms of his plea deal do not require that he provide a motive. Kohberger will be given the opportunity to speak during sentencing. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bryan Kohberger sentencing: When it starts, how to watch Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bryan Kohberger Officially Sentenced to Life in Prison For University of Idaho Murders
Bryan Kohberger has finally been sentenced after admitting to murdering 4 University of Idaho college students -- with the victims' families telling him exactly how they feel. The confessed killer was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences ... one for each of the first-degree murder counts he pled guilty to, without the possibility of parole. Kohberger wore an orange prison uniform during sentencing ... different than the buttoned-up shirt and tie he wore last time we saw him in court. Numerous members of the victims' families spoke out in court today ... some addressing Kohberger directly with victim impact statements while others spoke about their experiences more broadly Bethany Funke -- one of the roommates who was not killed in Kohberger's brutal attack -- had a friend read her victim impact statement which focused on guilt, her response to the traumatic event and her unimaginable sadness that her friends were murdered. Dylan Mortensen took the stand -- another surviving roommate ... breaking down into tears in the courtroom. She's talked about all the moments her friends never got to experience -- graduations, birthdays, etc. She's also dove into the mental health effects of the attack, including her difficulties with panic attacks. Mortensen called Kohberger, "a hollow vessel. Something less than human. A body without empathy or remorse. He chose destruction. He chose evil." Madison Mogen's stepfather reads a statement on behalf of his wife, Karen ... calling her "bright, beautiful, kind" and telling stories about her upbringing. Kohberger took a controversial plea deal where he agreed to plead guilty to the murders in exchange for prosecutors taking the possibility of the death penalty off the table. However, Madison's grandmother, Kim Cheeley, begins her victim impact statement by thanking the prosecution team for ensuring Kohberger's imprisonment by securing the plea. She also thanks the police and other officials for investigating. Kim also mentions the tattoo of angel wings. Kim asks people to do good deeds on Madison's birthday, May 25, each year to honor her. With the plea, Kohberger avoids having to give any answers or explanations behind the slayings ... even though President Trump is demanding Kohberger open his trap. Kaylee Goncalves' father, Steve, turned the lectern from facing the judge to stare directly at Kohberger ... and, he told the murderer he united everyone -- multiple police departments and multiple families. Steve called Kohberger "a complete joke" ... adding he will one day be nothing more than just two initials -- and from this moment on, the world will forget him. Despite Steve previously telling us about misgivings regarding the plea deal given to Kohberger, he complimented the efforts of everyone who worked on the case. Kaylee's sister Alivea and her mother, Kristi, jumped up to the mic in court -- her mother also read a partial statement from her other sister, Aubri -- delivering fiery condemnation of Kohberger ... and cracking a couple jokes about how friendly the other inmates will be in jail. Xana Kernodle's dad, Jeff, said he almost drove over to the house the night of the murders to check on his daughter because she wasn't feeling well ... but didn't because he remembered her condemnations of him drinking and driving. He said he regrets it and feels he could've helped fight off Kohberger. Latah County prosecutor, Bill Thompson, got choked up during the prosecution's request for sentencing while talking about the special families of the students who were murdered. Kohberger "respectfully" declines to make a statement. Kohberger submitted a signed confession ... but the bare-bones admission of guilt is about all we're getting ... other than his admission that he murdered his victims with "premeditation and with malice aforethought." His heinous killing spree in November 2022 claimed the lives of Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin -- who were found butchered inside an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger will also have the opportunity to speak in open court ... but he's not required to do so.
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
WATCH: Bryan Kohberger shredded by victims' families during emotional sentencing hearing
Print Close By Julia Bonavita Published July 23, 2025 In an emotionally-charged sentencing hearing, the families of the victims murdered by Bryan Kohberger spoke directly to their loved ones' killer in an attempt to find closure in their years of grief. Kohberger, 30, admitted to murdering four University of Idaho students at a change of plea hearing on July 2, but did not divulge the details or a motive surrounding the brutal slayings. In court on Wednesday, he again offered no explanation for why he committed the heinous crime. He spoke only three words during the intense hearing, saying: "I respectfully decline," when given a chance to address the court. Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, were stabbed to death inside their off-campus home in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022. BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEADS GUILTY TO IDAHO MURDERS For nearly three years, Kohberger maintained his innocence as his high-profile trial was scheduled to begin later this year. He ultimately accepted a plea deal to take the death penalty off the table, in exchange for forfeiting his fight to seek a sentence reduction and waiving his right to appeal. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The families poured their hearts out in court Wednesday, delivering powerful victim impact statements as the stone-faced killer sat silently, showing no emotion at all. Below is a collection of some of the most emotional moments from the courtroom on Wednesday. Sister of Kaylee Goncalves delivers fiery statement during Kohberger's sentencing Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, confronts Kohberger in court Surviving roommate of Idaho murders gives tearful victim impact statement during Kohberger's sentencing Xana Kernodle's stepfather slams Kohberger in victim statement: 'There's no place for you in heaven' Xana Kernodle's aunt offers Kohberger forgiveness in heartfelt victim impact statement Maddie Mogen's father describes relationship with daughter in heartfelt tribute: 'She kept me alive' Judge declares 'it's time to end his 15 minutes of fame' before handing down Kohberger's sentence At the end of the hearing, Judge Steven Hippler handed down four consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole for each killing. Kohberger was also given an additional 10-year sentence on a related burglary charge, and imposed a $50,000 fine and $5,000 civil penalty for each death. Print Close URL
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Bryan Kohberger sentenced to 4 life terms in prison without parole for Idaho murders
Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four life sentences without the possibility of parole on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Families of the victims delivered emotional statements at the sentencing hearing, held in a courtroom in Boise. Kohberger pleaded guilty earlier this month to the murders of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves as part of a plea deal that spared him from the death penalty. The plea agreement states he will be receive four life sentences without the possibility of parole, one for each murder charge, and a 10-year sentence for a burglary charge that he also pleaded guilty to. During his plea hearing, Judge Steven Hippler said the court is not bound by the plea agreement and could impose a different sentence. Kohberger was in the courtroom Wednesday wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. The hearing lasted about three hours, with more than a dozen family impact statements read aloud. Chapin, Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves were killed at a home in Moscow, Idaho, during the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania six weeks later. Prosecutors said that if the case had gone to trial they would have used DNA evidence that linked Kohberger to the crime scene, his online purchase history, surveillance video of Koherger's car, and cellphone data that showed him in the vicinity of the killings. The families of the victims have been divided over the plea deal. Mogen's father told CBS News he was relieved to learn of the deal, saying it will allow his family to "actually put this behind us." The Goncalves family has bitterly criticized the agreement, and told CBS News after a gag order was lifted that they believe the plea deal gives Kohberger a chance to live a "better and more rewarding life inside" prison. The first victim impact statement on Wednesday was read on behalf of Bethany Funke, who had lived with the murdered students and called 911 after finding their bodies. "That was the worst day of my life, and I know it always will be," Funke said in the statement, which was read by friend Emily Alant. Funke added that she checks her room every night to ensure there is no one hiding in the space, and said she has struggled to sleep since the slayings. Alant cried as she read the statement, while Kohberger showed no emotion. Dylan Mortensen, the other surviving roommate, was the next to speak. She was visibly distraught and took several moments to collect herself before beginning to read her statement through tears. She said she has struggled with panic attacks since the killings. "I was barely 19 when he did this," Mortensen said. "We had just celebrated my birthday at the end of September. I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable." Scott Laramie, Madison Mogen's stepfather, then read a victim impact statement on the behalf of himself and Mogen's mother, Karen Laramie. He remembered Mogen as someone who "always brought us joy" and who prioritized spending time with her family before she was "taken senselessly and brutally in a sudden act of evil." "This world was a better place with her in it," Laramie said. Karen Laramie had a second statement read on her behalf by her lawyer, Leander James. Mogen's paternal grandmother Kim Cheeley also spoke, thanking prosecutors and law enforcement officials for "bringing this case to closure." Mogen's father, Ben Mogen, said that his daughter had already earned all of the credits necessary for her degree at the time of the slayings, and wiped his eyes as he spoke. "Maddie was my only child that I ever had. She's the only great thing I ever did and the only thing I was ever proud of," Ben Mogen said. He recounted taking her to concerts with friends, and shared a Father's Day card that he said was the last thing his daughter ever wrote to him, where she'd written "I can't wait till we can hang out again soon." Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, turned the podium to address Kohberger directly. Kohberger continued to not react, though he made eye contact with Steve Goncalves as he spoke. "Today, we're here to finish what you started," Steve Goncalves said. He called Kohberger a "complete joke" and said the families of the victims "took this disaster" and kept it focused on their loved ones. "All anyone talked about when they talked about this case was Kaylee Jade, Maddie May, Xana and Ethan," Steve Goncalves said. He was followed by Alivea Goncalves, Kaylee Goncalves' older sister, who had also been close to Mogen. She again directly spoke to Kohberger, and he maintained eye contact with her, as she called him a sociopath. "No one is scared of you today. No one is impressed by you. No one thinks you're important," Alivea Goncalves said. There was applause in the courtroom after she finished speaking. She was followed by her and Kaylee Goncalves' mother, Kristi, who again directly addressed Kohberger. Goncalves family attorney Shannon Grey read statements from Kaylee Goncalves' aunt and grandmothers. Jazzmin Kernodle, the older sister of Xana Kernodle, was the first member of her family to speak. She remembered her younger sister as a "kind, funny" woman who "was everyone's best friend." Her father Jeff Kernodle spoke next. He said that the night of the murders, he had been just seven miles from the house and wanted to drive over — but decided against it because he had been drinking. "I wish I would have drunk and drove. They would have had a chance, all four of them," Jeff Kernodle said. Next to speak was Kim Kernodle, Xana's aunt. She told Kohberger that she had "forgiven" him for the slayings. "I no longer could live with that hate in my heart, and for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you. Any time you want to talk and tell me what happened, find my number. I'm here. … I'll be that one that will listen to you." Kernodle's uncle Stratton Kernodle and stepfather Randy Davis also spoke briefly, with Davis receiving applause after telling Kohberger to "Go to hell." Karen Worthington, Xana Kernodle's mother, then addressed Kohberger directly, facing in his direction as she read a prepared statement. She also said she had forgiven Kohberger. "I do not fear you or even let you rent space in my head anymore. This forgiveness has released me from any and all evil you have released on me and my family," she said. After the families finished speaking, prosecutor Bill Thompson took the podium. He walked through the past few weeks of the case, and said the families of the victims had only been interested in a plea deal that saw Kohberger plead guilty on all counts and waive appeal on all of his motions, which would have "consumed years or decades in the future." Thompson said the deal was kept confidential until the last minute because officials did not want to taint a prospective jury pool if the case did proceed to trial. "Now, it is time for the judicial system to impose final judgement and close the door on this chapter of these tragedies," Thompson said. He asked that the judge sentence Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences in prison, one for each murder, and 10 years in prison on the burglary charge. As Thompson named each victim, their photo was shown in the courtroom. He also shared a group photo of the foursome. Crying could be heard in the courtroom as Thompson spoke. Hippler then asked the defense if they had evidence or an argument to present. The team said no. Hippler asked Kohberger if he would like to make a statement. "I respectfully decline," Kohberger said. It was the first time he spoke all day. Family members could be heard murmuring, "Surprise, surprise," and, "Coward." Hippler spoke for several minutes before sentencing Kohberger. He called Kohberger a "faceless coward" and said he was in "great awe" of the family members who had given statements. He also criticized Kohberger for failing to show remorse or regret about the slayings. He said he could not legally force Kohberger to explain why he had committed the slayings, and said he did not believe Kohberger would answer the question truthfully either way. "There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality," Hippler said. "No conceivable reason could make any sense, and in the end, the more we struggle to seek explanation for the unexplainable, the more we try to extract a reason, the more power and control we give to him. In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger's 15 minutes of fame."
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Bryan Kohberger's victims' families and friends to finally face off with their killer as his sentencing begins
BRYAN Kohberger is expected to sit through grueling impact statements from the families of the four University of Idaho students he admitted to killing as he faces four consecutive life sentences. Kohberger, the former Ph.D. criminology student at Washington State University in Pullman, changed his plea to guilty weeks before his trial for the November 2022 quadruple murders was slated to begin in August. 3 3 3 During his change of plea hearing on July 2, Kohberger, stone-faced and expressionless, responded "yes" when asked by Judge Steven Hippler if he was pleading guilty because he was guilty. Kohberger, 30, showed no remorse when asked if on November 13, 2022, he willfully and with premeditation entered the off-campus home on King Road in Moscow, Idaho, and killed Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. As part of the plea deal with state prosecutors, Kohberger will avoid the death penalty and accept four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Kohberger also agreed to waive his right to appeal the sentence. Several family members of the victims are expected to address Kohberger for the first time during Wednesday's sentencing. Under Idaho law, Kohberger will be granted an allocution, giving him the opportunity to deliver remarks to the court and possibly the families of the victims. An allocution is the formal opportunity defendants are given to speak directly to the court before the judge imposes sentencing.
