On Wednesday, Bryan Kohberger received a life sentence for killing four University of Idaho students, a tragedy that stunned Moscow, a sleepy college town, almost three years ago.
The families of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Kaylee Goncalves had the opportunity to publicly discuss the destruction they have been through since their loved ones were discovered fatally stabbed at an off-campus residence on November 13, 2022, during the sentencing hearing.
Kohberger was attending Washington State University, which is across the state line, for graduate work in criminology at the time of the murders.
He had no obvious personal connection to any of the four victims, according to the prosecution, and killed them after breaking through a sliding kitchen door into the students’ rental home. Investigators were initially perplexed by the case. Fear quickly spread throughout the community because there were no suspects.
Amid mounting concerns about a killer still at large, several students from Washington State and the University of Idaho choose to relocate to distant learning environments and leave town in the middle of the semester.
The sheath of a big knife found close to Mogen’s body, which had a solitary trace of male DNA on its button snap, allowed investigators to piece together what happened. A white Hyundai Elantra was reportedly seen cruising the neighborhood near the residence shortly before the murders, according to surveillance footage.
Authorities connected the DNA to Kohberger via genetic genealogy. His online purchase history showed that he had previously purchased a military-style knife and a matching sheath, and his phone records placed him close to the crime scene that evening.
Nearly six weeks after the killings, Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania. He refused to enter a plea at his arraignment, so the court entered not guilty on his behalf.
Early on, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson declared his intention to seek the death penalty. Kohberger’s defense team, under the leadership of Anne Taylor, responded by contesting the validity of the DNA evidence and constantly calling for the death sentence to be abolished.
Kohberger finally agreed to enter a guilty plea, therefore these legal objections were failed. Prosecutors agreed to forgo the death penalty in return.
Four consecutive life sentences, an extra 10-year burglary sentence, and a waiver of Kohberger’s right to appeal are all part of the plea agreement.
