Kaylee Goncalves Family Plans Return $85K Donations After Kohberger Plea

The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of four University of Idaho students murdered in 2022, plans to return over $85,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign initially intended to support trial-related expenses. The campaign closed before Bryan Kohberger, the accused, entered a plea deal on July 1, pleading guilty and avoiding the death penalty, which sparked outrage from the Goncalves family and other victims' relatives. The family expressed feeling betrayed by the plea agreement and prosecutor Bill Thompson, emphasizing their desire not to 'bait and switch' the generous donors given the unexpected end to the trial. Kohberger will serve life in prison without parole and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23. The Goncalves family criticized the deal as rushed and secretive and lamented that Kohberger received mercy despite showing none to the victims. They are currently navigating the logistical challenges of refunding donations while dealing with the emotional toll of the case and related scheduling conflicts.