In a major development, Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, has reportedly agreed to a plea deal. Under the terms of the agreement, Kohberger will plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder, in exchange for prosecutors dropping their pursuit of the death penalty.
A hearing for the formal change of plea is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, 2025. If the plea is accepted by the court, Kohberger is expected to be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. As part of the deal, he will also waive his right to any future appeals.
The agreement marks a sudden turn in a case that has captivated the nation. The trial was previously scheduled to begin in August 2025.
The victims in the case were University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. They were found stabbed to death in an off-campus rental home on November 13, 2022.
The news of the plea deal has been met with strong emotions. The family of Kaylee Goncalves has publicly expressed their outrage at the prosecution's decision to take the death penalty off the table. In a statement, the family said they were "beyond furious" with the State of Idaho.
Kohberger, a former Ph.D. student in criminology at the nearby Washington State University, was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022. Investigators linked him to the crime scene through DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left at the scene, as well as cell phone data and vehicle surveillance footage.
Prior to this development, the case was proceeding through pre-trial motions. Recently, a judge had denied a defense request to further delay the trial and had also ruled against allowing the defense to present evidence of "alternate perpetrators."
