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Kohberger Pleads Guilty, Waives Appeals to Avoid Death Penalty in Idaho Student Killings

A July 23 hearing in Boise will finalize consecutive life terms plus 10 years for burglary after Kohberger’s plea bars appeals, leaving families demanding a public trial or motive explanations

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Overview

  • On July 2 in Boise, Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary under a deal that removes the death penalty option
  • He waived all rights of appeal and faces four consecutive life sentences plus a 10-year term when a judge formalizes the agreement on July 23
  • Investigators built the case on DNA from trash outside his family home and a knife sheath at the scene, matched through genetic genealogy
  • Families of the victims, particularly Kaylee Goncalves’s parents, denounced the plea deal for eliminating a trial and keeping Kohberger’s motive undisclosed
  • Prosecutors acknowledge no evidence of prior contact between Kohberger and the four students, leaving key questions about his motive unresolved