Horrific new details of Idaho victim Kaylee Goncalves final moments
Kaylee Goncalves, 21, was murdered alongside three other students, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, by Bryan Kohberger on November 13, 2022.
The four university students were attacked and stabbed to death around 4am while they were sleeping in their student accommodation near the university's campus in Moscow, Idaho.
Two other housemates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were left unharmed.
On July 3, Kohberger pleaded guilty to the gruesome attack, nearly three years after it made headlines around the world, part of a deal that spared the 30-year-old from the death penalty – a decision which divided the victims' families.
Ms Goncalves' parents have since taken to social media to air their frustrations at the deal, sharing harrowing new details about the undergrad's final moments on their family Facebook account, including the revelation that she fought for her life as the killer stabbed her to death, the New York Post reports.
'[I]f your 21yr old daughter was sleeping in her bed and BK [Bryan Kohberger] went into her house with the intention to kill her and he did, by stabbing her MANY times, as well as beating her in the face and head while it was clear that she fought for her life … what would you want?' the post said.
The family's frustration comes as it was revealed in court by that Kohberger walked up to the third floor and murdered Ms Goncalves and her best friend, Madison Mogen, 21, rather than target any of the three people sleeping in the two bedrooms on the second floor.
'It gets so old having people say we want vengeance and make it sound like we are animals for having those feelings … I just find it so hard that so many people are judging us and they have never stepped foot in our shoes,' the family added.
The Goncalves' family had hoped Kohberger would receive the death penalty, but Ms Mogen's father expressed relief over the agreement.
'We can actually put this behind us and not have these future dates and future things that we don't want to have to be at, that we shouldn't have to be at, that have to do with this terrible person,' he told CBS News.
'We get to just think about the rest of our lives and have to try and figure out how to do it without Maddie and without the rest of the kids.'
Kohberger also waived his right to appeal or seek leniency as part of the agreement.
His trial was set to begin next month with jury selection slated for August 4 and opening arguments for August 18.
He now faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, with his sentencing set for later this month.
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