Latest news with #MaryAnnKohberger
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Emotional courtroom moment that hinted at inner turmoil faced by Bryan Kohberger's mother
's mother was visibly emotional throughout his sentencing hearing despite the killer's stone-cold demeanor. MaryAnn Kohberger was in the courtroom alongside Kohberger's lookalike sister Amanda, as Judge Steven Hippler handed down four life sentences for the 'grotesque murders' of Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. At several points during the victim impact statement portion of the hearing, MaryAnn 'shuddered' with emotion. The killer's mom is understood to have quietly wept throughout court proceedings, and briefly sobbed when Mogen's grandmother spoke of her grief for the other victims' families, as well as the Kohbergers. She and her daughter sat quietly near the defense table, the only two people in the gallery there to support Kohberger. His father did not attend, but he was present when Kohberger pleaded guilty earlier this month. MaryAnn and Amanda were pictured slipping out a back door of the courtroom after Kohberger was told he would spend his life in prison with no possibility of parole. The shattered mom wore dark glasses to cover her face. Her hair was swept up in an updo, and she wore a black floral dress with dangly earrings. Amanda, meanwhile, looked straight down the lens of the camera as she exited first from the courthouse. She and MaryAnn had traveled from their home in Pennsylvania to witness the conclusion of one of the most infamous crimes of the 21st century. They were escorted from the courtroom by police after and did not make any statement. The family issued a statement just days after Kohberger's arrest, saying they would be standing by him. The statement said they 'care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children' and that they were cooperating fully with the investigation. They added that 'as a family we will love and support our son and brother.' Kohberger has never explained his motive for carrying out the murders. He sat in court Wednesday as he heard heart-wrenching statements from families of the four students he stabbed to death. He was asked if he'd like to address the court, but said: 'I respectfully decline.' Judge Hippler said the heartbroken families may never know why Kohberger killed their loved ones. 'The need to know what is inherently not understandable makes us dependent upon the defendant to provide us with a reason, and that gives him the spotlight, the attention and the power he appears to crave,' he said. 'In my view, the time has now come to end Mr Kohberger's 15 minutes of fame. 'It's time that he been consigned to the ignominy and isolation of perpetual incarceration.' Kohberger was studying for a doctorate degree in criminology at Washington State University in 2022 when he drove to the small town of Moscow, Idaho and broke into the victims' shared house. He went from room to room stabbing four of the six occupants to death. Kohberger was arrested at his parents' house in Pennsylvania thousands of miles away on December 30 that year, after DNA found on a knife sheath was traced to him. He continued to deny the charges, despite mounting evidence, and appeared set to go to trial until this month when a shock plea deal was announced - sparing him the death penalty. After the victim impact statements concluded on Wednesday, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson offered more details about how that plea bargain came about. On June 18, Kohberger's final motions were argued before the court - to delay the trial and to be able to accuse others of being alternate suspects. 'The following week, we were approached by the defense on a possible plea,' the prosecutor said. This was the first mention of a possible plea as the defense 'maintained from the beginning that he was innocent.' Thompson, the prosecutor, said his office met with the victims' families about the potential of a plea deal. 'We understand, recognise and acknowledge that there was a difference of opinion among representatives of the different families,' he said. His office decided to take the plea deal, but accepts that not everyone supported his decision. 'I accept that. It's my responsibility,' he said.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Bryan Kohberger's lookalike sister dons smart red dress to watch sentencing
Bryan Kohberger 's lookalike sister Amanda donned an eye-catching crimson dress as she traveled to Idaho to watch her killer brother get imprisoned for life. Amanda stared stonily ahead as she exited the courtroom in Boise Wednesday, delivering a glare that hauntingly resembled the expression Kohberger sported in court. She and mom MaryAnn traveled from their home in Pennsylvania to witness the conclusion of one of the most infamous crimes of the 21st century. They were escorted from the courtroom by police after and did not make any statement. Kohberger's family watched as relatives of the four students murdered by Kohberger in Moscow, Idaho in November 2022 lined up to heap insults and scorn upon him. Judge Stephen Hippler was equally uncompromising, accusing Kohberger of 'grotesque evil' as he ordered him imprisoned. Kohberger was handed a life sentence for each life he took - one for Madison Mogen, a second for Kaylee Goncalves, a third for Ethan Chapin and the final one for Xana Kernodle, all aged just 19 or 20 at the time of their deaths. His mother MaryAnn is understood to have 'shuddered' with emotion during today's sentencing. Bryan Kohberger is seen being led out of court Wednesday after being handed four life sentences for each life he took - one for Madison Mogen, a second for Kaylee Goncalves, a third for Ethan Chapin and the final one for Xana Kernodle In a chilling coincidence, Amanda - a former actress - once starred in a gory slasher movie where young students were brutally hacked to death on a camping trip. She portrayed 'Lori' in the low-budget thriller 'Two Days Back' in 2011 – with characters being stabbed and slashed with knives and hatchets. The film's plot bares chilling similarities to her brother's crime - attacking four students as they slept in the remote college town of Moscow, Idaho. The horror film shows the group being murdered one by one by a maniac killer who won over their trust – but Kohberger's sister is one of the few to survive the slayings. Similarly, Kohberger spared two housemates when he carried out his rampage on November 12, 2022. The Kohberger family issued a statement just days after his arrest, saying they would be standing by him. The statement said they 'care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children' and that they were cooperating fully with the investigation. They added that 'as a family we will love and support our son and brother.' But the family - especially his sisters - faced a multitude of troubles after his arrest. Amanda, who was working as an actress at the time, and their sister Melissa, a school counselor, were both let go from their jobs. Amanda has since landed a new job as a counselor close to the family's home. Public records show she got her Pennsylvania social work license in June last year. Kohberger has never explained his motive for carrying out the murders. He sat passively in court Wednesday as he heard heart-wrenching statements from families of the four students he stabbed to death. He was asked if he'd like to address the court, but in a frighteningly forceful voice said: 'I respectfully decline.' Kohberger sat impassively as his sentence was passed. The initial part of the hearing had seen the families of his victims confront him. Handing down four life sentences without the possibility of parole, Hippler said the heartbroken families may never know why Kohberger killed their loved ones. 'The need to know what is inherently not understandable makes us dependent upon the defendant to provide us with a reason, and that gives him the spotlight, the attention and the power he appears to crave,' he said. 'In my view, the time has now come to end Mr Kohberger's 15 minutes of fame. 'It's time that he been consigned to the ignominy and isolation of perpetual incarceration. Kohberger was studying for a doctorate degree in criminology at Washington State University in 2022 when he drove to the small town of Moscow, Idaho and broke into the victims' shared house. He went from room to room stabbing four of the six occupants to death. Kohberger was arrested at his parents' house in Pennsylvania thousands of miles away on December 30 that year, after DNA found on a knife sheath was traced to him. He continued to deny the charges, despite mounting evidence, and appeared set to go to trial until this month when a shock plea deal was announced - sparing him the death pentrly. Not all families were happy with the agreement, with the Goncalves family saying it was 'shocking and cruel' that he would not face a firing squad. 'After more than two years, this is how it concludes with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims' families on the plea's details,' the family wrote in a statement when the deal was announced. 'Bryan Kohberger facing 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,' they said. Friends and family of the victims attending the sentencing on Wednesday paid tribute to their loved ones, while many dismissed Kohberger as a 'failure' or said they hoped fellow prisoners would mete out justice. Others said they had faith that God would punish him. 'Man, you're going to go to hell,' Kernodle's stepfather Randy Davis told Kohberger, shaking with rage.
