Bryan Kohberger sentencing: Idaho college student killer sentenced to life in prison

Bryan Kohberger has pleaded guilty to all counts.

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Last updated: Thursday, July 24, 2025 10:09AM GMT
Bryan Kohberger gets 4 life sentences for murders of 4 Idaho students

A judge sentenced Bryan Kohberger to serve four life sentences without parole for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago.

In Wednesday's hearing, families of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves described the anguish they've felt since their loved ones were killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

MORE | Judge sentences Bryan Kohberger to life in prison for murdering 4 University of Idaho students

The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.

Jul 23, 2025, 4:34 PM GMT

Kaylee Goncalves' mom: 'Hell will be waiting'

Kaylee's mom, Kristi Goncalves, said to Bryan Kohberger that "hell will be waiting."

"You are nothing. May you continue to live your life in misery. You are officially the property of the state of Idaho, where your fellow inmates are anxiously awaiting your arrival," she said.

Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen addressed Bryan Kohberger in court.
Jul 23, 2025, 4:56 PM GMT

Kaylee Goncalves' sister: They 'were not yours to take'

Kaylee's sister, Alivea Goncalves, said to Bryan 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."

Alivea Goncalves, sister of victim Kaylee Goncalves speaks at the sentencing hearing of Bryan Kohberger at the Ada County Courthouse, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.
Alivea Goncalves, sister of victim Kaylee Goncalves speaks at the sentencing hearing of Bryan Kohberger at the Ada County Courthouse, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho.

"They're everything you could never be: loved, accepted, vibrant, accomplished, brave and powerful," she said.

"They would've been kind to you. If you had approached them in their everyday lives, they would've given you directions, thanked you for the compliment. ... In a world that rejected you, they would've shown mercy," she said.

Goncalves said she "won't stand here and give you want you want": tears and trembling.

She called him a "sociopath, psychopath, murderer," before asking him a series of questions.

Her questions included, "Where is the murder weapon, the clothes you wore that night? What did you bring into the house with you? ... What were Kaylee's last words?"

"You didn't win. ... You're a delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac loser who thought you were so much smarter than everybody else," she said.

"You aren't special or deep, not mysterious or exceptional. Don't ever get it twisted again. No one is scared of you today. No one is intimidated by you, no one is impressed by you, no one thinks you are important," she said.

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Jul 23, 2025, 4:14 PM GMT

Kaylee Goncalves' sister, Alivea Goncalves, matched her father's angry tone in her testimony

She said she didn't immediately cry when she first heard about her sister's death - she listened to the details of her final night.

"I'm angry every day" she said.

Alivea Goncalves said her sister and Maddie Mogen had "always known her love," she said, and would never ask her to prove it by further victimizing herself by showing vulnerability to Kohberger now.

"I won't offer you tears, I won't offer you trembling. Disappointments like you feed on fear," she said.

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Jul 23, 2025, 4:14 PM GMT

Goncalves' heated testimony emphasized how quickly police were able to find Kohberger

"You were that careless, that foolish, that stupid," he said, noting investigators had his DNA right away.

He taunted Kohberger and referenced Kohberger's degree in criminal justice.

"Master's degree? You're a joke - a complete joke."

He said Kohberger would die nameless, while the world would remember the legacy of the four victims.

"You picked the wrong family, and we're laughing at you on your way to the pen," he said.