Suspect in murders of four Idaho college students agrees to plea deal
Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four Idaho college students in 2022, has agreed to plead guilty to all counts, according to ABC News.
Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, has accepted a plea deal in the case that would spare him from the death penalty, the Idaho Statesman and Fox News reported.
Kohberger, 30, is charged in the murders of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four were found stabbed to death in their rental house close to the University of Idaho campus on Nov. 13, 2022.
Kohberger was arrested in December 2022, after the town of Moscow was put on edge over the killings and lack of a suspect for weeks. He previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
According to ABC News, citing a letter sent to victims’ family members informing them of the plea deal, Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to all counts in the killings of the four students. ABC News reported that Kohberger agreed to four consecutive life sentences and waived his right to appeal.
The letter, according to ABC News, said prosecutors expect Kohberger to be sentenced in late July if a guilty plea is entered as planned at a hearing on July 2. His trial was expected to start on Aug. 18.
“This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,” the letter said, ABC News reported.
Officials at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for information.
The brutal murders of the students in November 2022 horrified residents of Moscow, a quiet college town that hadn’t reported a murder in five years, and drew national attention. Investigators worked to process the murder scene and connect a trail of evidence, while families, friends, a school, and a community grieved.
Weeks after the Nov. 12 murders, authorities arrested and charged Kohberger in Pennsylvania. The then 28-year-old was a doctoral student in criminal justice at Washington State University, just over the state line, less than 10 miles from Moscow.
Who is Bryan Kohberger?
At the time of his arrest in December 2022, public records listed Kohberger’s home address as a residence in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania.
He received an associate’s degree in psychology from Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania in 2018, the school previously confirmed to USA TODAY. Kohberger also attended DeSales University in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 2020 and completed graduate studies in June, the school said in a statement.
He graduated with a master of arts in criminal justice, according to the school’s online commencement program.
Kohberger used Reddit to study criminal psychology
A Reddit user named Bryan Kohberger, identifying himself as a student investigator, made a post in the Prison and ExCons sub Reddits inviting users to participate in a research project to understand “how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime,” USA TODAY previously reported.
The post said the study, which sought to understand the stories behind the user’s most recent criminal offense, had been approved by the DeSales University Institutional Review Board.
The anonymous survey included questions such as: “Why did you choose that victim or target over others?” “What was the first move you made in order to accomplish your goal?” “Before leaving, is there anything else you did?”
Victim’s family after reported plea deal: ‘We are beyond furious’
The victims — Chapin, Kernodle, Mogen, and Goncalves — all suffered multiple stab wounds. Chapin was Kernodle’s boyfriend. Two other women in the house at the time survived.
Responding to the plea agreement, Goncalves’ family said on Facebook: “It’s true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.”
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Trevor Hughes, Jeanine Santucci, and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; Reuters
