Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty and avoid death penalty over murdering four University of Idaho students
Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students as part of a deal to avoid the Death Penalty.
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The bodies of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found on November 13 2022, at a rental home across the street from the University of Idaho campus.
Bryan Kohberger, 30, was charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths at a rental house near the Moscow, Idaho, university campus.
An attorney for one victim's family say the guilty plea is part of a deal to avoid the death penalty.
Shanon Gray, an attorney representing the family of Kaylee Goncalves, confirmed Monday that prosecutors informed the families of the deal by email and letter earlier in the day.
Mr Gary said his clients were upset about the deal.
In a Facebook post, Goncalves’ family wrote: “We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho.
"They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected.”
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A change of plea hearing was set for Wednesday but the family has requested prosecutors to delay it to give them more time to travel to Boise, Mr Gray said.
Kohberger's trial was set for August in Boise - where it was moved following pretrial publicity in rural northern Idaho.
Kohberger is accused in the stabbing deaths of Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen at a rental home near campus in Moscow, Idaho, early on Nov. 13, 2022.
Autopsies showed the four were all likely asleep when they were attacked.
Some of the victims had defensive wounds and each were stabbed multiple times.
At the time, Kohberger was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University - around 9 miles (14.5km) west of the University of Idaho.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania - where his parents lived - weeks later.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson filed the notice of his intent to seek the death penalty in court.
Court documents detailed how police pieced together DNA evidence, mobile phone data and surveillance video that they said linked Kohberger to the slayings.
Investigators said traces of DNA found on a knife sheath inside the home where the students were killed matches Kohberger, and that a mobile phone belonging to Kohberger was near the victims’ home on a dozen occasions before the killings.
A white sedan allegedly matching one owned by Kohberger was caught on surveillance footage repeatedly cruising past the rental home around the time of the killings.
No motive has emerged for the killings.
It is unclear why the attacker spared two roommates who were in the home at the time.