BOISE, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty Tuesday to murdering four University of Idaho students, accepting a plea deal that spares him from the death penalty.
The 30-year-old admitted to killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in their off-campus home in 2022. He had maintained his innocence for more than two and a half years.
“How do you plea… guilty or not guilty?” the judge asked.
“Guilty,” Kohberger responded.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one burglary charge. In exchange, he will receive four consecutive life sentences instead of the death penalty.
“Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” Judge Hippler asked.
“Yes,” Kohberger replied.
The judge also asked specifically about Madison Mogen: “Did you kill Madison Mogen, a human being?”
“Yes,” he answered.
The Mogen family supported the agreement.
Their attorney Leander James read a statement: “We love you Maddie, and we miss you. We agree with the plea agreement 100 percent. While we know there are some who don’t support it, we ask that you respect our belief that this is the best possible outcome for the victims, their families, and the state of Idaho.”
The Goncalves family opposed the deal. When asked if four life sentences represented justice, Steve Goncalves said: “No of course not. It’s daycare. Prison is daycare, people.”
The Goncalves family said the victims’ families were not adequately consulted before the state made the deal.
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