Bryan Kohberger sentencing live: Idaho killer may finally reveal motive behind brutal student muders

University of Idaho student killer Bryan Kohberger will be sentenced today for the brutal killings of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin at 9am MT on July 23 in Ada County Courthouse and is expected to last the full day.

Judge Steven Hippler has also set aside Thursday should it run into a second day.

Public seating in the courtroom is first-come, first-served. The hearing will also be livestreamed.

Unlike other court hearings where Kohberger has been allowed to wear his own clothes, he will be forced to appear in court in prison garb.

Bryan Kohberger grew up in a quiet, rural neighborhood in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania with his parents Michael and MaryAnn and older sisters Amanda and Melissa.

As a child, he was shy and overweight – with former classmates saying he was bullied.

In his teenage years, Kohberger began using heroin – an addiction that resulted in multiple rehab stints and an incident where his father called police after he stole his sister’s cell phone and sold it for drugs.

After getting clean, Kohberger turned his attention to pursuing an education in criminology.

First, he went to DeSales University, Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in psychology and a Masters in criminal justice under renowned serial killer expert Dr. Katherine Ramsland.

In the summer of 2022, he then moved across the country to enroll in a criminology PhD program at Washington State University – just over the border from the University of Idaho campus. As part of his education, Kohberger learned about the minds of killers – and intricate details about crime scenes.

Steve Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee was among the four students murdered, voiced his frustration over the lack of public disclosure about Kohberger, a criminology graduate student at Washington State University.

Following the sentencing, Kohberger will be transferred to the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction, which will determine which prison will become home for the rest of his life.

Due to the severity of his crime – and the high-profile nature of the case – Kohberger is expected to be sent to the state’s only maximum security facility.

Idaho Maximum Security Institution, which has been open since 1989, is home to other notorious inmates including doomsday cult killer Chad Daybell, who sits on death row.

While Kohberger begins his lifetime behind bars, more information is expected to come to light about the murders.

The gag order was lifted last week, finally allowing attorneys, law enforcement and other officials to speak about the case.

At the time, both the prosecution and the defense said they would not make any statements until after the sentencing.

Judge Hippler said the court will also begin the painstaking process to review all the records in the case to determine what can be unsealed and made public.

Judge Hippler is expected to sentence Kohberger to life in prison without the possibility of parole, in line with the controversial plea deal struck between the defense and prosecution in the case.

In an unexpected change of plea hearing on July 2, Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

Under the terms of the plea deal, Kohberger will avoid the death penalty and will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for each of the murders, plus the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count.

Kohberger also agreed to waive his right to appeal the plea and sentence as part of the agreement.

Before the judge hands down his sentence, Kohberger will also be given the opportunity to speak to the court – giving him one final opportunity to reveal why he decided to commit his heinous crime.

After pleading guilty, a defendant is given a formal opportunity – called an allocution – to address the court to express remorse, accept responsibility and explain any mitigating circumstances they want the judge to consider in deciding their sentence.

It is unclear if Kohberger plans to take that opportunity.

There is no legal obligation for him to speak to the court or to explain his motive.

Some of the victims’ families have voiced their frustration that this was not a requirement of his plea deal.

President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the matter, taking to Truth Social Monday to urge the judge to force Kohberger to ‘explain why he did these horrible murders’ in Wednesday’s hearing.

Since his arrest, Kohberger has cut a largely silent figure.

At his change of plea hearing earlier this month, he gave only one-word answers to the judge’s questions confirming he was guilty of the horrific crime.

He offered no answers to the questions lingering in the case, including his motive for the murders, who his intended target was and how he chose his victims.

During the sentencing, the families and friends of the victims will be given the opportunity to confront the man who slaughtered their loved ones when they deliver victim impact statements to the court.

Many have already revealed their plans to do so, including members of the Goncalves family and Kernodle’s mom Cara Northington.

Chapin’s parents have said the family will not attend the hearing, instead planning to do something together in their son’s memory.

As well as the families, the two surviving roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke and other friends of the victims will also have the chance to speak publicly for the first time.

Those who do want to address the court can speak in-person themselves or have a representative read out a statement on their behalf.

Hours before a heinous crime which instilled fear into the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, and rattled the entire nation, six friends stood smiling on the porch of their off-campus student accommodation.

Bryan Kohberger, dressed in dark clothing, donning a mask and without any obvious motive, would that night sneak into their home at 1122 King Road and stab four of them to death, spattering walls with blood as he prowled from room to room.

Outside Ada County Courthouse, around 40 members of the public and media were already in line by 4am local time.

The court has a strict no camping rule but some people began lining up outside by around 9pm Tuesday – 12 hours before the hearing begins.

The court cleared the line and said people could only line up from 4am.

A makeshift line had formed over the road from the court before the Daily Mail arrived around 3am.

Some arguing broke out as people cut in front just before the line relocated to the courthouse.

There seems to be a mix of media and crime sleuths – including a group who have traveled to many cases together.