The case of four college students murdered in Idaho came to a quick conclusion after Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty. He was charged with murdering Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four students were stabbed and found in their rental house near the University of Idaho campus in 2022.
Kohberger was arrested a month after the attacks, and he pleaded not guilty. He was 28 at the time, a doctoral student in criminal justice at Washington State University.
His plea deal saved him from a trial and a potential death penalty sentence, spurring questions of how much say victims' families have in plea deals.
In a statement to Reuters from their attorney, the Goncalves family said they learned about the plea deal in a letter from prosecutors.
"After more than two years, this is how it concludes with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims' families on the plea's details," wrote the Goncalves family. "Adding insult to injury, they’re rushing the plea, giving families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2."
The trial was set to begin on August 18.
Steve Goncalves, Kaylee's father, says he wants the judge to reject Kohberger's plea deal.
"This is not justice. We had an outsider come to our community, kill our kids in their sleep while they're getting a college education, doing everything that they should do, and we don't have the courage to hold him accountable," he said. "No plea deal. Let's go for this guy. One hundred percent, let's do it."
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!