A man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students will die in prison after being sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Bryan Kohberger, 30, received the sentence after entering a guilty plea to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The plea agreement spared him a potential death penalty trial for the November 2022 killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
The former criminology student showed no visible emotion during the sentencing hearing. When offered the chance to address the court, he declined, stating, “I respectfully decline.”
In imposing the sentence, the presiding judge condemned the crimes as an act of “unspeakable evil” that breached the safety of a shared home and shattered multiple families. The judge described the profound loss, noting that parents who had once moved their children to college later had to bring them home for burial.
While a motive for the brutal stabbings remains publicly unknown, the court advised the victims’ families and the public against seeking answers from the killer, suggesting that doing so would grant him a form of power. The judge expressed skepticism that any explanation from Kohberger could be truthful or provide genuine solace.
Kohberger is expected to serve his sentence in a state maximum-security facility. The judge concluded the proceedings by stating it was time to end the defendant’s “15 minutes of fame,” expressing hope that the finality of the sentence would aid the community and the grieving families in finding a measure of closure.
