Bryan Kohberger, the criminology student accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, has accepted a plea deal where he will plead guilty to the murders of the students and to felony burglary. This deal means Kohberger will not stand trial for these crimes, and the death penalty has been taken off the table.
Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in a highly anticipated murder trial who is accused of killing four Idaho college students, has accepted a deal to plead guilty. A victim’s family member told the Idaho Statesman that they received a letter from the prosecution, and provided a copy of that letter to the Statesman, confirming the agreement. The plea deal was first reported by NewsNation on Monday afternoon.
Bryan Kohberger has accepted a plea deal, NewsNation has learned. Sources confirm that prosecutors proposed dropping the death penalty in exchange for Kohberger to plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students and burglary.
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) June 30, 2025
More: https://t.co/fQUUyOtcgv pic.twitter.com/VEdWS7UrHj
Because of the timing of the announcement, too many people outside of Idaho are conflating the 30-year-old Kohberger and his evil with the Sunday horror of 20-year-old Wess Roley, who staged a fire in Coeur d'Alene, ID, then ambushed firefighters who came to address the blaze, murdering two.
Kohberger, 30, was arrested at the end of 2022 and accused of fatally stabbing the University of Idaho students in November that year in an off-campus Moscow home. He faced four first-degree murder charges and, if convicted, could have been sentenced to death in a trial that was slated to have opening statements on Aug. 18.
Kohberger's victims: 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both seniors, as well as Xana Kernodle, a 20-year-old junior, and Ethan Chapin, 20 years old and a freshman. Goncalves, Mogen, and Kernodle lived with two other female roommates, who went unharmed in the attack. Ethan Chapin was the boyfriend of Xana Kernodle and was staying overnight. Kohberger was studying criminology at Washington State University, a 15-minute drive from where the victims lived.
Some of the victims' families wanted this outcome.
“We cannot fathom the toll that this case has taken on your family,” read the letter, signed by Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson and Ashley Jennings, his senior deputy. “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.”
CHAPINS SUPPORT PLEA DEAL: Stacy Chapin, the mother of Moscow murder victim Ethan Chapin sent me a statement on the #BryanKohberger plea agreement.
"The Chapins will be in Boise tomorrow, July 2, in support of the plea bargain."
-Stacy Chapin, Ethan Chapin's Mom
PLEA AGREEMENT DETAILS: https://www.ktvb.com/.../281-3566a66a-6058-412e-b741...
The hearing will start at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Ada County Courthouse.
This statement doesn't surprise me, I spoke with Jim and Stacy in 2023: https://www.ktvb.com/.../277-111badfd-0bcb-4415-9c33...
#MoscowMurders #Idaho4 #EthanChapin #Kohberger
But as News Nation reported, the family of Kaylee Goncalves is not on board, claiming justice denied instead of justice served.
They posted more detail on the same Facebook page, saying they were a hard "NO" on the state of Idaho offering Kohberger this plea, and that they were blindsided by the prosecution.
I would like to clarify a couple of things...we DID talk to the prosecution on Friday about the POSSIBILITY of a plea deal and it was a HARD NO from our family. It was very nonchalant and barely discussed as the majority of the conversation was surrounding the upcoming trial. NOTHING in our conversation prepared us for the next steps. Sunday night we received an email that sent us scrambling. We immediately jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails. We met with prosecution AGAIN today to reiterate our views on pushing for the death penalty. Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter. We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder then anyone could EVER imagine. Please do not argue or try to tell us that we should have done this or that. We gave it 200% for the last 2 years and 7 months. One day we will tell you all what we have really been through from day one. You will all be shocked. We fought a long battle, but we lost the war. We did gain an army of love that we know will always stand by us! We have so much love for each and every one of you. You all gave us strength when we felt like we couldn't take another step, called us off the ledge when we were ready to wave the white flag, and most importantly prayed for us when we were in utter despair and hopeless. So much LOVE to ALL of you
Bryan Kohlberger's plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.
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