Featured Image Credit: Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images / Instagram/@kayleegoncalves
Topics: Bryan Kohberger, US News, Crime
Callum Jones
Topics: Bryan Kohberger, US News, Crime
Bryan Kohberger has spoken out for the first time after pleading guilty to murdering University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen.
On November 13, 2022, Mogen and Goncalves, 21, and 20-year-olds Chapin and Kernodle were all found dead at their off-campus home in Idaho.
Kohberger was later charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with their deaths.
Kohberger previously pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, however, his recent plea deal which saw him admit to the murders means he will not be handed the death penalty.
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Instead, Kohberger will be sentenced to ten years for the burglary charge, on top of a fixed life sentence on the four counts of homicide, as per the plea agreement.
Kohberger admitted to murdering the four students in court today (July 2), where he repeatedly answered the judge's questions with a 'yes'.
According to NewsNation's Brian Entin, Kohberger was asked if he 'stabbed and murdered' Mogen, 'deliberately killed and murdered' Goncalves, as well as taking the life of Kernodle and Chapin, to which Kohberger responded with 'yes'.
As per the Independent's Andrea Cavallier, security formed a wall between Kohberger and the victims' families as emotions ran high in the courthouse.
Previous evidence reveals how Mogen, Goncalves and two other roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, all gathered in Goncalves' room to discuss their night out on the night of the attack, with the court order stating that they 'talked for a while before going to bed' at around 2am.
"The roommates debated going out to a food truck for a late snack, prompting D.M. to send text at 2:10 a.m. to an Uber driver she knew to see if he was driving," it said.
"Ultimately, however, the girls decided to just go to bed."
At the time, both Kernodle and her boyfriend Chapin were still out partying, as the killing spree is said to have taken place between 4.00am and 4.25am.
The masked murderer fled shortly after committing the horrific crimes, with Mortensen being the only person to have seen the intruder.
The plea deal was reportedly made just days after prosecutors met with the victims' families to discuss the plans.
Days later, they received an email with a letter attached from prosecutors, explaining why they had decided to offer the plea deal.
As per the Idaho Statesman, the letter reads: "We cannot fathom the toll that this case has taken on your family. This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family.
"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.
"Your viewpoints weighed heavily in our decision-making process, and we hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice."