Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in University of Idaho Homicide Case

BOISE, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger, the former Washington State University student accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday. Kohberger accepted a plea deal that includes four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

During a session at Ada County Courthouse, Judge Steven Hippler accepted Kohberger’s plea, which waives all appeals and spares him from facing the death penalty. Kohberger admitted to killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin on Nov. 13, 2022.

The plea deal followed a long and closely watched case. Kohberger was indicted in May 2023 on five felony counts, including four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. His lawyer, Anne Taylor, had previously stated that they needed additional time to prepare the defense.

The murders shocked the University of Idaho community and sparked a national outcry, generating extensive media coverage. Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 after DNA linked him to the scene, alongside cellphone data indicating his proximity to the victims prior to the murders.

Following Wednesday’s plea hearing, the family members of the victims began to express their sentiments publicly. “We now embark on a new path,” stated Madison Mogen’s attorney, Leander James, on behalf of her family. “We have closure. We turn from darkness and uncertainty of the legal process to the light of the future.”

Sentencing for Kohberger is scheduled for July 23. In the courtroom, the weight of the case and the tragic loss it represents was palpable as families looked toward closure.