According to a letter sent to the families of the King Road Homicide victims, Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to all counts. ABC News was also sent the letter.
Kohberger is being prosecuted for the murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in 2022. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
In exchange for the plea deal, Kohberger will serve four consecutive life sentences for the murders and the maximum sentence of 10 years for the burglary count, without the possibility of parole. He will also waive the right to appeal.
Prosecutors intended to seek the death penalty if Kohberger was found guilty. Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied the defense’s previous requests to remove the death penalty.
The plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, according to ABC News. According to the letter, prosecutors expect sentencing to take place in late July.
The Goncalves family confirmed the news on their Facebook page, writing, “It’s true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.”
Prosecutors were reportedly approached last week by the defense team to ask for a plea offer, according to the letter. The state then met with the victims’ families, “weighed the right path forward and made a formal offer.”
“This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family,” prosecutors wrote in the letter to the victims’ families. “This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction, appeals. Your viewpoints weighed heavily in our decision-making process, and we hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice.”
The state will also be seeking further restitution for the victims and their families, including compensation for funeral expenses.
Earlier on June 30, seven potential witnesses were called to court in Pennsylvania to determine whether they would testify in the upcoming jury trial. According to WNEP-TV, a local television station in Scranton, Pennsylvania, two were ordered to testify and two agreed to testify as well.
Hippler denied the defense’s most recent request to delay the trial due to the amount of evidence and media publicity. The defense brought forward a list of four potential alternate perpetrators, which was also denied.
Currently, jury selection is scheduled to begin on Aug. 4, with a set of private hearings July 28-Aug. 1. The jury trial is set to begin Monday, Aug. 18, at 8:30 a.m. MST.
Dakota Steffen can be reached at [email protected].