Topline: Prosecutors say Kohberger returned to the house after the murders and later took a smiling, thumbs-up selfie at his dorm.
Published: July 3, 2025 9:00 am ET
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Background: Bryan Kohberger appears in court (Courtesy AP News). Inset: Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Moge. (via Kaylee Goncalves Instagram)
In a quiet Idaho courtroom on Wednesday, Bryan Kohberger, the former Ph.D. student once studying criminal justice, stood and calmly admitted to one of the most haunting mass killings in recent memory.
The 30-year-old confessed to the brutal stabbings of four University of Idaho students, agreeing to a plea deal that will spare him the death penalty—but ensure he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary for the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The attack took place in the early hours of November 13, 2022, in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. His confession came nearly two years after the murders sent shockwaves through the college town and across the country.
According to CBS News, Kohberger confirmed in court that he had not been coerced into taking the plea. “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” asked Judge Steven Hippler. “Yes,” Kohberger replied.
When asked directly if he had murdered each of the victims, he answered “Yes” to all four. The courtroom, filled with family members of the slain students, fell into quiet sobs as the judge read each name aloud.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kohberger faces four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, and an additional 10-year sentence for the burglary. Though the court is not bound to accept the prosecution’s recommended sentence, Kohberger waived his right to appeal and cannot request a different outcome.
As CBS News reported, prosecutors initially pursued the death penalty, but his defense team initiated discussions that led to the plea deal. It was first revealed to victims’ families in a letter from the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, excerpts of which were shared by Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, with CBS Mornings.
Details of the investigation laid out during Wednesday’s hearing reinforced the chilling nature of the case. Prosecutor Bill Thompson described how Kohberger had purchased the same type of knife used in the killings on Amazon, and how DNA from a sheath left at the scene was matched to him.
Surveillance footage also placed his vehicle near the crime scene, and cellphone data tracked his movements—including a disturbing revelation: Kohberger returned to the home around 9 a.m., just hours after the killings, and before the bodies were discovered, according to People.
Thompson said Kohberger remained at the scene for about 10 minutes before returning to his dormitory at Washington State University in Pullman, where he later took a selfie grinning and giving a thumbs-up.
Kohberger was arrested six weeks after the murders at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. His trial had been scheduled to begin in August, following a series of delays and legal motions. Last year, a judge denied his team’s effort to have the death penalty removed as a sentencing option. More recently, Judge Hippler rejected a motion suggesting alternate suspects, calling the claim “rank speculation,” according to CBS News.
The decision to accept the plea deal has stirred division among the families of the victims. While the Mogen and Chapin families supported it, the families of Kernodle and Goncalves reportedly preferred to see the case go to trial, People reported.
Sentencing is now set for July 23, when victim impact statements will be delivered and Kohberger will formally learn the outcome of his plea. Meanwhile, his family, through attorney Martin Souto Diaz, issued a request for privacy and “responsible judgment,” saying they would not be making further public comments.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Bryan Kohberger Formally Admits to Killing Four Idaho Students in Plea Deal to Avoid Death Penalty
Prosecutors say Kohberger returned to the house after the murders and later took a smiling, thumbs-up selfie at his dorm.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 3, 2025 9:00 am ET
Background: Bryan Kohberger appears in court (Courtesy AP News). Inset: Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Moge. (via Kaylee Goncalves Instagram)
In a quiet Idaho courtroom on Wednesday, Bryan Kohberger, the former Ph.D. student once studying criminal justice, stood and calmly admitted to one of the most haunting mass killings in recent memory.
The 30-year-old confessed to the brutal stabbings of four University of Idaho students, agreeing to a plea deal that will spare him the death penalty—but ensure he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary for the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The attack took place in the early hours of November 13, 2022, in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. His confession came nearly two years after the murders sent shockwaves through the college town and across the country.
According to CBS News, Kohberger confirmed in court that he had not been coerced into taking the plea. “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” asked Judge Steven Hippler. “Yes,” Kohberger replied.
When asked directly if he had murdered each of the victims, he answered “Yes” to all four. The courtroom, filled with family members of the slain students, fell into quiet sobs as the judge read each name aloud.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kohberger faces four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, and an additional 10-year sentence for the burglary. Though the court is not bound to accept the prosecution’s recommended sentence, Kohberger waived his right to appeal and cannot request a different outcome.
As CBS News reported, prosecutors initially pursued the death penalty, but his defense team initiated discussions that led to the plea deal. It was first revealed to victims’ families in a letter from the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, excerpts of which were shared by Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, with CBS Mornings.
Details of the investigation laid out during Wednesday’s hearing reinforced the chilling nature of the case. Prosecutor Bill Thompson described how Kohberger had purchased the same type of knife used in the killings on Amazon, and how DNA from a sheath left at the scene was matched to him.
Surveillance footage also placed his vehicle near the crime scene, and cellphone data tracked his movements—including a disturbing revelation: Kohberger returned to the home around 9 a.m., just hours after the killings, and before the bodies were discovered, according to People.
Thompson said Kohberger remained at the scene for about 10 minutes before returning to his dormitory at Washington State University in Pullman, where he later took a selfie grinning and giving a thumbs-up.
Kohberger was arrested six weeks after the murders at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. His trial had been scheduled to begin in August, following a series of delays and legal motions. Last year, a judge denied his team’s effort to have the death penalty removed as a sentencing option. More recently, Judge Hippler rejected a motion suggesting alternate suspects, calling the claim “rank speculation,” according to CBS News.
The decision to accept the plea deal has stirred division among the families of the victims. While the Mogen and Chapin families supported it, the families of Kernodle and Goncalves reportedly preferred to see the case go to trial, People reported.
Sentencing is now set for July 23, when victim impact statements will be delivered and Kohberger will formally learn the outcome of his plea. Meanwhile, his family, through attorney Martin Souto Diaz, issued a request for privacy and “responsible judgment,” saying they would not be making further public comments.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Bryan Kohberger Formally Admits to Killing Four Idaho Students in Plea Deal to Avoid Death Penalty
Prosecutors say Kohberger returned to the house after the murders and later took a smiling, thumbs-up selfie at his dorm.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 3, 2025 9:00 am ET
Background: Bryan Kohberger appears in court (Courtesy AP News). Inset: Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Moge. (via Kaylee Goncalves Instagram)
In a quiet Idaho courtroom on Wednesday, Bryan Kohberger, the former Ph.D. student once studying criminal justice, stood and calmly admitted to one of the most haunting mass killings in recent memory.
The 30-year-old confessed to the brutal stabbings of four University of Idaho students, agreeing to a plea deal that will spare him the death penalty—but ensure he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary for the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The attack took place in the early hours of November 13, 2022, in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. His confession came nearly two years after the murders sent shockwaves through the college town and across the country.
According to CBS News, Kohberger confirmed in court that he had not been coerced into taking the plea. “Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty?” asked Judge Steven Hippler. “Yes,” Kohberger replied.
When asked directly if he had murdered each of the victims, he answered “Yes” to all four. The courtroom, filled with family members of the slain students, fell into quiet sobs as the judge read each name aloud.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kohberger faces four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, and an additional 10-year sentence for the burglary. Though the court is not bound to accept the prosecution’s recommended sentence, Kohberger waived his right to appeal and cannot request a different outcome.
As CBS News reported, prosecutors initially pursued the death penalty, but his defense team initiated discussions that led to the plea deal. It was first revealed to victims’ families in a letter from the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, excerpts of which were shared by Mogen’s father, Ben Mogen, with CBS Mornings.
Details of the investigation laid out during Wednesday’s hearing reinforced the chilling nature of the case. Prosecutor Bill Thompson described how Kohberger had purchased the same type of knife used in the killings on Amazon, and how DNA from a sheath left at the scene was matched to him.
Surveillance footage also placed his vehicle near the crime scene, and cellphone data tracked his movements—including a disturbing revelation: Kohberger returned to the home around 9 a.m., just hours after the killings, and before the bodies were discovered, according to People.
Thompson said Kohberger remained at the scene for about 10 minutes before returning to his dormitory at Washington State University in Pullman, where he later took a selfie grinning and giving a thumbs-up.
Kohberger was arrested six weeks after the murders at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. His trial had been scheduled to begin in August, following a series of delays and legal motions. Last year, a judge denied his team’s effort to have the death penalty removed as a sentencing option. More recently, Judge Hippler rejected a motion suggesting alternate suspects, calling the claim “rank speculation,” according to CBS News.
The decision to accept the plea deal has stirred division among the families of the victims. While the Mogen and Chapin families supported it, the families of Kernodle and Goncalves reportedly preferred to see the case go to trial, People reported.
Sentencing is now set for July 23, when victim impact statements will be delivered and Kohberger will formally learn the outcome of his plea. Meanwhile, his family, through attorney Martin Souto Diaz, issued a request for privacy and “responsible judgment,” saying they would not be making further public comments.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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