Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Four University Students, Avoids Death Penalty

Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, has agreed to a plea deal to avoid the death penalty by pleading guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The victims—Madison Mogan, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—were found stabbed in their off-campus home, with autopsies indicating they were likely asleep during the attack. Kohberger, a former criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University, was arrested in Pennsylvania weeks after the killings, with DNA evidence linking him to a knife sheath found at the crime scene. Families of the victims expressed outrage and disappointment over the plea deal, feeling that the State of Idaho failed them. The plea deal, which must still be accepted by a judge, would result in life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and require Kohberger to waive his right to appeal, sparing the families a prolonged trial. The case had drawn national attention due to its brutality and lengthy investigation, and the trial was moved to Boise to ensure a fair process.