Bryan Kohberger, the lone suspect in a horrific quadruple murder at the University of Idaho in 2022, has accepted a plea deal which will spare him the death penalty.
Family members of the victims claim that they were not made aware of the plea deal beforehand, and are outraged that Kohberger will be allowed to live.
FOX News reports:
Bryan Kohberger accepts plea deal in Idaho student murders caseIdaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger has accepted a plea deal to spare his life in the murders of four University of Idaho students, two sources close to the case told Fox News Digital Monday.Kohberger, 30, is accused of killing Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack on Nov. 13, 2022.Goncalves’ family issued a scathing statement Monday evening, hours after the news became public, saying that they had been “vaguely” approached on Friday about the possibility of a deal but were blindsided that it was done by Sunday.”The death penalty is merely an illusion in the criminal justice system. When available, it serves as a bargaining tool for the State, and when rarely applied, it’s never enforced due to a highly inefficient appellate process,” the family said in a statement through attorney Shanon Gray. “The notion that someone can plead guilty to a crime and still face years of appellate delays reveals a systemic failure.””We weren’t even called about the plea; we received an email with a letter attached,” the statement continued. “That’s how Latah County’s Prosecutor’s Office treats murder victims’ families. Adding insult to injury, they’re rushing the plea, giving families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2.”
More from the New York Post:
The deal is a stunning twist in a hard-fought case in which prosecutors accused Kohberger of sneaking into a rental home in nearby Moscow, Idaho, and fatally stabbing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.And for Goncalves’ family, the deal is a stab in the back.On their Facebook page, the family said they were “beyond furious” that Kohberger will get to live.“The introduction of this plea deal, just weeks before the scheduled trial, is both shocking and cruel,” Kaylee’s younger sister Aubrie posted in her own scathing message.“Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world. Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever,” she wrote.The deal would save Kohberger from a potential death by firing squad after Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a new law bringing back the antiquated execution method.
See a quick video report below:
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY