() Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022, has accepted a plea deal that would allow him to avoid the death penalty but it’s not final yet.
A judge must approve the agreement at a change of plea hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Sources have confirmed the prosecution has proposed dropping the death penalty in exchange for Kohberger pleading guilty to committing the killings and to a burglary charge.
first reported that the plea agreement requires Kohberger to waive his right to appeal and agree to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kohberger, 30, a former graduate student in criminal justice at Washington State University, faces murder charges for the deaths of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Ethan Chapin, who were killed at an off-campus house near the University of Idaho on Nov. 13, 2022. He had pleaded not guilty.
What is a plea deal?
Plea deals or plea bargains are usually offered to a defendant when the prosecution has a strong case, in order to avoid a trial and potentially “reduce exposure to a more lengthy sentence,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Under a plea agreement, the defendant pleads guilty in exchange for reduced charges or sentencing considerations. If a defendant pleads guilty, there is no trial, and the next step is a sentencing hearing.
Notable cases ending in plea deals
According to the American Bar Association, 98% of federal criminal cases are resolved through plea agreements.
However, the ABA Plea Bargain Task Force cited “substantial evidence” that some defendants, particularly those facing decades-long mandatory minimum sentences, may feel coerced into pleading guilty, even when innocent.
While the Kohberger case has drawn intense national attention, it’s not the first high-profile case resolved through a plea agreement. Others include.
- Derek Chauvin: The former Minneapolis police officer accepted a federal plea deal in the civil rights case related to the death of George Floyd.
- Alex Murdaugh: After his double-murder conviction, Murdaugh pleaded guilty to dozens of state-level charges related to financial theft.
- Young Thug’s YSL co-defendants: Several members of rapper Young Thug’s collective accepted plea deals in a RICO case.
- Angela Garcia: Convicted of arson and murder, Garcia took a plea after nearly two decades fighting to prove her innocence, leading to a reduced sentence.
Bryan Kohberger plea deal sparks backlash
Kohberger’s plea deal has shocked observers and deeply upset the victims’ families, some of whom told they had no indication of a plea deal being offered and that they had more questions, including whether Kohberger would confess to the killings.
The father of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves criticized the agreement, calling it “anything but justice.”
“This is the opposite of our will,” said Steve Goncalves, in an exclusive interview with ’s “Banfield” on Monday. “There was no majority (of victims’ families) believing that this was acceptable.”
Goncalves blamed prosecutors and court leadership for the decision, saying they “decided to play God and decide what this man’s decision should be, and not a jury, not his peers.”
Another family member of one victim told that upon hearing of the plea deal, she felt like “all the power had been given back to Kohberger.”
Bryan Kohberger faces 4 murder charges
Investigators believe the four students, thought to be sleeping at the time, were fatally stabbed between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 13, 2022. According to the coroner, there was no sign of sexual assault.
A little over a month after the killings, Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, 2022, and extradited to Idaho.
Court records showed that investigators identified Kohberger as the suspect through a combination of DNA evidence at the scene, cellphone records and a white Hyundai Elantra.
A trial date was initially set for October 2023, but after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, it was pushed to the summer of 2025.
Kohberger’s attorneys previously attempted to delay the trial, citing 68 terabytes of evidence to review.
The trial was scheduled to begin in August, with opening arguments expected Aug. 18.
‘s Brian Entin contributed to this report.
