Bryan Kohberger accepts plea deal in fatal stabbings of 4 Idaho college students, prosecutors say

CBS News

10 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger has accepted a plea deal that will spare him the death penalty in the slayings of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, according to a letter sent to the victims' families by prosecutors.
Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the stabbings of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, who were killed at a home in Moscow, Idaho, during the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
In the letter, portions of which were shown to CBS News by Mogen's father, Ben Mogen, the Latah County Prosecutor's Office says attorneys for Kohberger requested a plea deal and Kohberger accepted it.
The letter says Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to all the counts against him and that he would be sentenced to "four consecutive (back to back) life sentences on the four Murder counts" and would waive all rights to appeal.
The letter also says that if Kohberger "enters guilty pleas as expected" at an upcoming hearing, "we anticipate that this case will be set for sentencing in late July. If Defendant does not enter guilty pleas as expected, we are prepared to proceed to trial as planned."
The date of the plea hearing was uncertain as of Tuesday morning.
Kohberger had been fighting the charges. His trial was expected to begin in August, following several delays.
An attorney for the family of one of the other victims, Kaylee Goncalves, also confirmed to CBS News that they received a proposed plea deal for Kohberger.
The murders terrorized the community, and for weeks, the hunt for a suspect was shrouded in mystery. Kohberger was arrested six weeks later at his parents' home in Pennsylvania. According to a police affidavit, DNA evidence linked him to a knife sheath found at the crime scene.
At the time of his arrest, Kohberger was a Ph.D. criminology student and teaching assistant at Washington State University's Pullman campus, which is about a 15-minute drive from Moscow, Idaho.
After news broke of the plea deal, a post on the Goncalves family's Facebook page said, "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."
In a separate post, the family said they attended a meeting with prosecutors. Aubrie Goncalves, the youngest member of the family, was not able to attend the meeting and said in a written statement, "The introduction of this plea deal, just weeks before the scheduled trial, is both shocking and cruel." She continued, "Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world. Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever."
In a formal statement, the Goncalves family said, "The Latah County Prosecutor's Office's treatment of our family during this process is something I wouldn't wish on anyone."
The family added that "it was no shock how the Latah County Prosecutor's Office mishandled the plea deal. They vaguely mentioned a possible plea on Friday, without seeking our input, and presented the plea on Sunday. Latah County should be ashamed of its Prosecutor's Office."
The trial was originally going to be held in Latah County, where the murders occurred, but Latah County District Judge John Judge later ordered the trial be moved over concerns the media coverage and statements from local officials would make it impossible for Kohberger to receive a fair trial. The Idaho Supreme Court moved the proceedings to Boise.
Bryan Kohberger listens to arguments during a pre-trial hearing on Oct. 26, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho.
Kai Eiselein / Getty Images
Kohberger's defense team had previously tried to remove the death penalty as a possible sentence if he was convicted, but Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied their motions back in November 2024.
Among the evidence prosecutors were planning to present was Kohberger's Amazon purchase history showing he bought a Ka-Bar knife with sheath and sharpener, which they claimed matched the sheath found at the crime scene. Prosecutors also claimed "touch DNA" matching DNA taken from Kohberger was found on the sheath. The defense tried to exclude the touch DNA evidence, but Hippler denied that request.
Prosecutors were also planning to present surveillance video of Kohberger's car and cellphone data that they said tied him to the vicinity of the killings.
Last week, the judge denied a motion by Kohberger's lawyers, who were seeking to argue that four "alternate perpetrators" could have committed the murders. The judge called it "rank speculation" and said "nothing links these individuals to the homicides."