Just weeks before his murder trial was set to begin, Bryan Kohberger — once defiant in his claims of innocence — stunned the nation by pleading guilty to the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students.

Now 30 years old, Kohberger admitted to the brutal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen at their shared home in Moscow, Idaho. In return for his guilty plea, he avoided the death penalty — but left grieving families with unresolved pain and a slew of unanswered questions.

Kohberger is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday in Boise. He may choose to speak during the hearing, and the victims’ families will be allowed to address the court about how the crime has impacted their lives.

While some, like Madison Mogen’s father, feel a sense of closure, others are left angry. “The state made a deal with the devil,” said Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, who still seeks answers — particularly regarding a motive, which remains unknown.

The Night That Changed Everything

On the night of 12 November 2022, the four students had been enjoying a typical weekend. Xana and her boyfriend Ethan attended a fraternity party, while Kaylee and Madison visited a bar and grabbed food before heading home around 2:00 a.m.

Hours later, a masked intruder parked near their house, entered through a sliding door, and carried out a horrifying attack — moving room to room with a knife, leaving behind a blood-soaked scene. Two roommates survived, one of whom reportedly saw the masked figure leaving.

For more than a month, there were no arrests or suspects, leading to national headlines and amateur sleuths swarming social media. The small college town of Moscow, which hadn’t seen a murder in years, was left shaken.

A Break in the Case

Finally, on 30 December 2022, authorities arrested Kohberger at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania. He had been studying criminology at Washington State University and was reportedly fascinated by criminal psychology. His former professor, true crime author Katherine Ramsland, expressed disbelief: “That’s not the Bryan Kohberger I knew.”

Still, nearly three years later, no motive has been made public. Kohberger has never explained why he targeted the victims, to whom he had no known ties.

Evidence against him included surveillance footage of a white Hyundai Elantra near the scene, cell phone data placing him near the house, and most significantly, DNA on a knife sheath left behind — matched to DNA taken from his family’s trash.

Speculation, Media Frenzy, and Social Media Sleuths

In the weeks following the killings, fear gripped the university community. Students fled campus. As police worked quietly behind the scenes, online communities exploded with theories — many of them baseless and harmful.

Family members and roommates were harassed online. The Moscow Police warned the public not to fuel speculation without facts.

A gag order was placed early in the case, but was lifted last week after Kohberger’s plea. A judge acknowledged that public interest outweighed secrecy now that the trial was off the table.

A Town in Recovery

The house at 1122 King Road, where the murders occurred, has since been demolished. The university said the decision was meant to help the community heal. Some families agreed; others felt erasing the scene too soon left questions buried.

To honour the victims, a memorial sculpture was installed on campus — a steel circle engraved with their names, surrounded by candles, stones, and handwritten tributes.

As sentencing approaches, families continue to remember the lives lost:

• Madison Mogen was known for her warmth and laughter.
• Kaylee Goncalves was a protector and high achiever.
• Ethan Chapin, one of triplets, was the “life of the party.”
• Xana Kernodle was independent, strong, and always with friends.

Their memories now live on — even as the man responsible for their deaths prepares to face justice.