BOISE, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger reached a plea agreement in the case over the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, agreeing to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in exchange for prosecutors withdrawing their pursuit of the death penalty, according to court proceedings and the Latah County Prosecutor's Office.
Kohberger, a former Washington State University criminology graduate student, entered the agreement weeks before his trial had been scheduled to begin. Under the terms outlined in court, he is expected to receive four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murder convictions and a consecutive sentence of up to 10 years on the burglary charge. The agreement also requires him to waive his right to appeal the convictions and sentences.
The charges stem from the fatal stabbings of University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022. The killings drew nationwide attention and prompted a weeks-long investigation before authorities arrested Kohberger in Pennsylvania in December 2022. Investigators said DNA evidence, cellphone records and vehicle data linked him to the crime. Kohberger had previously pleaded not guilty.
During the plea hearing, District Judge Steven Hippler questioned Kohberger to confirm that his decision was voluntary before accepting the guilty pleas. Prosecutors said the agreement secures permanent imprisonment while avoiding the uncertainty and lengthy appeals process that could have followed a capital trial.
Reaction among the victims' families was divided. Relatives of Kaylee Goncalves publicly criticized the agreement, saying they had wanted prosecutors to continue seeking the death penalty and expressing frustration over how the deal was communicated. Other family members indicated they supported a resolution that guarantees Kohberger will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole.
The case had been one of the most closely watched criminal prosecutions in the United States, with extensive pretrial litigation over evidence, jury selection and the potential use of capital punishment. The plea agreement brought an end to plans for a lengthy murder trial that had been scheduled to begin in August.
Judge Hippler scheduled sentencing for later in July, when relatives of the victims are expected to have an opportunity to deliver impact statements before the court imposes the agreed-upon penalties.
