Who is Bryan Kohlberger? Suspect in University of Idaho Student Murders, Agrees to Plead Guilty

Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students, has agreed to plead guilty as part of a deal with prosecutors. This plea deal will allow him to avoid the death penalty, according to an attorney representing one of the victim’s families.

The victims — Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen — were fatally stabbed in a rental home near the university campus in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. Autopsy reports revealed that the students were likely asleep when attacked and suffered multiple stab wounds, including defensive injuries.

Who is Bryan Kohlberger?

Kohberger, 30, was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University when he was arrested in Pennsylvania a few weeks after the killings. Police matched his DNA to evidence found at the crime scene, specifically from a knife sheath.

Prosecutors informed the families of the plea agreement via email and letter on Monday. The families, however, expressed shock and anger at the decision. Kaylee Goncalves’ family posted on Facebook that they were “beyond furious” and felt the state had failed them.

A hearing to change Kohberger’s plea is scheduled for Wednesday, but the families have requested a delay to allow them more time to travel to Boise, where the trial was moved from the local area for a fair trial.

Prosecutors explained the plea deal aims to provide justice by ensuring Kohberger will spend the rest of his life in prison and avoid years of appeals and uncertainty for the families.

The case shocked the small community of Moscow, which rarely experiences violent crime. The trial has been closely watched but has been under a gag order, limiting public discussion by attorneys and investigators.