Bryan Kohberger reportedly agreed to plead guilty to all counts in the murders of four University of Idaho students.
If confirmed at a July 2 hearing, he will formally plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in the Nov. 2022 deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin, according to a letter sent to victims’ family members, as reported by ABC News.
Goncalves, Kernodle, and Mogen were all roommates, and Chapin was Kernodle’s boyfriend.
Kohberger, who had previously pleaded not guilty, will waive his right to a jury trial, where he could have faced the death penalty if convicted, and will accept four consecutive life sentences plus up to ten years for burglary.
He will also waive his appeal rights, according to ABC. His trial was scheduled to begin on August 11.
Kaylee Goncalves’ family responded to the plea on Facebook, saying they were “beyond furious at the State of Idaho” for the “unexpected” deal, and that the state had “failed us.”
Kohberger, a former PhD student at Washington State University, was arrested in December 2022 at his parents’ Pennsylvania home after police linked him to the crime using DNA from a knife sheath and cellphone pings. He was extradited to Idaho shortly afterward.
Prior to the reported deal, prosecutors had stated that they intended to seek the death penalty.
Two more roommates survived the attack.
According to court documents, one of them told police she saw a figure dressed in black and wearing a mask inside the house around the time of the killings. She described him as tall and athletically built, with bushy brows, walking past her as he exited through a sliding glass door.
According to investigators, cellphone records and surveillance footage show Kohberger near the victims’ home several times prior to the attack. A white Hyundai Elantra belonging to him was also seen in the area.
Many other details remain unknown, as a gag order remains in effect in the case, limiting what parties can publicly disclose.
It is unclear whether the terms of the plea agreement will result in additional information being released.
