Judge sentences Bryan Kohberger to life in prison for murdering four University of Idaho students

BOISE, ID Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of release on Wednesday after receiving heartfelt comments of love, sorrow, and condemnation from the friends and family of the four University of Idaho students he killed in their rental house.

Madison Mogen’s stepfather, Scott Laramie, told the court that the world was a better place with her in it. Maddie allowed Karen and I to live remarkable lives despite being ordinary people.

Even though Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at neighboring Washington State University at the time, his father made fun of him for leaving his DNA behind and getting arrested.

You were that irresponsible, that stupid, remarked Steve Goncalves. A master’s degree? You’re a farce.

Observe how Kaylee’s father shifts his stage to speak to Kohberger more directly:

For four charges of first-degree murder in the horrific stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapinearly on November 13, 2022, Judge Steven Hippler sentenced Kohberger to four life terms without the possibility of parole. In addition, he received a 10-year burglary term and $270,000 in fines and civil penalties.

In an agreement to avoid the death penalty, the defendant entered a yearly plea of guilty this month, just weeks before his trial was scheduled to begin.

Kohberger savagely attacked the four companions, who seemed to have no relation to him, after breaking in through a sliding door in the kitchen. Kohberger declined to speak during the hearing, and no explanation has been provided.

As she explained how Kohberger, sitting across the room in an orange jumpsuit, took the light they carried into each room, Dylan Mortenson, a roommate who reported to police that night that she had seen a strange man in the house wearing a ski mask and bushy eyebrows, wailed.

Mortenson described him as a hollow vessel, something that is not human. “A body devoid of regret and empathy.

Listen as Dylan addresses Kohberger in the courtroom:

Following the incident, Mortenson and Bethany Funke, another surviving roommate, talked about debilitating anxiety and panic episodes.

In a statement read out by a friend, Funke stated, “I slept in my parents’ room for almost a year and had them double lock every door, set an alarm, and still check everywhere in the room just in case someone was hiding.” Since this incident, I haven’t slept through a single night. Whenever I wake up, I’m afraid that someone is breaking in, that someone is here to harm me, or that I’m going to lose someone I love.

When Alivea Goncalves questioned Kohberger about the murders, including what her sister had said last, her voice remained steady. After insulting Kohberger, who stayed silent while she did so, she received applause.

“You just showed yourself as the coward you are, and you didn’t win,” Alivea Goncalves remarked. “You are a hypochondriac, pitiful, and delusional loser.

WATCH: Kaylee’s sister Alivea uses angry language against Kohberger in court:

Sitting in the gallery close to the defense table, Kohberger’s mother and sister were also present for the hearing. As the other parents talked about their sorrow, his mother occasionally sobbed quietly. When Maddie Mogen’s grandma expressed her sympathy for the other families, including the Kohbergers, she broke down in tears for a moment.

Kim Kernodle, Xana Kernodle’s aunt, claimed that she wanted Kohberger to call her from prison so that he would respond to her unanswered questions regarding the murders and that she had forgiven him.

She added, “I’m here today to tell you that I have forgiven you because I can no longer bear that hatred in my heart.” And I have forgiven you in order to improve myself. And feel free to call me at any moment to discuss what transpired. I’m present. Don’t judge.

Hear Xana’s aunt’s justification for forgiving Kohberger:

At first, police had no suspects in the crimes, which frightened Moscow, a city in rural western Idaho. Because they felt insecure, some students at both universities dropped out in the middle of the semester and completed the remaining coursework online.

Investigators found a single source of male DNA on the button snap of a knife sheath found near Mogen’s body, and surveillance footage revealed a white Hyundai Elant near the rental house around the time of the killings.

Kohberger was identified as a potential suspect by police using genetic genealogy, and they were able to track his travels on the night of the murders by using cellphone data. Records of Kohberger’s online purchases revealed that months prior, he had bought a military-style knife and a sheath similar to the one at home.

About six weeks after the murders, Kohberger was taken into custody in Pennsylvania.

The case and the inquiry received a lot of media attention. Online discussion groups sprung up, with participants excitedly exchanging questions and theories regarding the case. Because they lived in the same area or knew the victims, some lazy web investigators blamed innocent people. Misinformation proliferated, adding to the already devastated community’s anguish.

Below, you can view the entire sentencing hearing: