Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life behind bars on Wednesday for murdering four students from the University of Idaho, a crime that stunned the peaceful community of Moscow almost three years ago.
During the sentencing hearing, the families of the victims—Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Kaylee Goncalves—shared their heart-wrenching experiences since November 13, 2022, when these young lives were brutally taken in their off-campus home.
At the time of the incident, Kohberger was enrolled in a criminology graduate program at Washington State University, conveniently positioned just over the border. Prosecutors stated that he accessed the students’ house through a sliding door, killing them without any known connection to them.
The investigation faced many initial hurdles. With no clear suspect, fear became rampant in the community. Students from both Washington State and the University of Idaho began to flee the town and switch to online classes due to the heightened anxiety over an active killer on the loose.
As time passed, investigators discovered a key piece of evidence: a sheath belonging to a large knife found near Mogen’s body. This sheath bore male DNA on its button snap, paving the way towards locating Kohberger. Footage revealed a white Hyundai Elantra making rounds in the vicinity just before the murders.
By employing genetic genealogy, law enforcement connected the DNA back to Kohberger. Further analysis of phone records tracked him close to the crime scene that fateful night, alongside online transactions revealing his prior purchase of a military-styled knife with a matching sheath.
Kohberger was apprehended in Pennsylvania almost six weeks after the gruesome killings. He appeared in front of a judge for an arraignment but opted to stay silent when asked for a plea, leading the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson signaled early on his intention to seek the death penalty. In reply, Kohberger’s defense team, led by Anne Taylor, questioned the DNA evidence’s reliability, requesting that capital punishment be off the table continually.
Ultimately, these legal maneuvers did not s d, and Kohberger changed his tune by pleading guilty. As a result, prosecutors agreed to drop their death penalty pursuit.
The plea deal secured four consecutive life sentences, one for each victim, along with a 10-year sentence for burglary and a waiver of Kohberger’s right to appeal the decision.
