Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty to killing 4 University of Idaho students

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jul 02, 2025 2:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

A antheral who stabbed four University of Idaho students successful 2022 pleaded blameworthy to the killings connected Wednesday, having struck a woody with prosecutors that volition let him to avoid the decease penalty. 

Bryan Kohberger, a erstwhile transgression justness postgraduate pupil astatine adjacent Washington State University, admitted to the slayings earlier entering the ceremonial pleas successful a Boise, Idaho, courtroom.

He volition beryllium sentenced connected July 23.

Kohberger killed Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen at a rental location adjacent field successful the mediate of the nighttime connected Nov. 13, 2022. Autopsies showed each of the 4 victims was stabbed aggregate times and immoderate had antiaircraft wounds.

At the proceeding connected Wednesday, Latah County prosecuting lawyer Bill Thompson said Kohberger killed Mogen and Goncalves unneurotic and past ran into Kernodle, who was inactive awake. He past stabbed Kernodle and her boyfriend, Chapin, who was inactive asleep, Thompson said.

Family members became progressively affectional arsenic Idaho Fourth Judicial District Judge Steven Hippler explained each complaint to Kohberger, naming each unfortunate individually. Some cried into tissues, portion different wiped tears with their hands. 

Kohberger, 30, remained impassive arsenic helium confirmed to the justice that helium stabbed the 4 victims. As helium pleaded guilty, immoderate successful the household conception looked down and others craned to spot him.

Kohberger told the justice helium understood the presumption of the plea deal, which stipulates helium volition service 4 beingness sentences and won't beryllium capable to appeal.

Hippler said arsenic the proceeding began that helium would not instrumentality nationalist sentiment into relationship erstwhile deciding whether to judge the agreement.

"This tribunal cannot necessitate the authoritative to question the decease penalty, nor would it beryllium due for this tribunal to bash that," helium said. "This tribunal … cannot unit the authorities to question the decease penalty."

Idaho killings seized nation's attention

The killings grabbed headlines astir the satellite and acceptable disconnected a nationwide hunt, including an elaborate effort to way down a achromatic sedan spotted connected surveillance cameras repeatedly driving by the rental home.

At the time, Kohberger had conscionable completed his archetypal semester astatine Washington State University and was a teaching adjunct successful the criminology program.

Kohberger was arrested successful Pennsylvania, wherever his parents lived, weeks later. Investigators said they matched his DNA to familial worldly recovered from a weapon sheath recovered astatine the transgression scene.

Online buying records showed that Kohberger had purchased a military-style weapon months earlier — arsenic good arsenic a sheath similar the 1 recovered astatine the scene.

No motive has emerged for the killings, nor is it wide wherefore the attacker spared 2 roommates who were successful the home. There besides was nary denotation helium had a narration with immoderate of the victims, who each were friends and members of the university's Greek system.

Authorities person said cellphone information and surveillance video amusement that Kohberger visited the victims' neighbourhood astatine slightest a twelve times earlier the killings, and that he travelled successful the aforesaid area that night.

Kohberger's lawyers said helium was simply connected a long thrust by himself around the clip the 4 were killed.

The lawsuit was moved to Boise due to the fact that of pretrial publicity successful bluish Idaho. Hippler indispensable o.k. the plea deal. If Kohberger pleads blameworthy arsenic expected, helium would apt beryllium sentenced successful July.

Families divided connected plea deal

Although the Goncalves household opposed the statement and said they would question to halt it, they besides argued that immoderate specified woody should require Kohberger to marque a afloat confession, item the facts of what happened and supply the determination of the execution weapon.

"We merit to cognize erstwhile the opening of the extremity was," they wrote successful a Facebook post.

The household of Chapin — one of 3 triplets who attended the assemblage unneurotic — supports the deal, their spokesperson, Christina Teves, said Tuesday.

Attorney Leander James, who represents Mogen's parent and stepfather, declined to springiness their views but said helium would present a connection connected their behalf aft Wednesday's hearing. Mogen's father, Ben Mogen, told CBS News helium was relieved by the agreement.

"We tin really enactment this down america and not person these aboriginal dates and aboriginal things that we don't privation to person to beryllium at, that we shouldn't person to beryllium at, that person to bash with this unspeakable person," helium said. "We get to conscionable deliberation astir the remainder of lives and person to effort and fig retired however to bash it without Maddie and the remainder of the kids."