Bryan Kohberger Sentencing: Victim’s Family Reacts to His Silence

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Nearly three years after the Idaho murders, Bryan Kohberger is remaining silent. 

Prior to the 30-year-old being officially convicted for the murder of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle in an off-campus house in November 2022, he chose not to speak during the court hearing when given the opportunity by Judge Steven Hippler, expressing his respect for the decision.

Upon hearing this, a family member of one of the victims, said, per NBC News, “Surprise, surprise.”

As a lifestyle advisor, I’d rephrase that statement like this: In my viewpoint, the individual in question, Kohberger, has shown himself to be the epitome of unsavory characters.

Or more casually: Frankly speaking, Kohberger stands out as the cream of the crop when it comes to bad apples.

The judge remarked before passing sentence on Kohberger, “Despite admitting guilt, there’s been no indication of remorse, redemption, or understanding of the harm he has inflicted. Consequently, I will refrain from commenting on him any further except to announce his sentencing.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it as follows: In a court ruling, Brian Kohberger has been handed four consecutive life sentences without the chance for parole for each first-degree murder conviction. Each conviction also carries a $50,000 fine. Additionally, he will pay a $5,000 civil penalty to the families of the victims. On top of these penalties, Kohberger was given an additional 10 years and fined $50,000 for his burglary conviction.

During the sentencing proceedings, various victim’s relatives delivered statements to the court, along with Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, who were roommates that survived.

In early October, Kohberger admitted guilt for the murders of all four students and one burglary charge, only a few days following his agreement to a plea deal that took off the table the possibility of capital punishment, in return for his inability to contest or request a less severe sentence.

In his confession, the ex-criminology student opted to “admit fully that he was accountable” for the “murder of four individuals,” a crime described as “deliberate, illegal, premeditated, and done with malice in advance.” Additionally, he acknowledged his guilt in burglarizing the residence where the students’ murders occurred.

After learning about his plea agreement, the families of the four victims exhibited a blend of emotions. The Chapin family, which comprises Jim Chapin and Stacy Chapin, conveyed feelings of relief as the long-drawn-out three-year legal process had finally been concluded.

Chapin’s father told NBC News on July 14, ‘He’ll face his consequences.’ He’s now behind bars and won’t be able to harm any more children.

In response, Chapin’s mother also concurred, albeit she mentioned that they needed time to accept the situation, given its shocking nature and the ages of the deceased college students. This included Chapin’s 22-year-old triplet siblings, Hunter and Maizie, as well as her husband and other children.

Initially, we reacted as if retaliation was the solution, she stated. However, after lengthy discussions with prosecutors, we came to believe that this outcome was more favorable for us. He will be incarcerated without a chance of appeal, and numerous children, including our own, no longer have to worry about this issue weighing on them due to the subpoenas being lifted.

In the meantime, the Goncalves family expressed dissatisfaction with the Idaho legal system’s verdict following the announcement of Kohberger’s plea deal, stating that it had “let down” their family. It was Kristi Goncalves and Steve Goncalves, the parents, who shared that they had anticipated using Kohberger’s trial as an opportunity to convey a message.

As a fervent admirer speaking here, let me express that if anyone dares to harm children, people will take a firm stand. They’ll use every resource at their disposal to ensure that such an individual faces the most severe consequences possible. This was my sentiment during a recent interview on Today, July 18th.

Still, the Goncalves family is trying to continue to move forward. 

Dad explained that they’re struggling to comprehend this recent change, but as a family, they need to prioritize their well-being. They’re determined to face the future head-on.

Despite the fact that the resolution may not have been the perfect outcome for everyone affected by Kohberger’s actions, the families of the victims can now find some sense of closure. Let’s rewind and examine how the case involving Kohberger evolved…

As a devoted admirer, let me share some insights: I’m talking about a quintet of young university scholars – Kaylee Goncalves, aged 21, Madison Mogen, also 21, Xana Kernodle, barely 20, and Ethan Chapin, likewise 20. They weren’t just students; they resided in an off-campus apartment, living their lives as a vibrant group.

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

Goncalves, a senior studying general studies, hails from the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences. She was anticipated to graduate in December before moving on to Austin, Texas for employment at a marketing firm, as her friend Jordyn Quesnell shared with The New York Times.

Mogen, a marketing student, has been close friends with Goncalves since the 6th grade. According to family friend Jessie Frost, she intends to relocate to Boise upon graduation. This information was made public by The Idaho Statesman.

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

Two residents, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were at home during the reported murders. Text messages that were unveiled on March 6, 2025, show that Mortensen and Funke attempted to reach their fellow roommates on November 13, after Mortensen noticed a masked individual moving around their shared house, as suggested in documents obtained by TopMob News.

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

She persistently contacted her roommates, encouraging them to get back to her. At 4:32 a.m. and then again at 10:23 a.m., she sent messages to Goncalves saying, “Could you please reply?” and later “Are you awake?”, respectively.

Around 11:58 a.m., a 911 call was made following the discovery of Kernodle being unresponsive. This detail was revealed in an additional motion obtained by TopMob News. In the call transcript, a woman identified as A1 provided details about the ongoing situation to the operator.

She mentioned over the phone that one of the roommates is still unconscious, likely due to being intoxicated the previous night, and they can’t seem to wake her up. They also reported that they spotted a stranger inside their home last night.

Bryan Kohberger, the individual who has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, was a doctoral student at Washington State University. Exactly one month after the bodies of Gonclaves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin were found, Kohberger was apprehended on December 30 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was transported to Idaho on January 4, 2023.

In June 2023, court records disclosed by NBC News showed that DNA matching him was discovered on a sheath from the crime scene’s abandoned knife, which authorities used to link him to the murders.

When the DNA didn’t correspond with anyone in the FBI database, authorities cross-referenced it against public ancestry platforms to generate a pool of possible suspects, as stated in the documents. Once they discovered Kohberger had visited his parents’ home in Monroe County, local law enforcement searched through their trash and identified DNA links between it and the one found at the crime scene.

Currently, no specific reason behind the attack has been disclosed, as a court order restricts many individuals linked to the case from making public statements, according to NBC News. Nevertheless, some understanding of their initial defense positions can be gained from the unveiled court documents.

Lawyers for Kohberger made a request, as reported by TopMob News, to remove the possibility of the death penalty from his case. This is because if found guilty on all charges, Kohberger could have faced the death penalty originally. However, they claim that Kohberger has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and executing someone with such a condition would be a breach of the Eighth Amendment’s rule against “inhumane and uncommon punishment.

In simpler terms, the defense contends that Kohbereger exhibits inflexible thought patterns, obsesses over certain subjects, handles data bit by bit, finds it hard to anticipate future events, and shows limited understanding of his own actions and feelings.

As a devoted admirer, I find it crucial to clarify a matter concerning Mr. Kohberger. His Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) makes it challenging for him to conform to the customary norms of society, which might unfortunately put him at an unfair risk of being punished based on his disability rather than his actions.

To start with, Judge Kohberger’s not-guilty plea was made on his behalf for the first-degree murder charges during his May 2023 court appearance as he chose to remain silent. Originally scheduled for October 2, 2023, his trial, Kohberger opted to relinquish his right to a prompt trial in August 2023.

The start of his trial, initially planned for Ada County, approximately 300 miles away from Latah County where the murders occurred, has been scheduled for August 11, 2025.

As a devoted follower, I’d like to share that back in September 2024, Judge John Judge of Latah County made a decision in favor of the motion submitted by Kohberger’s defense team for a transfer. This was due to the assumption that prejudice might arise if the trial were to take place within Latah County itself.

In the upcoming trial, Judge Steven Hippler of Ada County refused the defense’s plea to exclude crucial DNA evidence, along with cell phone and email records, security camera footage, previous Amazon transactions, and DNA samples as evidence.

On June 30, 2025, the trial for Kohberger’s murder case was unexpectedly halted when he accepted a plea bargain offered by prosecutors. In this agreement, Kohberger consented to admit guilt for four murder charges and one burglary charge. Furthermore, he waived his right to appeal and requested a lighter prison sentence.

On July 2, 2025, he admitted his guilt in court when asked by the judge if he intentionally, illegally, purposefully, and with planning killed all four of the victims. He responded “yes” to confirm this.

A selfie that Kohberger took the day following the murders was presented in March 2025. This picture shows him standing in front of a shower with a thumbs up gesture, and it matches the description given by a witness known as “D.M.” in court documents. According to D.M., the suspect had bushy eyebrows.

In an interview on Fox and Friends, Steve Gonclaves, who is Kaylee’s father, later referred to the image as a “trophy” in his response.

According to Goncalves, he was aware of the sequence of events. Specifically, it was understood that the individual had recently revisited the crime scene and then returned again. Upon his return, it became clear to him that no one had contacted emergency services by dialing 911.

In a nutshell, he described the object as a personal token indicating, “I managed to get away without being caught.

In a 2025 Dateline documentary about the murders, a former classmate of Kohberger’s shared details about an “odd” message she got from him following their encounter at a party.

Holly shared that she felt somewhat compelled to talk with him, as he appeared a bit uncomfortable, similar to how a PhD student might feel who was new to the gathering, possibly making an effort to mingle and forge friendships.

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

Hi there! I can’t help but feel like we touched upon the topic of hiking trips yesterday, my friend. You know how much I adore those adventures in nature, right? Could you kindly fill me in on the details? Many thanks in advance!

In another part of the “Dateline” documentary, it was discovered that Kohberger’s web browsing contained inquiries about Ted Bundy, Britney Spears’ song “Criminal,” and the phrase “Murders at the University of Idaho.

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2025-07-23 21:48