The families of the four victims tragically killed in the University of Idaho student massacre have expressed their sorrow in a message to the judge regarding the reported plea deal offered to Bryan Kohberger.
The criminology graduate is scheduled for sentencing next month after facing charges of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary related to the brutal murders of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, along with Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, both 20, in 2022.
On November 13 of that year, the students were discovered dead in their shared off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho. Their roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were present in the home during the tragic events.
The killing spree, which is believed to have occurred between 4 am and 4:25 am, saw the masked assailant fleeing soon after. Mortensen is the only person reported to have seen the intruder, describing him as a masked man with ‘bushy eyebrows’.
According to reports, the 30-year-old suspect has agreed to a plea deal with the judge, which would result in four consecutive life sentences plus a maximum penalty of 10 years for the burglary charge. Kohberger had previously entered a not-guilty plea to the murder charges.
This means he would avoid the death penalty, a decision that has angered the Goncalves family, who have accused the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office of hastily handling the case and ‘mishandling’ it.
They released a statement saying: “They vaguely mentioned a possible plea on Friday, without seeking our input, and presented the plea on Sunday.
“Latah County should be ashamed of its Prosecutor’s Office. Four wonderful young people lost their lives, yet the victims’ families were treated as opponents from the outset. We weren’t even called about the plea; we received an email with a letter attached.
“That’s how Latah County’s Prosecutor’s Office treats murder victims’ families. Adding insult to injury, they’re rushing the plea, giving families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2.”
The statement continued: “After more than two years, this is how it concludes with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims’ families on the plea’s details.
“Our family is frustrated right now and that will subside and we will come together as always and deal with the reality that we face moving forward.”
Just a month before the jury selection was set to begin on August 4, with the trial starting officially on August 18, the families are considering an appeal against the plea sentence.
“This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,” state prosecutors mentioned in a letter obtained by ABC News. They further stated: “This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family.
“This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction appeals.
“Your viewpoints weighed heavily in our decision-making process, and we hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice.”