Nearly three years after the brutal slayings that rocked the quiet college town of Moscow, Bryan Kohberger, the man responsible for the murders of four University of Idaho students, was sentenced Wednesday to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The grim pronouncement by District Court Judge Steven Hippler brings a definitive end to the criminal proceedings, though it leaves many questions unanswered for the grieving families.
Kohberger, 30, a former criminology graduate student at nearby Washington State University, pleaded guilty earlier this month to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. This plea deal, a dramatic turn in a case that had captivated the nation, spared him from facing the death penalty.
The victims – Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – were found stabbed to death in their off-campus rental home on November 13, 2022. The savagery of the attack, which initially had no clear suspect, terrified the community and launched a massive, weeks-long manhunt that ultimately led investigators to Kohberger, arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania six weeks later. DNA evidence from a knife sheath found at the scene, along with cellphone data and surveillance footage of his car, had linked him to the horrific crime.
Wednesday’s emotional three-hour sentencing hearing in Boise provided a platform for the victims’ families and surviving roommates to confront Kohberger directly, sharing the agonizing impact of his actions.
Kaylee Goncalves’ father, Steve Goncalves, expressed raw fury and disappointment over the plea deal that negated a trial and the possibility of the death penalty. Outside the courtroom, he slammed Kohberger as a “coward” and accused the prosecution of a “clear and troubling pattern.” Inside, other family members delivered gut-wrenching victim impact statements.
Madison Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, described his daughter as “the only great thing I ever really did, [the] only thing I was ever really proud of,” reading aloud the last Father’s Day card she had written to him. Xana Kernodle’s aunt, Kim Kernodle, offered a poignant moment of conditional forgiveness, stating, “Any time you want to talk and tell me what happened, get my number.”
The two surviving roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, also provided powerful testimony. Funke’s statement, read by a friend, detailed the ongoing trauma and her nightly checks for intruders. Mortensen, visibly distraught, spoke directly to Kohberger, calling him a “hollow vessel” who chose “destruction.” “I was barely 19 when he did this,” Mortensen said through tears. “I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future.”
When given the opportunity to speak by Judge Hippler, Kohberger remained stoic, simply stating, “I respectfully decline.” His silence frustrated many in the courtroom, leaving the profound question of “why” unanswered.
Judge Hippler, prior to delivering the sentence, acknowledged the elusive nature of a motive. “There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality,” he stated. “No conceivable reason could make any sense, and in the end, the more we struggle to seek explanation for the unexplainable, the more we try to extract a reason, the more power and control we give to him.”
In addition to the life sentences, Kohberger was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for the burglary charge and fined $50,000, along with a civil penalty of $5,000 to each victim’s family. He also waived his right to appeal, a key component of the plea agreement.
While the courtroom proceedings have concluded, the long shadow of the Idaho murders will undoubtedly remain. For the families, the sentence ensures Kohberger will die behind bars, but the search for understanding the senseless violence continues.