A judge sentenced Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of killing four University of Idaho students at an off-campus house in 2022, to four consecutive life sentences on Wednesday, July 23. Kohberger pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin earlier in July.
District Court Judge Steven Hippler also sentenced the 30-year-old to 10 additional years in prison for a burglary charge related to the murders. In addition to prison time, the judge ordered Kohberger to pay a $50,000 fine and $5,000 to the family of each victim.
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Kohberger stabbed the four students to death at an off-campus house in November 2022. At the time, he was studying criminal justice at Washington State University, just miles from the University of Idaho. Police arrested him in December 2022 in Pennsylvania.
During the sentencing hearing, the judge said no one knows exactly why Kohberger committed the murders and cautioned people not to focus too much on trying to find the reason. He said that doing so might give Kohberger a sense of power or attention that he doesn’t deserve.
“Truth be told, I’m unable to come up with anything redeeming about Mr. Kohberger, because his grotesque acts of evil have buried and hidden anything that might have been good or intrinsically human about him,” Judge Hippler said. “His actions have made him the worst of the worst. Even in pleading guilty, he was giving nothing hinting of remorse or redemption, nothing suggesting even a recognition or understanding, let alone regret for the pain that he has caused. And therefore I will not attempt to speak about him further, other than to simply sentence him so that he is forever removed from civilized society.”
In early July, Kohberger made a deal with prosecutors. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty in this case. Kohberger also waived his right to an appeal. He was originally scheduled to go on trial in August.
Family and friends speak at hearing
Before the sentencing, the victims’ families gave emotional impact statements.
“I realized this moment isn’t about you, it’s about justice for Xana, Ethan, Kaylee and Maddie,” Jazzmin Kernodle, Xana’s sister, said. “It’s about honoring the beautiful, beautiful people, they were and still are in God’s eyes.”
“Today, we are here to finish what you started,” Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, said. “We are here to prove to the world that you picked the wrong families, wrong state, the wrong police officers, the wrong community.”
“You tried to break our community apart. You tried to plant fear, you tried to divide us. You failed,” Goncalves continued. “You united everyone. Everyone was united after you.”
Dylan Mortenson, who was a roommate of the victims, cried while talking about how much she missed her friends.
“He is a hollow vessel, something less than human,” Mortenson said. “A body without empathy, without remorse. He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me, my friends, my safety, my identity, my future. He took their lives, but I will continue trying to be like them to make them proud.”
Kohberger declined to speak at the sentencing hearing.
