Bryan Kohberger is expected to plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students on Wednesday, just weeks before his trial was set to begin.
Kohberger, 30, is accused of fatally stabbing students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves on November 13, 2022, inside their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Prosecutors had been pursuing the death penalty if Kohberger, a criminology PhD graduate from Washington State University, was convicted at trial, which was set for August.
By taking the plea deal Wednesday, Kohberger will avoid the death penalty and instead spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is due to appear at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise at 11 a.m. local time.
“We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho,” Goncalves’s family said in a statement. “They have failed us…This was very unexpected.”
Kohberger’s family asked for privacy in the wake of the news, according to NewsNation. “In light of recent developments, the Kohbergers are asking members of the media for privacy, respect, and responsible judgment during this time,” their statement reads.
Bryan Kohberger to take plea deal over Idaho student murders
Bryan Kohberger is expected to plead guilty to the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students just weeks before his highly anticipated trial was expected to begin.
Sources first told NewsNation on Monday that the prosecution had proposed dropping the death penalty in exchange for Kohberger pleading guilty to the four murders and burglary.
The deal would allow Kohberger to instead spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Ariana Baio has the details:
James Liddell2 July 2025 10:13
