Family of Idaho stabbing victim 'furious' after accused killer strikes deal to avoid execution

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 30, 2025 9:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead blameworthy to murdering 4 University of Idaho students arsenic portion of a woody with prosecutors to debar the decease penalty, an lawyer for 1 victim's household said Monday.

Shanon Gray, an lawyer representing the household of Kaylee Goncalves, confirmed that prosecutors informed the families of the woody by email and missive earlier successful the day, and that his clients were upset astir it.

"We are beyond furious astatine the State of Idaho," Goncalves's household wrote successful a Facebook post. "They person failed us. Please springiness america immoderate time. This was precise unexpected."

A alteration of plea proceeding was acceptable for Wednesday, but the families person asked prosecutors to hold it to springiness them much clip to question to Boise, Gray said. Kohberger's proceedings was acceptable for August.

Kohberger, 30, is accused successful the stabbing deaths of Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen astatine a rental location adjacent field successful Moscow, Idaho, successful November 2022. Autopsies showed the 4 were each apt dormant erstwhile they were attacked, immoderate had antiaircraft wounds and each was stabbed aggregate times.

Kohberger, past a transgression justness postgraduate pupil astatine Washington State University, was arrested successful Pennsylvania weeks aft the killings. Investigators said they matched his DNA to familial worldly recovered from a weapon sheath recovered astatine the transgression scene.

In a tribunal filing, his lawyers said Kohberger was connected a agelong thrust by himself astir the clip the 4 were killed.

The killings shook the tiny farming assemblage of astir 25,000 people, which hadn't had a homicide successful astir 5 years. The proceedings was moved from agrarian bluish Idaho to Boise aft the defence expressed concerns that Kohberger couldn't get a just proceedings successful the region wherever the killings occurred.

In the missive to families, obtained by ABC News, prosecutors said Kohberger's lawyers approached them seeking to scope a plea deal. The prosecutors said they met with disposable household members past week earlier deciding to marque Kohberger an offer.

"This solution is our sincere effort to question justness for your family," the missive said. "This statement ensures that the suspect volition beryllium convicted, volition walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison, and volition not beryllium capable to enactment you and the different families done the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction, appeals. Your viewpoints weighed heavy successful our decision-making process, and we anticipation that you whitethorn travel to admit wherefore we judge this solution is successful the champion involvement of justice."

In Idaho, judges whitethorn cull plea agreements, though specified moves are rare. If a justice rejects a plea agreement, the suspect is allowed to retreat the blameworthy plea.

Earlier Monday, a Pennsylvania justice had ordered that 3 radical whose grounds was requested by defence attorneys would person to question to Idaho to look astatine Kohberger's trial.

The defence subpoenas were granted regarding a boxing trainer who knew Kohberger arsenic a teenager, a puerility acquaintance of Kohberger's and a 3rd antheral whose value was not explained.

A gag bid has mostly kept attorneys, investigators and others from speaking publically astir the probe oregon trial.