Bryan Kohberger has finally been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of four Idaho students after a judge slammed his ‘grotesque acts of evil.’
Judge Stephen Hippler pulled no punches at a Boise courthouse Wednesday as he ordered Kohberger, 30, to be held in custody by the Idaho Department of Corrections until his death over the November 2022 murders of four young students.
‘These grotesque acts of evil have buried anything that might have buried anything that had been good about him,’ Hippler told a hushed courtroom, shortly after wiping a tear from his eye.
‘I’m unable to come up with anything redeemable about Mr Kohberger.’
‘His actions have made him the worst of the worst. There is nothing hinting remorse, redemption, nothing hinting regret for the pain he has caused.
‘I will now sentence him so that he is forever removed from civilized society.’
Kohberger was handed four life sentences for each life he took – one for Madison Mogen, a second for Kaylee Goncalves, a third for Ethan Chapin and the final one for Xana Kernodle.
A plea deal struck earlier this month saw Kohberger spared the death penalty, but he will never be able to apply for parole.
Judge Stephen Hippler, pictured at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, Wednesday, grew emotional before sentencing Idaho murders killer Bryan Kohberger to life without parole
Bryan Kohberger is seen in court Wednesday where he was sentenced to die behind bars
Earlier in Wednesday’s sentencing, Kohberger was asked if he’d like to address the court, with the criminology student’s motive still a mystery.
‘I respectfully decline,’ he said in a frighteningly forceful voice.
Kohberger sat impassively as his sentence was passed. The initial part of the hearing had seen the families of his victims confront him.
That saw them share their desire for Kohberger to be raped and attacked in prison.
Judge Hippler addressed Kohberger’s continued silence on the shocking bloodbath against four innocent strangers.
He also shared his disgust at the thought of the killer collaborating on a book or movie about his crimes while behind bars.
The judge added: ‘I desire the answers … to why but on reflection… to continue to focus on why we continue to give Mr Kohberger relevance, to give him power.
‘Do we really believe after all this he is capable of speaking the truth?
‘There is no reason for these crimes that resemble rationality.
‘No conceivable reason could make any sense.
‘And in the end the more we seek explanation for the unexplainable… the more power and control we give to him.
‘It’s time to end Mr Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame,’ he said.
Pictured left to right: Housemates Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee’s shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke in 2022
Mogen, Kernodle, Goncalves and Chapin were found stabbed to death on Nov. 13, 2022 in their shared home on King Road in Moscow, Idaho. Pictured is the home in December 2023
A member of the audience could be heard shouting ‘coward’ after Kohberger declined to address the court, according to reporters in the room.
He stood up to address the judge moments before he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, after the friends and relatives of his victims gave heartbreaking impact statements to the court.
Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen sobbed as she addressed the 30-year-old killer, and described him as ‘less than human.’
The sister of victim Kaylee Goncalves, Alivea, then delivered a searing statement, demanding he explain himself and tearing him down as a ‘loser.’
She demanded Kohberger ‘sit up straight’ while she spoke and called him a ‘delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac.’
‘The truth about Kaylee and Maddie is that they would have been kind to you…. In a world that rejected you, they would have shown mercy,’ Kaylee Goncalves’ sister Alivea began as she spoke to Bryan Kohberger directly.
Kohberger watched Alivea intently, showing no emotion or flicker of expression.
The sister of victim Kaylee Goncalves, Alivea, delivered a searing statement at the sentencing Tuesday, demanding Kohberger explain himself and tearing him down as a ‘loser’
Surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen sobbed as she addressed the 30-year-old killer, and described him as ‘less than human’
Alivea continued in her scathing remarks to Kohberger: ‘I wont stand her and give you what you want, I won’t give you tears… instead I will call you what you are: sociopath, psychopath, murderer.’
She then hit him with the very same questions that Kohberger posed in a survey on Reddit as part of his criminology degree at DeSales University.
She went on to blast Kohberger’s past and all his failings, saying: ‘You thought you were so much better than everyone else.’
‘The truth is you’re basic,’ she continued. ‘You’re a textbook case as insecurity disguised as control. You spent months preparing and still all it took was my sister and a sheath.’
‘You’re as dumb as they come. Stupid, dumb… weak, dirty.’
In a damning conclusion, she told Kohberger: ‘If you hadn’t attacked them in your sleep like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f****** a**.’
The courtroom erupted in clapping at the end of Alivea’s statement.
‘This world was a better place with her in it,’ said Scott Laramie, Mogen’s stepfather.
‘As for the defendant, we will not waste the words. Nor will we fall into hatred and bitterness.
‘Evil has many faces, and we now know this, but evil does not deserve our time and attention. We are done being victims. We are taking back our lives.’
Bryan Kohberger is pictured in a selfie on November 13, 2022, taken just hours after he carried out the quadruple murder
On the night of the murder, Kohbeger’s car could be seen on a neighbor’s surveillance camera speeding away so fast ‘the car almost loses control as it makes the corner
Mogen, Kernodle, Goncalves and Chapin were found stabbed to death on Nov. 13, 2022 in their shared home on King Road in Moscow, Idaho.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania, where his parents lived, in connection to the gruesome slayings roughly six weeks later.
Police said they recovered DNA from a knife sheath found at the home, and used genetic genealogy to identify Kohberger as a possible suspect.
They accessed cellphone data to pinpoint his movements and used surveillance camera footage to help locate a white sedan that was seen repeatedly driving past the home on the night of the killings.
A Q-tip from the garbage at his parents’ house was used to match Kohberger’s DNA to genetic material from the sheath, investigators said.
The 30-year-old killer – who spent years studying criminology – pleaded guilty to the quadruple murder earlier this month in a deal to avoid the death penalty.
Kohberger’s attorneys got his trial moved to Boise after expressing concerns that the court wouldn’t be able to find enough unbiased jurors in Moscow.
But Hippler rejected their efforts to get the death penalty taken off the table and to strike critical evidence – including the DNA – from being admitted in trial.
The trial had been set to begin next month.
In exchange for Kohberger admitting guilt and waiving his right to appeal, prosecutors agreed not to seek his execution. Instead, both sides agreed to recommend that he serve four consecutive life sentences without parole for the killings.
The victim’s families were split on how they felt about the plea deal.
Bryan Kohberger was pulled over with his father (pictured together) before his arrest
If investigators know why Kohberger committed the crime, they haven’t said so publicly. Nor is it clear why he spared two roommates who were home at the time.
Cellphone location data did show Kohberger had been in the neighborhood multiple times before the attack.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said that Kohberger used his knowledge about forensic investigations to attempt to cover his tracks by deep cleaning his vehicle after the crime.
Police say Kohberger’s Amazon purchase history shows he bought a military-style knife as well as the knife sheath found at the home. But the knife itself was never found.
The case drew widespread interest and judges feared the publicity could harm Kohberger’s right to a fair trial. A sweeping gag order was imposed and hundreds of court documents were sealed from public view.
After Kohberger pleaded guilty, a coalition of news organizations asked that the gag order be lifted and the case documents be unsealed.
Hippler agreed, but said unsealing the documents will take time and that process won’t begin until after the sentencing hearing. It’s not clear how many answers they might contain.
President Donald Trump has suggested that the judge should force Kohberger to explain himself.
‘I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders,’ Trump wrote Monday on his platform Truth Social. ‘There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING.’
Friends and family members have sought to commemorate the victims’ lives through charity. The Made With Kindness Foundation honors the legacy of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Kernodle through scholarships. Pictured together: Mogen and Goncalves
The Chapin family has established the Ethan’s Smile Foundation which honors his ‘love of life, people, and new adventures by providing scholarships that enable others to follow their dreams. Pictured together: Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin
Friends and family members have sought to commemorate the victims’ lives by raising money for scholarships and other initiatives.
Ethan’s Smile Foundation, started by Chapin’s family, honors his ‘love of life, people, and new adventures by providing scholarships that enable others to follow their dreams,’ its website says.
The Made With Kindness Foundation honors the legacy of Mogen, Goncalves, and Kernodle through scholarships, wellness support and empowerment initiatives.
‘Our mission is to inspire and uplift the next generation, turning their dreams into realities in a world that values compassion and community,’ its website says.
The University of Idaho built the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial in memory of all students who passed away while enrolled at the school.
