University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen died in a horrific slaying in November 2022. It took investigators more than a month, but they eventually arrested prime suspect Bryan Christopher Kohberger on December 30, 2022. Prosecutors ultimately charged Kohberger with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. More than two and a half years after the murders, Kohberger agreed to a plea deal, a move that shocked and angered those who loved the victims.
According to ABC News, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to all four murder counts and will waive his right to appeal. He will spend the rest of his life in prison but avoided the death penalty.
Prosecutors sent a letter outlining the plea deal to the victims’ families. ABC News obtained a copy of the letter, which states that prosecutors want justice for the families.
“This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction, appeals. Your viewpoints weighed heavily in our decision-making process, and we hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice,” the letter reads.
Aubrie Goncalves, Kaylee’s 18-year-old sister, shared her frustration in a poignant Facebook post. She could not attend the family’s meeting with prosecutors but felt it necessary to share her disappointment in the court’s decision. She wants her sister and the victims to be remembered by their names and not as “The Idaho Four.”
“They were sons, daughters, siblings, and friends—real people with real dreams. They deserve to be remembered for who they were in life, not only for the tragedy of their deaths. But before that can truly happen, they deserve justice. Nothing less,” she wrote in her June 30 post.
“The introduction of this plea deal, just weeks before the scheduled trial, is both shocking and cruel. Had this proposal come a year and a half ago, the families could have had time to process, discuss, and potentially come to terms with the idea of a life sentence—however difficult that may be. We could have had the time to understand it, to prepare for it emotionally, and perhaps even to find some degree of peace. But now, with mere weeks left, we are being asked to absorb and respond to life-altering decisions with no room to breathe,” Aubrie added.
The teenager explained that in prison, Kohberger will have a chance to talk, build relationships, and live, but Kaylee, Ethan, Madison, and Xana were “silenced forever.”
She ended her statement with a call for justice for the victims and their families.
“The justice system was created to serve and protect—not to retraumatize grieving families. And yet, time and time again, we find ourselves blindsided, unheard, and unsupported. This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought,” she wrote in her post. “We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking—pleading—for a justice system that truly lives up to its name.”
Many agreed with the statement and lauded the young woman for speaking her truth.
“Looking back, over the past 2 1/2 years I’ve seen the justice system and Idaho put their time and energy into making accommodations for Bryan Kohberger more than they have put towards FIGHTING for justice for the victims. 2 1/2 years of addition mental, emotional, and physical torture to the families of the victims,” one comment reads.
“I don’t have much to say other than Aubrie has a beautiful way with words and I am so, so deeply sorry for what your family has endured since November 2022,” another person wrote. “I’ve been on this journey with you all since the beginning and this is a very frustrating ending. I’m so sorry.”
“What true words from such a young girl. To speak so truthfully and so well is a privilege yet a curse because she shouldn’t have to,” someone else commented. “These conversations shouldn’t be had because those beautiful young people should still be here. My heart goes out to all the families!”
