‘He was mad': Detail we missed as killer confronted in court

News.com.au

29-07-2025

The young woman who bravely confronted her sister's killer as he was jailed for life has detailed the moment we all missed in the blistering courtroom take-down.
Alivea Goncalves, sister of murdered Kaylee Goncalves, has opened up about her decision to give Bryan Kohberger a verbal shakedown during his sentencing.
Kohberger was given four consecutive life sentences after he snuck into the shared home of Idaho State University students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20 in Moscow, Idaho.
All four were stabbed to death in their beds by Kohberger, now 30, at around 4am on November 13, 2022.
Two other flatmates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were unharmed, despite Kohberger being seemingly aware they were there.
Kohberger agreed to a plea deal on July 2 that saw him admit to the murders and waive his right to appeal in exchange for not getting the death penalty.
The legal move left some of the victim's families outraged, including the Goncalves', prompting family members to channel that anger during their powerful, and unforgettable, victim impact statements.
Videos of Alivea's blistering take-down of Kohberger, which saw the 26-year-old call him 'a delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac loser', quickly went viral around the world – with many praising her courage.
She has now spoken out about her brave statement, revealing she was 'fuelled by seeing the rage on his face', as well as revealing the detail we all missed.
'I had one shot at it and I was gonna make the most of it,' she told ABC News.
'I went off memory because I didn't want to break eye contact.
'Man … was he mad. That was obviously a big point of why I did what I did, to make him feel small.'
Alivea added that she was 'prepared to be arrested' for telling Kohberger he was 'as dumb as they come, stupid, clumsy, slow, sloppy, weak, dirty'.
But at one point during her victim impact statement, Kohberger appeared to take sick pleasure in the verbal lashing — flashing a slight grin at Alivea.
Other than that brief moment, he wore a blank expression on his face through the entire proceeding despite Alivea's powerful statement.
He also stayed silent when he was given the chance to address the court, stating: 'I respectfully decline.'
Her comments come after police reports taken from the scene were made public, revealing Ms Goncalves – who was murdered alongside her lifelong best friend Maddie Mogen – was stabbed more than 30 times and had defensive wounds on her body.
The 21-year-old was described as 'unrecognisable as her facial structure was extremely damaged,' the documents stated, a 'gruesome and graphic' detail Alivea said the family wanted made public to let people know 'Kaylee absolutely fought for her life'.
During the courtroom confrontation, Alivea drew a large applause as she ordered Kohberger to 'sit up straight when I talk to you'.
'Let me be very clear. Don't ever try to convince yourself you mattered just because someone finally said your name out loud,' she told the convicted killer.
'I see through you.
'You want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most: If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night like a paedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f***ing ass.'
Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee's mum, also delivered a colourful condemnation of her daughter's murderer.
'Your fellow inmates will be awaiting your arrival,' she said.
While father Steve Goncalves labelled him a 'joke' while ridiculing the lazy trail of evidence he left behind at the scene of his gruesome quadruple murder.
known as 'one of America's worst hellhole prisons'.
Conditions are said to be extremely tough at the jail, which was reportedly opened in 1989 to confine the state's 'most disruptive male residents', with inmates given little access to home comforts.
Kohberger's first meal in notorious prison
Prisoners have access to basic food services at the unit, including various selective diets, such as vegetarian menus and a 'healthy choice' option.
For vegan inmates like Kohberger, vegan barley casserole, baked beans and canned fruit are on offer.
On Wednesday night, the day of his arrival, the menu included hotdogs, salad and Jello pie, a prison official told the New York Post.
A photo shared on the Idaho Department of Correction of a meal served at IMSI shows a red tray, featuring a main meal, a side, as well as a salad and dessert along with a drink.
Kohberger, who was previously being held at the Ada County Jail in Boise during his trial, is now expected to live out his days at IMSI — the state's only max security prison.
Inside the 'hellhole' prison
The IMSI is reportedly 'tucked away in a desolate area on the outskirts of the state's capital' and has earned a grim reputation for its harsh conditions.
In the past the prison has seen allegations of abusive guards, experienced violent brawls, and is said to have had complaints from inmates over its faeces-covered recreation 'cages' and a dirty ventilation system described as being 'biohazard'.
Two of Idaho's most notorious serial killers — Gerald Pizzuto and Thomas Eugene Creech — are also serving time there, along with doomsday cult killer Chad Daybell.