Justice Delayed, Not Delivered”: Families Devastated as Bryan Kohberger Set to Plead Guilty in University of Idaho Quadruple Murder
MOSCOW, Idaho — A quiet college town is once again gripped by anguish, heartbreak, and disbelief. Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of brutally murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, is expected to plead guilty this week in a deal that spares him the death penalty — a move that has shattered the victims’ families all over again.
Kohberger, 30, a former criminal justice graduate student, was set to face trial in August for the stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — all young, promising students whose lives were stolen in the dark hours of a November morning. The attack, described as chilling and calculated, stunned the quiet farming community of Moscow, Idaho — a place where homicides were nearly unheard of.
Now, nearly two years after the killings, the news of a plea deal has left families reeling once more.
“We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho,” Kaylee Goncalves’ family wrote in a Facebook post. “They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected.”
The plea, revealed by family attorney Shanon Gray, was part of a deal proposed by Kohberger’s defense to avoid the death penalty. Prosecutors, citing a desire to ensure conviction and spare the families years of traumatic appeals, agreed to the deal — a decision that many relatives of the victims feel robbed them of true justice.
Autopsies showed the four students were likely asleep when they were attacked, some bearing defensive wounds, all stabbed multiple times. The brutality of the act still haunts their families and friends, and the thought of their killer avoiding the harshest punishment has reignited emotional wounds.
Kohberger, arrested in Pennsylvania after weeks of investigation, was tied to the scene by DNA evidence recovered from a knife sheath left behind. He has maintained his innocence, with his lawyers previously claiming he was on a solo drive during the time of the murders.
The Goncalves family, among others, have now asked prosecutors to delay the plea hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, so they can travel to Boise and be present for the proceedings.
“This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,” prosecutors wrote in a letter. “We hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice.”
But for many, there’s no comfort in compromise. No deal can undo the unimaginable horror of losing four beautiful souls who had barely begun to live.
As this case enters a new chapter, families are left holding on to each other — and to the memory of Kaylee, Madison, Xana, and Ethan — demanding that their voices not be silenced, even if the system seems to move on.
