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Kohberger Pleads Guilty to Idaho Student Murders to Avoid Death Penalty

Under a deal sparing him execution, Kohberger faces four consecutive life sentences at a July 23 hearing that victims’ families condemn as inadequate.

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Idaho murders: What was Bryan Kohberger's motive? (Kyle Green/Pool via REUTERS)

Overview

  • Kohberger entered guilty pleas on July 2 for the November 2022 killings of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen.
  • His agreement with Latah County prosecutors bars the state from seeking capital punishment and calls for four back-to-back life terms without parole.
  • His sentencing hearing is slated for July 23, when Judge Steven Hippler is expected to impose those life sentences and formally end the case.
  • Victims’ families, especially the Goncalves, have denounced the plea deal and shared graphic new accounts of Kaylee’s final moments.
  • Investigators credited genetic genealogy—linking DNA from a knife sheath and a discarded Q-tip—to Kohberger’s arrest, though his motive remains unresolved.