Idaho Murders Update: Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty and Avoids Death Penalty — As 'Furious' Family Members Slam Prosecutors Over 'Unexpected' Decision
Bryan Kohberger will not face a jury as he has pleaded guilty.
June 30 2025, Published 6:49 p.m. ET
Bryan Kohberger has pleaded guilty to the deaths of four college students and will now avoid the death penalty, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The stunning decision left the family of one of his victims devastated.
Kohberger will avoid the death penalty.
Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xanda Kernodl. Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty, but the latest development have taken that off the table.
According to reports, Kohberger must agree to spend the rest of his life behind bars without the possibility of parole and must waive his right to appeal.
A court hearing for a change of plea is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2.
'We Are Beyond Furious!'
Kohbrger was charged with murdering four college students.
The shocking decision left those following the case shocked, especially the family of one of the victims, Goncalves, who took to Facebook to express their anger.
"It's true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho," the statement read. "They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support."
Kohberger, 30, had been accused of killing the four University of Idaho students in a brutal knife attack inside an off-campus student home on November 22, 2022.
The Evidence Was Too Much?
The prosecution was prepared with plenty of evidence, including footage of Kohberger apparently driving near the crime scene.
A few weeks later, Kohberger was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The prosecution was expected to bring forth a ton of evidence, including DNA and cellphone data, which they believe would be enough to convict the former criminology student.
An FBI cellphone expert had also revealed that Kohberger's phone, which held disturbing searches connected to a cell tower near the crime scene 23 times over four months, all outings which occurred after dark.
During their investigation, footage captured by a neighbor's home security showed what was believed to be Kohberger driving near the crime scene just one day before the four victims were killed.
Another Suspect Is Responsible?
Kohberger's legal team had entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in May 2023. At the time, they claimed that detectives in the town of Moscow kept secret a glove stained with blood from a second unidentified male that they found outside the home.
"The unknown blood samples give the defense the perfect tool to say their client was set up," Hollywood private eye Paul Huebl noted. "That gives a jury reasonable doubt and makes it very hard to convict in a death-penalty case."
There is no word yet on why Kohberger had a change of heart and changed his plea. It is also unknown what his motive was for the crime, however, many theories have been suggested.
Kohberger's legal team had claimed another person was responsible for the murders.
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One such theory suggests Kohberger may have been inspired by another killer who took out college students: Elliot Rodger.
In 2014, Rodger, 22, murdered six people at the University of California, Santa Barbara, including two women from a sorority on the campus. He would kill himself following the rampage.
Another theory claimed Kohberger was desperate to impress his former professor, forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland, and to show what he had learned during her course.
According to the theory, Ramsland and Kohberger even spoke following the murders, and Kohberger's family invited the instructor to Idaho for the murder trial.
Despite the claims, Ramsland was quick to shut them down, and said she "had no email correspondence with Bryan Kohberger while he was at WSU. She also noted she had not spoken to the murderer since he was arrested on December 30, 2022.
