BOISE, Idaho — On July 23, 2025, Bryan Kohberger, 30, was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for the brutal 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students. The sentencing, held at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, marks the conclusion of a high-profile case that gripped the nation. Kohberger also received a 10-year sentence for a related burglary charge, to be served consecutively.
Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, pleaded guilty on July 2, 2025, to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The students were fatally stabbed in the early hours of November 13, 2022, at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped the death penalty, ensuring Kohberger would spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of appeal.
During the emotional sentencing hearing, friends and family of the victims delivered powerful victim impact statements. Surviving roommate Bethany Funke, through a friend, shared the ongoing trauma, stating, “I have not slept through a single night since this happened. I constantly wake up in panic, terrified someone is breaking in.” Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee, taunted Kohberger, saying, “You were that careless, that foolish, that stupid. Master’s degree? You’re a joke.” Dylan Mortensen, the other surviving roommate, also spoke, recounting seeing a masked man with “bushy eyebrows” in the house that night.Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson outlined key evidence, including DNA found on a Ka-Bar knife sheath left near Mogen’s body, which matched Kohberger’s through genetic genealogy. Surveillance footage of Kohberger’s white Hyundai Elantra near the crime scene and cellphone data placing him in the area multiple times before and after the murders further solidified the case. Despite the evidence, the murder weapon—a fixed-blade knife—has not been recovered, and Kohberger’s motive remains unknown. “The motive may never be known,” said Judge Steven Hippler, who presided over the case, adding that focusing on the “why” risks giving Kohberger undue relevance.
The plea deal sparked mixed reactions among victims’ families. Mogen’s family supported the agreement, stating it allowed them to “embark on a path of hope and healing.” However, the Goncalves family expressed outrage, criticizing prosecutors for not consulting them adequately and demanding a full confession, including the location of the murder weapon. “This plea did not represent the victims’ families; it represented an easy way out and no answers,” they said in a statement.Newly released police documents revealed additional details about Kohberger’s behavior. While in Latah County Jail, he took long showers, washed his hands dozens of times daily, and barely slept, often staying awake at night and napping during the day. A former classmate noted injuries on Kohberger’s face and hands in late 2022, which he attributed to a car accident. Police also found no evidence linking Kohberger to the victims’ social media or suggesting a prior connection.
The case, which drew intense media scrutiny, saw a gag order lifted last week, allowing officials to share more details. Moscow Police Chief James Fry indicated that additional information might emerge as documents are unsealed, stating, “There’s always cases that, you know, 10 years later, somebody says something.” For now, Kohberger’s sentencing closes a chapter on a tragedy that shook the small college town of Moscow, leaving families and the community to grapple with unanswered questions.
