Family members of one victim are irate that Bryan Kohberger has been offered and accepted a plea deal in connection with the 2022 murder of four Idaho college students.
Kohberger was accused of stabbing Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Ethan Chapin to death in November 2022 in Moscow, Idaho.
Kohberger was facing a possible death sentence if convicted in a trial that was scheduled to begin Aug. 18.
A letter sent to families of the victims to inform them of the deal said Kohberger will appear in court Wednesday to enter his guilty plea and be sentenced in late July to life in prison, according to the Idaho Statesman. Kohbeger will forfeit his right to appeal as part of the deal.
“We cannot fathom the toll that this case has taken on your family,” said the letter, signed by Moscow Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson. “This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family. This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction appeals.”
Although officials declined to comment, Goncalves’s family had a lot to say on their Facebook page.
“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,” the family wrote.
The family issued a later post explaining what had been taking place.
“I would like to clarify a couple of things…we DID talk to the prosecution on Friday about the POSSIBILITY of a plea deal and it was a HARD NO from our family. It was very nonchalant and barely discussed as the majority of the conversation was surrounding the upcoming trial. NOTHING in our conversation prepared us for the next steps,” the post said, indicating that family members made a last-ditch effort to scuttle any pleas deal but were not successful.
Were prosecutors right to offer this plea deal?
“Please do not argue or try to tell us that we should have done this or that. We gave it 200% for the last 2 years and 7 months. One day we will tell you all what we have really been through from day one. You will all be shocked. We fought a long battle, but we lost the war,” the post continued.
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) July 1, 2025
The family also released a letter sent to prosecutors by Goncalves’s younger sister, Aubrie, that was delivered when they met with prosecutors.
“We’ve had faith in the system. But at this point, it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth: the system has failed these four innocent victims and their families,” she wrote.
“Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world. Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever. That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the victims’ pasts.
“The justice system was created to serve and protect—not to retraumatize grieving families. And yet, time and time again, we find ourselves blindsided, unheard, and unsupported. This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought.
New statement from Goncalves family on plea deal.
“The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office’s treatment of our family during this process is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.” pic.twitter.com/O97FwgJUy7— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) July 1, 2025
“We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking—pleading—for a justice system that truly lives up to its name,” she concluded.
A family member of one victim told NewsNation that upon hearing of the plea deal, she felt like “all the power had been given back to Kohberger.”
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