Kohberger Sentenced to Life for Idaho Student Murders

Bryan Kohberger, a former criminology graduate student, was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole for the November 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students—Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The sentencing followed an emotional hearing where victims’ families and surviving roommates delivered powerful statements of grief and anger, while Kohberger declined to speak or apologize. A plea deal accepted earlier in the month spared him the death penalty and required him to waive his right to appeal. Judge Steven Hippler described Kohberger’s crimes as 'the worst of the worst,' highlighting the deep pain caused to the victims’ families and the community. The investigation used DNA evidence and cellphone data to identify and arrest Kohberger six weeks after the crime. The motive for the murders remains unknown.