Bryan Kohberger, the man accused in the high-profile slayings of four University of Idaho students in late 2022, has officially been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The sentencing took place Wednesday, concluding a lengthy and emotionally charged legal process.
Judge Steven Hippler handed down four consecutive life sentences, one for each victim, during a hearing that drew the families of the victims and members of the community. “Parents who once dropped their kids off at college full of hope had to bring them home in hearses,” Hippler said in a somber address from the bench.
Turning to the families, the judge continued, “I urge you to reject the label of victim—it gives too much weight to the evil that brought you here. Instead, I hope you walk forward as survivors.”
Kohberger, who had previously been preparing for a capital murder trial, changed his plea earlier this month in an agreement that removed the possibility of the death penalty. By pleading guilty, he acknowledged responsibility for the brutal killings of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, who were found murdered in their off-campus residence near the university’s Moscow, Idaho campus in November 2022.
The case gripped the nation with its shocking nature and long investigative timeline. With the sentencing now complete, families and the community are left to seek closure after nearly three years of legal proceedings.
