Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole on Wednesday, July 23, in connection with the murders of the Idaho Four.
He was also given an additional 10 years for his burglary charge.
Prior to his sentencing, Kohberger, 30, declined to make a statement to the court.
The judge addressed his decision, pointing out that even if Kohberger did speak, “How could anyone ever be assured that what he speaks is the truth?””
“Do we really believe after all this,” he continued, “he’s capable of speaking the truth or giving up something of himself to help the very people whose lives he destroyed?”
“The time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame,” he added.
As National Enquirer previously reported, Kohberger pleaded guilty to one count of felony burglary and four counts of first-degree murder for the 2022 slayings of Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, in early July.
The four students were found dead in their off-campus home they shared on November 13, 2022. Kohberger was arrested on suspicion of their murders that December.
Following the court’s decision to accept his plea deal, the Goncalves family posted to Facebook that they were “beyond furious” that the state of Idaho “failed” them with the case.
On July 18, Kaylee’s mother, Kristi Goncalves, told the Today show that she wished Kohberger “would’ve had to say” his victims’ names in court to show “a little more accountability and owning up to what he did.”
Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, added that he’d wanted to “see some sternness” over the four young lives that had been lost, but Bryan “wasn’t even asked to stand” for his guilty plea.
He also shared that he believed that more details of his daughter’s murder would trickle out over time from Kohberger himself.
“I think we’re gonna find out secrets through his sick, twisted mind,” he suggested at the time. “He’s gonna write about it.”
However, on July 14, Ethan’s parents shared a different perspective on the controversial plea deal. Jim and Stacy Chapin admitted they were satisfied with the court’s decision, despite the fact that it meant the death penalty was no longer on the table.
“I think our initial response was like, an eye for an eye,” Stacy said during their own appearance on Today. “But we’ve spent a ton of time talking about it with prosecutors, and for us, we always felt like this was a better deal. I mean, [Kohberger] gets put away, and there’s no appeal system to it.”
