BOISE, ID – Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of the murders of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, was sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison Wednesday morning in a Boise courtroom. The sentencing comes more than two and a half years after Kohberger murdered Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, at an off-campus home near the university in Moscow.
In a plea agreement reached in early July, Kohberger and his defense team agreed to a sentence of four life terms in prison, sparing him from the death penalty. The decision followed months of legal proceedings and deliberations.
During the emotional hearing, victim impact statements were read aloud, as family members shared their grief and anger with the court. The first statement came from Bethany Funke, one of the two surviving roommates who was in the home the night of the murders. Funke, unable to attend in person, had her friend Emily Alandt read her statement.
“I was still out of it and still didn’t know what happened. If I had known, I of course would have called 911 right away,” Funke’s statement said. “I still carry so much regret and guilt for not knowing what had happened and not calling right away, even though I understand it wouldn’t have changed anything, even if the paramedics had been right outside the door. That was the worst day of my life, and I know it always will be.”
The other surviving roommate, Dylan Mortensen, recounted how she had to sleep in her mother’s bed afterward, unable to close her eyes, and made escape plans due to fear.
Scott Laramie, the stepfather of victim Maddie Mogen, delivered a statement on behalf of himself and Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie. “Karen and I are ordinary people, but we lived extraordinary lives because we had Maddie. Maddie was taken senselessly and brutally in a sudden act of evil,” Laramie said.
“We support the plea agreement. Society needs to be protected against this evil. As for the defendant, we will not waste the words, nor will we fall into hatred and bitterness. Evil does not deserve our time and attention,” Laramie added.
Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, addressed Kohberger directly, calling him a “fool” for leaving his DNA at the crime scene. “Your actions have united everyone in their disgust for you,” he said. “Master’s degree? You’re a joke, a complete joke. You picked the wrong family and we’re laughing at you,” he added.
Ben Mogen, father of Madison Mogen, shared his heartbreak, saying that his daughter was the one thing in life he was truly proud of. “She was the only great thing I ever really did. And the only thing I was ever really proud of,” Mogen said, choking back tears.
Kaylee Goncalves’ sister, Alivea Goncalves, had a direct message for Kohberger. “My sister Kaylee and her best friend Maddie were not yours to take. They were not yours to study, to stalk or to silence,” she said, fighting to control her emotions.
Randy Davis, Xana Kernodle’s stepfather, could barely contain his anger. “You’re gonna go to hell… you’re evil… you took our children… you are gonna suffer, man,” Davis said, his voice shaking with fury. “Go to hell,” he concluded.
Following the victim impact statements, Latah County prosecutor, Bill Thompson, explained the plea deal, revealing that the defense team had approached his office seeking an agreement. “Our reaction, among other things, was to reach out to all of the families,” Thompson said, acknowledging the range of opinions within the victim’s families on the plea deal.
Thompson showed photos of the victims to the courtroom, requesting that Kohberger receive four consecutive life sentences, rather than concurrent ones. “From today forward, our memories shall be focused on the innocent victims whose lives were taken,” Thompson said.
Judge Steven Hippler, who was visibly emotional as he spoke, said Kohberger was a “faceless coward” on the day of the murders and expressed his sympathy for the victims’ families. “No parent should have to bury their child,” Hippler said, adding that the victims were “stolen” from their families.
In the end, the judge issued the four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, ensuring Kohberger will spend the remainder of his life in prison. Kohberger was also sentenced to 10 years on a burglary charge and fined $50,000 for each victim. The judge also handed down four $5,000 civil penalties payable to the family of each victim.
Kohberger will spend the rest of his life at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, according to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
