How Kaylee Gonclaves’ Brother Found Love After Sister’s Murder

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Steven Goncalves is leaning on someone special.  

A little over a month after Bryan Kohberger was given a life sentence for the 2022 murder of Kaylee Goncalves and her three friends, it was revealed that her brother is now engaged to Olivia Vitale – the journalist he had met during the investigation process.

Olivia shared with Banfield on NewsNation on August 18th that she had spoken with Steven’s relatives, and it was before Bryan had been taken into custody at that time.

It was discovered by an independent journalist that Steve Goncalves, the father of Steven and Kaylee, and his wife Kristi Goncalves became aware of her TikTok account with more than 1.3 million followers. This knowledge came about through their daughter, and they subsequently contacted her via email.

A few days prior to her passing, she had communicated something to me that she wanted to share with Kristi. As a result of this, they expressed interest in creating a documentary featuring me, which they later did,” Olivia clarified.

Yet, it wasn’t until a year later, during the filming of the house demolition on King Road, that she encountered Steven. It was at this location where Kaylee, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin had tragically lost their lives.

She mentioned that during that trip, she had lunch with Steve who subsequently invited Steven. However, they didn’t start dating until nearly a year later. Initially, they were just friends. Later, when she was working on a documentary for NBC, she asked Steven to be involved, and it was on the set where they grew closer.

In early January, during the filming process, the documentarian and Steven developed a relationship with each other.

Looking back, she remembered our day of throwing stones across the water. That was the moment our friendship truly began, and from there, we grew closer and closer, creating memories that are now part of our shared history.

For Steven, his relationship has been the silver lining of their family’s tragic few years.

He shared that there’s a positive development,” he said to host Brian Entin. “Yes, I met Olivia. She is now my lifelong partner, and I cherish that connection deeply.

Regarding their future plans, Olivia remains enthusiastic about disseminating captivating narratives to aid other families, while she and Steven are leaning towards establishing a stable base.

In the future, she plans to settle down, have chickens, and start a family. She anticipates having less time for travel and will focus more on home-based work. However, they will collaborate on projects, and their mission remains the same: helping others by providing a platform for their stories and giving them a voice.

Moving ahead post Kaylee’s unfortunate demise, let’s delve deeper into the ongoing legal journey of Bryan Kohberger in the following passages.

Following Kaylee’s untimely passing, we now shift focus to an in-depth exploration of Bryan Kohberger’s legal case.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle (aged 21, 21, and 20 respectively), along with Ethan Chapin (also 20 years old), were college students residing in an off-campus dwelling at the University of Idaho. They shared their living space together.

On November 12, 2022, Goncalves and Mogen spent their evening at a sports bar nearby, while Kernodle and Chapin were at a fraternity party. By 2 a.m. on November 13, all four roommates, including Chapin, had returned to their three-story rental house.

Goncalves, a senior, was studying general subjects at the College of Arts and Humanities. It was anticipated that she would graduate in December, following which she planned to move to Austin, Texas, for a job at a marketing company. Her friend Jordyn Quesnell shared this information with The New York Times.

Mogen, who was focused on marketing studies, has been close friends with Goncalves since the sixth grade. It was revealed by their family friend, Jessie Frost, to The Idaho Statesman that she intends to relocate to Boise following graduation.

At that point, Kernodle was a junior studying marketing, as stated by the university. Kernodle and Chapin, who specialized in recreation, sport, and tourism management, had been together since the spring, according to their neighbor, Ellie McKnight, as reported by NBC News.

Two individuals, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke (who were roommates), were present at home when a series of murders occurred. Text messages released on March 6, 2025, revealed that following an instance where Mortensen spotted a masked person moving around their house on November 13th, they along with Funke attempted to reach out to their other roommates, as reported by TopMob News in the documents they obtained.

“No one is answering,” Mortensen texted Funke at 4:22 a.m. “I’m rlly confused rn.”

She persistently contacted their housemates, asking them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m., and later at 10:23 a.m., she texted Goncalves, saying “Please reply,” and then followed up with “Are you awake??

Around 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made following the discovery of Kernodle being unresponsive. This information was confirmed through an additional motion acquired by TopMob News. According to the call transcript, a woman identified as A1 shared details about the ongoing situation with the operator.

She mentioned that one of her housemates is still unconscious from being intoxicated last night, and they haven’t been able to wake them up yet,” she explained over the phone. “Apparently, they encountered a stranger in their home last night.

Bryan Kohberger, who is now facing charges of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a PhD candidate at Washington State University. Nearly a month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin were found, Kohberger was arrested in Monroe County, Pennsylvania on December 30th. He was later transferred to Idaho on January 4th, 2023.

The authorities linked him to the murders through DNA discovered on a sheath of a knife abandoned at the crime scene, as reported in court documents by NBC News in June 2023.

When the DNA didn’t align with anyone in the FBI’s database, the authorities resorted to matching it against people listed on public ancestry sites, generating a pool of possible suspects based on court documents. Upon discovering that Kohberger had visited his parents’ residence in Monroe County, local law enforcement then sifted through their trash and identified DNA links between it and the one found at the crime scene.

Currently, the reason behind the attack remains undisclosed due to a court order that restricts those involved in the case from discussing it publicly. Nevertheless, some details about their initial arguments have been revealed through unsealed documents. (NBC News reported)

Lawyers for Kohberger requested, as reported by TopMob News, to dismiss the possibility of a death sentence. This is because Kohberger has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and imposing capital punishment on him could be considered a breach of the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “unusual and excessive” punishment.

As a steadfast advocate, I’d articulate that my client, Kohbereger, tends to exhibit an exceptionally structured thought process. He often becomes fixated on certain subjects, meticulously analyzing information in bits and pieces rather than seeing the bigger picture. Furthermore, he encounters challenges when it comes to strategic planning and demonstrates a limited understanding of his own actions and emotions.

According to the statement, Mr. Kohberger struggles to behave as society typically expects due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This could potentially lead to a situation where he is unfairly punished based on his disability instead of his actions.

Originally, during the May 2023 arraignment, a judge pleaded not guilty on behalf of Kohberger as he remained silent. Despite the trial being scheduled for October 2, 2023, Kohberger chose to relinquish his right to a prompt trial in August 2023.

The commencement of his trial, initially slated for Ada County over 300 miles away from Latah County, the location of the murders, was scheduled to start on August 11, 2025.

Previously, Judge John Judge of Latah County decided to grant the transfer request submitted by Kohberger’s legal team in September 2024 due to concerns about potential bias, or “presumed prejudice,” if the trial were to stay in Latah County.

As an eager devotee, I am thrilled to share that our beloved Judge Steven Hippler has turned down the defense’s plea to withhold crucial DNA evidence, cell phone and email logs, CCTV footage, past Amazon orders, and DNA samples during the trial! This decision promises a more transparent and just process in the quest for truth.

As an ardent follower of the case, I was taken aback when, on June 30, 2025, the gripping Kohberger murder trial suddenly came to an unexpected halt. The twist in the tale unfolded as Kohberger, who had been at the center of our discussions for so long, accepted a plea deal from the prosecutors. This deal, accepted with a sense of resignation, required him to confess his guilt across four charges of murder and one charge of burglary. He also chose to renounce his right to appeal and humbly requested a more lenient sentence in prison.

On July 2, 2025, he admitted his guilt in court when asked if he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with premeditation and malice, took the lives of all four victims. He responded affirmatively with a simple “yes” to the judge’s question.

In March 2025, a selfie taken by Kohberger the day after the murders was presented. This picture, where he stands in front of a shower with a thumbs up gesture, appears to align with the description given by a witness called “D.M.” in court documents. According to D.M., the suspect had bushy eyebrows.

In an interview with Fox and Friends, Steve Gonclaves, who is Kaylee’s father, subsequently commented on an image, referring to it as a “trophy.

Gonclaves stated, “I’m aware of the sequence of events. It was immediately after his return to the crime scene that he realized no one had dialed 911.

In simpler terms, “He sees that as his small token of success, a way for him to acknowledge, ‘I managed to escape unnoticed.’

2025 Dateline documentary on the murders features a former classmate of Kohberger’s who spoke about an “unusual” message she got from him following their encounter at a party.

Holly shared that she felt somewhat obliged to converse with him, as he appeared a bit uncomfortable. This, she noted, is typical of a PhD student attending a party where they didn’t know anyone, perhaps striving to socialize and make connections.

The following day, Holly said she received a text from him, which she described as overly formal. 

Hi there, it seems we discussed hiking trips yesterday. I love going on those, so if you could fill me in, that’d be great! Cheers!

In the same Dateline documentary, it was discovered that Kohberger’s online browsing included queries about Ted Bundy, Britney Spears’ song “Criminal,” and the phrase “Murders at the University of Idaho.

At a court hearing on July 2, 2025, in Idaho, Kohberger admitted his guilt after agreeing to a plea bargain that would prevent the death penalty for him, concerning the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary in relation to this case.

When Judge Hippler asked Kohberger whether he intentionally, illegally, deliberately, and with planning and ill will killed each victim, he answered affirmatively for all the charges.

By accepting the plea agreement, Kohberger relinquishes the option to challenge the verdict or request a less strict prison term, as stated by Hippler.

Despite both the Goncalves and Kernodle families objecting to the plea deal that removed the death penalty option, Karl Kohberger was formally sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison on July 23, 2025.

Judge Hippler ordered that Kohberger must serve four life sentences in prison, one after the other, with no chance for parole for each murder charge he was convicted of, plus a $50,000 fine for each count and an additional $5,000 payment to each family of the victims. On top of this, Kohberger received another 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine on the burglary charge.

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2025-08-19 22:18