Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students
The man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death has agreed to plead guilty to the murders, in a move that would spare him from the death penalty.
Bryan Kohberger, 30, was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania weeks after the killings in November 2022.
He was accused of sneaking into the rented home in Moscow, Idaho, which is not far from the university campus, and attacking Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Xana’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin
Kohberger previously pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, but is now set to be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences and waive all rights to appeal.
The family of Ms Goncalves spoke of their fury at the reported plea deal.
In a statement after media reports about the deal, they said: “It’s true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.”
Bryan Kohberger during an earlier hearing. Pic: Reuters
In a separate statement, they said: “After more than two years, this is how it concludes with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims’ families on the plea’s details.”
Autopsies showed the four were all likely asleep when they were attacked, some had defensive wounds and each was stabbed multiple times. Two other women in the house at the time survived.
Investigators matched Kohberger’s DNA to genetic material recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene.
Bryan Kohberger’s mugshot. Pic: Monroe County Correctional Facility
A letter from prosecutors to the victims’ families, obtained by US media, said Kohberger’s lawyers had approached them to seek a plea deal.
“This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,” the letter said.
“This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction, appeals.”
In Idaho, judges can reject plea agreements – but such incidents are rare. Defendants do have the right to withdraw their guilty plea if this happens.
A change of plea hearing has been set for tomorrow, with the victims’ families asking for it to be delayed so they can travel to the courthouse.
Charlie Kirk has been posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump.
The USA’s highest civilian honour was received by the conservative activist’s widow, Erika, at the White House.
Mr Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on 10 September while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
He founded Turning Point USA and toured American university campuses, debating students about current affairs.
Erika Kirk at the White House. Pic: Reuters
Erika Kirk and Donald Trump. Pic: Reuters
Addressing those attending the ceremony in the White House rose garden, the US president said they were there to “honour and remember a fearless warrior for liberty” and a “beloved leader who galvanised the next generation”.
He said Mr Kirk’s name was being entered “forever into the eternal roster of true American heroes”.
Mr Trump described Charlie Kirk as an “American patriot of the deepest conviction, the finest quality and the highest calibre”.
He said his nation had been “robbed” of an “extraordinary champion”.
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Has Charlie Kirk become a MAGA ‘martyr’?
And Mr Trump said Mr Kirk was assassinated in the “prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith, and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America”.
The ceremony coincided with what would have been Mr Kirk’s 32nd birthday.
Mr Trump described Erika Kirk, now head of Turning Point USA, as someone who had “endured unspeakable hardship with unbelievable strength”.
Read more:
What do we know about Erika Kirk?
Charlie Kirk’s movement is growing in wake of his assassination
Charlie Kirk. File pic: AP
A 22-year-old man, Tyler Robinson, from the city of Washington in Utah has been charged with Mr Kirk’s murder. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty.
At a memorial event held at a stadium in Arizona, Erika Kirk told an enormous crowd she forgave her husband’s killer.
“The answer to hate is not hate,” she said.
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