Bryan Kohberger is reportedly set to agree to a plea deal in the murder of four Idaho college students, with his trial scheduled to start on Aug. 11, 2025.
The suspect is accused of fatally stabbing the four victims and the family of one of the students, Kaylee Goncalves, say they learned about the apparent plea deal in a letter from prosecutors. In a Facebook post, they said that they are giving the deal a "HARD NO" after prosecutors allegedly entertained the idea on Friday.
Bryan Kohberger Plea Deal
The letter noted that the plea deal with Kohberger will ensure that he is convicted of the crimes against him and secure a lifetime imprisonment sentence. It read that the agreement would not let the defendant put the victims and other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction appeals.
However, the Gomcalves family previously said that the Latah County Prosecuting Attorney's Office "vaguely mentioned" a potential plea deal on Friday. After that, they presented it to the family on Sunday through a letter through an email but without asking for their input, according to NBC News.
The family released an updated statement, saying that they were able to meet with prosecutors on Monday to reiterate their desire for the death penalty against Kohberger. However, they said that their efforts did not matter.
The 30-year-old suspect was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary in the 2022 murders of four Idaho college students. The victims were identified as Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Goncalves, who were killed at an off-campus home in Moscow.
Murder of Idaho College Students
Kohberger has waived all right to appeal and the state is also seeking restitution for the victims and their families. The plea deal comes only a few weeks before the suspect's trial as selection of the jury is set to start on Aug. 4, 2025, ABC News reported.
The Goncalves family said that it was disappointed to learn about the secretive way that prosecutors were using to end the case. It added that they are frustrated with the development but noted that they will work on moving forward.
The family's attorney, Shanon Gray, said that the death penalty is "merely an illusion" in the criminal justice system. She noted that when available, it is used as a bargaining tool for the state. However, when rarely applied, it is never enforced because of a "highly inefficient appellate process," as per Fox News.
