Kohberger sentenced to life in prison for U of I student murders
Curtis Jackson
Update: Bryan Kohberger sentenced to 4 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of four University of Idaho students.
You can watch the full sentencing hearing from July 23, 2025, below.
(CNN) — The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the four University of Idaho students killed by Bryan Kohberger in 2022, called him a “joke,” “loser,” and “as dumb as they come” in a day of searing victim impact statements.with
“If you hadn’t attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f**king a**,” her sister Alivea Goncalves said to him, earning a round of applause from some of those gathered in the Boise, Idaho, courtroom.
The victim impact statements Wednesday came during a hearing that represents the final opportunity for the victims’ families to speak in court and reflect on their loved ones, Kohberger and the case’s controversial plea deal.
Kohberger, too, will have an opportunity to speak to the court and answer the question that remains frustratingly unclear: Why?
Earlier this month, the former criminology graduate student admitted to fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students – Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen – in their off-campus home during the overnight hours of November 13, 2022.
He pleaded guilty to burglary and four counts of first-degree murder, and in exchange, prosecutors agreed to a sentence of life in prison, taking the death penalty off the table.
Father and sister of Goncalves directly address killer
Speaking directly to Kohberger, Alivea Goncalves said her sister would “call you exactly what you are: sociopath, psychopath, murderer.”
She called Kohberger “defendant” and asked a series of questions she said “reverberate violently” in her own head.
“Sit up straight when I talk to you,” she said. “How was your life right before you murdered my sister? Did you prepare for the crime before leaving your apartment? Please detail what you were thinking and feeling at the time.”
“If you were really smart, do you think you’d be here right now?”
She dismissed him as a sociopath, a psychopath and a delusional and pathetic loser. He is “as dumb as they come,” she said, adding that “no one thinks that you are important.”
“The truth is, you’re basic,” she said.
“Let me be very clear: Don’t ever try to convince yourself you matter just because someone finally said your name out loud. I see through you,” she said.
Steve Goncalves, the victim’s father, turned the lectern to directly face Kohberger in his impact statement.
“The world’s watching because of the kids, not because of you. Nobody cares about you. … In time, you will be nothing but two initials, forgotten to the wind,” he said.
He called Kohberger a “joke” and described how easy it was to track him down.
“Police officers tell us within minutes they had your DNA. Like a calling card. You were that careless. That foolish. That stupid. Masters degree? You’re a joke. Complete joke,” he said.
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