Bryan Kohberger sentencing live updates: Families of Idaho murder victims to address killer directly in courtroom

Yahoo

3 days ago

Victim statements will be read, while Kohberger will have an opportunity to address the court.
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, is scheduled to be sentenced today.
The murder victims — Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin — were found stabbed to death in their off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. Prosecutors laid out key DNA evidence, surveillance footage and cellphone records that linked Kohberger to the killings.
Kohberger, 30, was expected to go through a lengthy and highly publicized trial in August. But in a surprise turn of events, Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2 to murdering the four students as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.
He's expected to receive four consecutive life sentences, plus 10 years for burglary, according to the deal. He also waived his right to appeal and to challenge the sentence. The agreement doesn't require Kohberger to explain his motive or actions, which has been one of many unanswered questions in the case as the victims' families search for answers.
On Monday, President Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he hopes presiding Judge Steven Hippler 'makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders.'
'There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING. People were shocked that he was able to plea bargain, but the Judge should make him explain what happened,' Trump wrote online, adding, 'These were vicious murders, with so many questions left unanswered.'
Here's what to expect on Wednesday.
When is the sentencing hearing?
It is scheduled to take place today, July 23, at 9 a.m. MT (11 a.m. ET) at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho.
'This hearing is expected to last the day,' according to the Ada County court's website. 'The court has tentatively scheduled short breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon, as well as a 40-minute lunch break.'
Will the public be able to watch the sentencing as it unfolds?
Yes. The public will be able to watch Kohberger's sentencing in person at the courthouse and over livestream, according to the court's website.
For people interested in attending in person, the courthouse will open at 7:30 a.m. MT, and the courtroom will open about 15 minutes before the hearing starts. An overflow room at the courthouse will also show the livestream.
Who is expected to give victim impact statements?
Kohberger will come face to face with the victims' families, who will get the chance to read their victim impact statements in open court.
The families of Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle are angry with prosecutors over the plea deal and will be able to address their daughter's killer directly.
'Today was the day, the day for answers, the day to find out what happened, to find out really anything about what the Defendant did that night and why he took the lives of 4 beautiful people. At least that's what we hoped for but hope is really all we had today,' the Goncalves family's statement read following Kohberger's guilty plea.
'I had hoped the agreement would include conditions that required the defendant to explain his actions and provide answers to the many questions that still remain, especially where evidence is missing or unclear,' Jeff Kernodle, Xana's father, said in a statement on July 2.
The two roommates who survived the murders, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, could speak in court themselves or have a statement read on their behalf by an attorney or relative.
"Our hope is that not only the families, but the friends, even the Moscow community and all the communities that were affected by this, can start to heal and bring some sort of closure to this horrendous act,' Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger told ABC News.
Judge Hippler said that to give the victims' families time to make their statements, the hearing may stretch into a second day.
Will Kohberger speak?
After the victim impact statements are read, Kohberger will have a chance to address the court before he is sentenced, in what is called an allocution. But he is not obligated to speak. This will provide an opportunity for Kohberger to reveal answers to burning questions that still remain a mystery: Why did he do it, why that house, and why those particular students?
After the opportunity for Kohberger's allocution, Judge Hippler will hand down Kohberger's sentence.
What's next after the sentencing?
Kohberger is currently being held at the Ada County Jail in Boise. He'll be transferred into the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections, where he'll be evaluated to determine where he will be housed to serve his sentences, spokesperson Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic told USA Today.
A long-standing gag order was also lifted last week, which means police and prosecutors can now speak out about the case. Documents that were sealed in the high-profile case may be made public soon.
"I think the rights of the public to information in this case is paramount given the fact that a plea has been entered in this case,' Judge Hippler said during a July 17 hearing.
Hippler said he will review the sealed material in the weeks and months to come after Wednesday's scheduled sentencing to determine which documents should be made public.