The sister of a murdered University of Idaho student has slammed a “cruel” plea agreement that would allow suspect Bryan Kohberger to avoid the death penalty.
Kohberger, who is charged over the stabbing deaths of students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, is set to accept the plea deal Wednesday.
“The introduction of this plea deal, just weeks before the scheduled trial, is both shocking and cruel,” Aubrie Goncalves, 18, the sister of Goncalves, wrote in a social media post. “We’ve had faith in the system. But at this point, it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth: the system has failed these four innocent victims and their families.”
What To Know
- Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the murders at a University of Idaho off-campus house in Moscow.
- The former Washington State University doctoral student was arrested in Pennsylvania on December 30, 2022, and later extradited to Idaho to face trial.
- A not guilty plea was initially entered on his behalf.
- The plea deal would allow Kohberger to avoid the death penalty and instead spend the rest of his life in prison. A change of plea hearing is now set for Wednesday.
Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates.
09:27 AM EDT The family of a murdered University of Idaho student has said that the “last-minute plea deal” sent them into “panic mode.”
Aubrie Goncalves, 18, the sister of victim Kaylee Goncalves, said that the first hint they had of a potential deal was during a conversation with prosecutors on Friday.
But Goncalves said it had been a “hard no” from them, and that the conversation had swiftly moved on to the upcoming trial.
She added that the next they had heard, was an official letter from prosecutors on Sunday, informing the family that a plea deal had been reached.
Goncalves said that the letter sent the family “scrambling” and they “immediately jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails.”
The family met with prosecutors again Monday to ask them to reject the deal and seek the death penalty.
“Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter,” Goncalves said in a social media post. “We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder than anyone could EVER imagine.”
“This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought,” she added. “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.”
09:15 AM EDT Prosecutors in the Bryan Kohberger case sent a letter to the victims’ families on Sunday to alert them of the plea deal.
Kohberger’s defense team had requested the plea deal last week.
A plea deal has to be agreed by both the defense and the prosecution, and then must be approved by the judge.
Under the deal, Kohberger would plead guilty to all charges and waive all rights to appeal in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table. He would instead face four consecutive life sentences.
08:57 AM EDT Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg, who is not connected to the case, said that he hopes prosecutors have a “good explanation” for upsetting the victims’ families with the plea deal.
“I hope the Idaho prosecutors have a good explanation, because you never want your victims’ families to feel like this,” he added.
Aronberg also had a message for the Bryan Kohberger “fans” who have insisted on his innocence since he was first arrested in 2022.
“Whenever I did interviews on the Bryan Kohberger case, I would receive lots of comments from delusional Kohberger fans who insisted he was innocent. Where are they now? (On to the next conspiracy!)”
08:46 AM EDT The father of murdered University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves said that he and the “majority” of the other victims’ families are all strong opposed to the plea agreement that would spare Bryan Kohberger from the death penalty.
“There was no majority (of victims’ families) believing that this was acceptable,” Steve Goncalves told NewsNation Monday, adding that prosecutors had never consulted them about their wishes.
“We had an outsider come to our community, kill our kids in their sleep while they’re getting a college education, doing everything that they should do, and we don’t have the courage to hold him accountable,” Goncalves said.
“Prison is nothing but adult child care. You get free vision, you get free dental, you get free meals, you get AC room and board, cable TV, internet access. It’s ridiculous.”
