Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty, avoids death penalty in Idaho student murders
By Easton Martin | July 1, 2025
Bryan Kohberger, accused in the murders of four University of Idaho students, has formally accepted a plea deal today, pleading guilty to all charges and avoiding the death penalty.
Under terms of the agreement, announced publicly this morning, Kohberger will serve four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The plea deal also includes Kohberger waiving his rights to appeal both the convictions and the sentences, effectively concluding the case without a lengthy trial.
The murders occurred on November 13, 2022, when students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were fatally stabbed at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, a former criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, was arrested on December 30, 2022, after investigators linked him to the crime through DNA evidence and cell phone location data.
Today’s decision to accept a plea bargain follows months of pre-trial motions, including defense requests for trial delays, a venue change, and attempts to introduce alternative suspects, all of which were rejected by the judge. Additionally, concerns over leaked evidence in media reports complicated pre-trial proceedings, raising questions about jury impartiality and the viability of pursuing the death penalty.
A plea hearing is scheduled for July 2, 2025, during which Kohberger will officially enter his guilty pleas. Sentencing is expected to follow later this month.
The agreement represents a significant turning point in a case that has garnered intense national attention and public scrutiny, sparing the victims’ families and the community a potentially prolonged and distressing trial.
“This resolution provides closure and certainty to the families of the victims,” prosecutors stated, highlighting the importance of delivering swift justice while avoiding years of appeals inherent in death penalty cases.
As sentencing approaches, the Moscow community continues to recover from a tragedy that profoundly affected both the university and the surrounding area, bringing a sense of finality nearly three years after the murders shook the college town.
