EXCLUSIVE: Convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger, who was found guilty of killing four Idaho students, is reportedly receiving financial support from his family and anonymous third-party benefactors while incarcerated. This revelation emerged from a recent court filing, which counters his legal team’s attempt to have his financial obligations reduced.
Earlier this month, Kohberger’s attorneys submitted a motion claiming that he is unable to pay restitution due to serving four consecutive life sentences plus an additional ten years. They argued that he has no current or future financial capability to meet these payments.
However, prosecutors have responded with a new filing this week, highlighting that Kohberger has a history of receiving financial assistance from both family members and unnamed supporters. They have even provided a sealed exhibit detailing Kohberger’s financial transactions within the Latah and Ada County jails.
In a heartbreaking Instagram post shared just a day before the tragic event, Madison Mogen can be seen smiling on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, alongside Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates. This image is a poignant reminder of the lives lost.
In order to avoid the death penalty, Kohberger accepted a plea deal that requires him to pay over $250,000 in criminal fines and fees. Furthermore, he agreed to compensate each of the victim’s families with an additional $20,000 in civil judgments.
Despite this agreement, Kohberger’s attorneys have recently contested the obligation to pay approximately $20,000 more to Goncalves’ parents and nearly $7,000 to Madison Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, for travel and accommodation expenses, which the prosecution has requested.
Read the filing:
“The additional funds sought do not qualify as an economic loss under Idaho Code 19-5304 because Steve and Kristi Goncalves and Karen Larmie (sic) received extensive funds through multiple GoFundMe campaigns that specifically asked for and covered the expenses sought,” attorneys Anne Taylor, Elisa Massoth and Bicka Barlow wrote in a court filing.
There have also been questions about whether Kohberger will eventually break his silence on the case. He is a former student of the prominent forensic psychologist, Dr. Katherine Ramsland, who has written a number of books about serial killers, based on in-depth interviews with them.
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death nearly three years ago. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)
She previously told Fox News Digital she would be open to telling Kohberger’s story, if he shared it with her.
If Kohberger eventually speaks out, he likely will not be able to profit, Fox News Digital reported earlier this year. Like New York’s 1977 “Son of Sam” law, Idaho has legislation that helps prevent criminals from making money through detailing their offenses.
Maryann Kohberger (wearing sunglasses), mother of Bryan Kohberger, along with her daughter, Amanda Kohberger, exit Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, July 23, 2025. They were in Boise to attend Bryan’s sentencing. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
According to Idaho law, if a criminal signs a deal to profit from telling their crime story — including through a movie, book or magazine article — the profits first go to the state treasurer to be sent to an escrow account. Victims or their families, who must be notified, can claim the money through civil lawsuits within five years.
Bryan Kohberger’ is serving four consecutive life sentences, plus 10 years, at the Idaho State Correctional Complex in Kuna, Idaho, pictured here on July 22, 2025. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
