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Fox News
03-07-2025
- Fox News
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Bryan Kohberger's plea, Barry Morphew's charges, Rockefeller heir's last words
GUILTY: Bryan Kohberger admits to Idaho murders CHILLING IMAGE: Idaho firefighter ambush suspect seen in war paint before deadly attack MURDER SUSPECT: Barry Morphew extradited to Colorado to face charges in wife's 2020 disappearance LONG ROAD: Bryan Kohberger plea caps yearslong quest for justice 'FULL ACCOUNTABILITY': Idaho victim's family demands Kohberger confess in court after plea deal decision WITHOUT A TRACE: Rockefeller heir vanished in tribal waters after eerie last words 'SHOCKING': Family of victim in Bryan Kohberger case say they were sent into 'panic mode' after plea deal SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER WAKE-UP CALL: Friends who discovered Idaho murder victims reveal eerie omen before the massacre LAST MAN STANDING: New Orleans jail escapee who begged Trump for help captured as manhunt targets last fugitive COURTHOUSE REVOLT: Former boxing coach says Kohberger never competed despite boasts LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Al Jazeera
01-07-2025
- Al Jazeera
Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty in Idaho killings to avoid execution
A man charged with the murder of four students in the northwestern US state of Idaho is set to plead guilty this week to avoid the death penalty, according to a lawyer representing a victim's family and a relative of another victim. Bryan Kohberger has agreed to the deal with prosecutors, Shanon Gray, a lawyer representing the family of one of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, said on Monday, adding that his clients were upset about it. Kohberger, 30, is accused of the stabbing deaths of Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen at a rental home near the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, early on November 13, 2022. 'We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho,' Goncalves' family wrote in a Facebook post. 'They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected.' Gray said prosecutors informed the families of the deal by email and letter. They spoke with the prosecution on Friday about the idea of a plea deal and explained they were firmly against it, the Goncalves family wrote in another post. But by Sunday, they received an email that 'sent us scrambling' and met with the prosecution again on Monday to explain their views about pushing for the death penalty. 'Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter. We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder than anyone could EVER imagine,' the family wrote. '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 added. A change of plea hearing was set for Wednesday, but the family has asked prosecutors to delay it to give them more time to travel to the court. At the time of the murders, Kohberger was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University, about 9 miles (14km) west of the University of Idaho. He was arrested in Pennsylvania, where his parents lived, weeks later. Investigators said they matched his DNA to genetic material recovered from a knife sheath found at the crime scene. No motive has emerged for the killings, nor is it clear why the attacker spared two roommates who were in the home. The murders shocked the small farming community of about 25,000 people, which had not had a homicide in about five years, and prompted a wide hunt for the perpetrator.
Washington Post
01-07-2025
- Washington Post
What to know about Kohberger agreeing to plead guilty to murdering 4 University of Idaho students
BOISE, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to murder in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students as part of a deal to avoid the death penalty, an attorney for one victim's family said Monday. Here's what to know about the case and the recent developments:
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
Idaho Murders Victim's Family Cries Out As Bryan Kohberger Takes Plea Deal In Shock Twist: 'They've Failed Us'
Idaho murders suspect, Bryan Kohberger, has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to the gruesome killings of four undergrads in 2022. The shock move comes after a lengthy legal process that has spanned years, with Kohberger's lawyers fighting tooth and nail to delay his trial, which had been scheduled for August 2025, while arguing about the possibility of other suspects. However, with the prosecutors proposing to drop the death penalty, Bryan Kohberger has now accepted a plea deal that entails him pleading guilty to the murders and to a burglary charge. According to reports, Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in their off-campus home on King Road in November 2022. A plea deal that he has accepted will ensure Kohberger is safe from the death penalty and will instead serve life in prison without parole. A judge had previously entered a "not guilty" plea for the former criminology grad student when he stayed silent during a plea hearing. Now, he is scheduled to change his plea in court on Wednesday, July 2. This development has, however, left the family of a victim, Kaylee Goncalves, infuriated. "We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho," a Facebook post read, per the Daily Mail. "They have failed us. This was very unexpected." The Goncalves have been quite vocal about Kohberger and his lawyers since the gruesome incident. Back in 2023, Steve Goncalves, Kaylee's father, opened up to Fox News, stating that the murder suspect was being given preferential treatment while awaiting trial. At the time, he claimed to have received information that Kohberger had privileges, including exceptional food and internet access, while in jail. Goncalves said, "I've been told that his privileges before the trial, like having five suits, access to video and a computer, and getting special vegan meals, are like nothing we've seen in Idaho's history." The father of the victim added that he "personally saw" the moment when the police "decided not to handcuff" Kohberger during a court hearing. Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, almost six weeks after the murders of the Idaho students. According to prosecutors, Kohberger broke into the four students' home after they had gone to bed following a night party and stabbed them to death. Court documents showed that Kohberger had purchased a black balaclava nearly a year before a witness reported seeing a masked man inside the home of the murders. Prosecutors alleged that the suspected killer bought the face covering on January 10, 2022, at a Dick's Sporting Goods store in Pittsburgh, eleven months before the fatal stabbings on November 13, 2022. They also pointed to Kohberger's online shopping history, which includes purchasing a combat-style knife, a sheath, and a sharpener from Amazon approximately eight months before the attack. A knife sheath containing Kohberger's DNA was later recovered at the crime scene. Additionally, Dylan Mortensen, a witness inside the King Road residence the night of the killings, told police they saw a man wearing a similar mask. According to Newsweek, prosecutors planned to highlight Kohberger's background in criminology by introducing his academic records from DeSales University, where he took courses related to criminal justice. Adding to the list of evidence was surveillance footage from a convenience store that reportedly captured Kohberger driving to and from the scene of the murders. Prosecutors also intended to introduce his driver's license as evidence, both to confirm his ability to operate a vehicle and to match his physical appearance with a witness description of the person seen fleeing the victims' residence. Furthermore, a report by NBC News' "Dateline" claimed that Kohberger allegedly scoured the internet for images of female students from both Washington State University and the University of Idaho. He reportedly searched for photos of women in swimsuits, some of which were linked to friends or followers of the three young women who were later murdered. Beyond the mountain of evidence against Kohberger, his defense faced additional obstacles after prosecutors revealed a college essay he wrote, which showed he had an understanding of crime scenes. In the unsettling essay, Kohberger detailed how crime scene investigators use "fiber-free" overalls, gloves, and booties to prevent contaminating evidence with their DNA and fingerprints. He also explored multiple facets of crime scene investigation and repeatedly stressed the importance of safeguarding the area from contamination. In another part of the essay, Kohberger discussed how perpetrators might introduce items into the crime scene to mislead investigators. He also cautioned investigators against making hasty conclusions in such scenarios. "Even if there was an item introduced to the scene by an offender to throw off investigators, it is not the job of the criminal investigator processing the crime scene to jump to conclusions," Kohberger wrote in the chilling piece.
News.com.au
30-06-2025
- News.com.au
Bombshell update in murder of four Idaho students
Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger has reportedly accepted a plea deal in order to avoid the death penalty. Kohberger will now plead guilty to the brutal killing of four American students in their own home in Idaho, according to reports. A life sentence is also part of the plea deal, which was first reported by NewsNation reporter Brian Entin on Monday evening. He must reportedly spend the rest of his life locked up with no possibility of parole and must waive his right to appeal. A court hearing over the bombshell U-turn is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Kohberger's trial had been scheduled to start on August 18. The family of one of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, expressed their anger in a statement. 'It's true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us,' the family said. 'Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.'
