Bryan Kohberger gets life in prison for killing four Idaho students. Families share sad stories in court, but why he did it remains a mystery.
Bryan Kohberger
In a sad courtroom packed with tears and some relief, Bryan Kohberger was given four life sentences in a row.
He can never get out of prison.
This happened on July 23, 2025.
He killed four young college students from the University of Idaho back in 2022.
The case kept people talking for almost three years.
It hurt many families and scared whole towns.
Kohberger surprised everyone by saying he was guilty just a few weeks ago.
In court, the families of the dead students talked about their pain.
They looked right at him.
This showed how much the Idaho murders changed their lives.
The bad thing started on November 13, 2022, in a small college town called Moscow, Idaho.
The students were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
They were stabbed to death in their house off campus on King Road.
All were about 20 or 21 years old.
They were good friends, living an everyday student life.
Kaylee and Madison were best friends from when they were kids.
They did everything together.
Xana and Ethan were boyfriend and girlfriend, full of hopes for the future.
The killer came in the early morning when most were asleep.
Two other girls who lived there, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were not hurt.
However, they will never forget it.
Dylan saw a man in a mask with thick eyebrows.
That helped the police a lot.
Bryan Kohberger was 28 then.
He was studying crime at Washington State University, not far away.
Police thought he did it after a long search.
They found his DNA on a knife cover at the house.
His phone showed he was near the place many times.
A video camera saw a white car like his driving around.
Police caught him on December 30, 2022, at his mom and dad’s house in Pennsylvania.
People who knew him said he was wise but not good at making friends.
His family has mom Maryann, dad Bryan Sr., and sisters Amanda and Melissa.
They are dealing with much hurt, too.
The court case took a long time.
They discussed proof and moved the trial to Boise for fair judges, but Kohberger first said he did not do it.
Everyone wondered why he killed them.
The people in charge, like Prosecutor Bill Thompson from Latah County, said there was no link between him and the students.
No sex crime, no apparent reason.
It was just a mean, planned attack.
His lawyer, Anne Taylor, tried hard to fight back.
They questioned searches and whether the jury would be fair.
Things changed on June 30, 2025.
They made a deal: Kohberger said he was guilty of four murders and breaking into the house.
In return, no death penalty.
He said guilty in court on July 2, 2025.
It was quick.
This stopped a big trial that would hurt families more by showing scary details.
The big day was July 23 in the Ada County Courthouse.
Judge Steven Hippler was in charge.
Kohberger, now 30, wore orange jail clothes.
He looked like he felt nothing while families talked.
These talks let loved ones share how much they lost.
Many looked for “Alivea Goncalves’ statement” and “Kaylee Goncalves’ sister” because their words were so strong.
Kaylee’s dad, Steve Goncalves, looked at Kohberger and called him a joke.
He said the families focus on their kids’ good lives, not the bad guy.
“Today, we finish what you started,” he said with a strong voice, even though it hurt.
Alivea Goncalves, Kaylee’s big sister, called him a bad person and a scared man for killing them in their sleep.
She said Kaylee would have fought hard if awake.
“No one fears you now. No one thinks you are great,” she told him.
People in court clapped, which is not common.
Other families spoke too.
Ben Mogen, Madison’s dad, talked about her bright future.
She almost had her school degree.
Jazzmin Kernodle, Xana’s sister, said Xana was a friend to all, always kind.
Jeff Kernodle, Xana’s dad, wished he could have saved her.
He was close by that night.
Scott Laramie, Madison’s stepdad, said she brought happiness, taken by evil.
Dylan Mortensen, who lived through it, talked in public for the first time. She hugged friends after.
Kohberger’s mom and sister were there, crying.
However, he did not look at them when he left.
The judge asked if he wanted to say something.
He said, “I choose not to.”
This made people mad because we still do not know why.
Prosecutor Thompson said again, no ties to the students.
The judge gave the most brutal punishment: four life sentences, one after another, no way out, plus 10 years for breaking in, and significant money fines of about $290,000.
He called the killings crazy and evil.
Kohberger will stay alone in a brutal prison called Idaho Maximum Security Institution.
“No good reason for this,” the judge said.
After court, the Moscow Police let out more than 300 prisoners.
These “Idaho 4 documents” show scary things.
The house had weird sounds weeks before; maybe someone was sneaking in.
The killings were rough: many knife cuts.
Xana had more than 50, some from fighting back.
Friends saw scratches on Kohberger’s face then.
He said it was from a car crash.
In school, he talked a lot about crimes like breaking in.
Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger, who came after James Fry, thanked everyone who helped.
He said they always thought of the dead students.
TV shows like Court TV, KTVB news, and Nancy Grace discussed it frequently.
Many watched the court live.
Not everyone liked the deal.
Some families, like Goncalves, thought it was too easy, no complete answers.
On the internet, people said Alivea’s words were powerful.
They liked no more court fights, just him locked away forever.
Ideas about why he did it kept coming, maybe from his crime studies or being upset.
However, police say no proof he knew them or did other killings.
This story shows how life can change fast and how strong people can be after loss.
The families made good things, like money for school in the students’ names.
Kaylee loved adventure and wanted to move to Texas.
Madison dreamed of jobs in marketing.
Xana was fun in her group of friends.
Ethan was good at sports and close to his brothers and sister, as he was one of three born together.
On July 24, 2025, the day after, people in Idaho think about getting better.
The law did its job, but “why” is still a question.
Some bad things have no easy answer.
If this story makes you sad, there are helpers on phone lines for people who have lost someone to violence.
They can listen and help.
The good memories of Kaylee, Madison, Xana, and Ethan shine on, stronger than the bad.
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