As we previously reported, Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four Idaho college students.
His motives for slaying Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle remain unknown.
Bryan Kohberger avoided death penalty with plea deal
Several people — including some members of the victims’ families — criticized the plea deal that enabled Kohberger to avoid the death penalty.
Not only did the killer get off with a lighter sentence, the families were denied a trial that might have shed some light on these seemingly random murders.
Now, newly unsealed police reports have revealed new details of Kohberger’s crimes.
We’d like to warn our readers that the remainder of this article contains some highly disturbing descriptions.
Unsealed police documents reveal grisly details of murders
In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, Kohberger entered a home with five University of Idaho students inside. Only one would survive, having apparently gone undetected by the killer.
According to portions of the police reports published by People magazine, Kaylee Goncalves’ face was left “disfigured” by Kohberger.
Her roommate, Xana Kernodle, seems to have encountered Kohberger during or just after he murdered Goncalves and Madison Mogen in a third-floor bedroom.
Investigators say Kernodle ran and then put up a fight, but was stabbed more than 50 times by Kohberger.
Police Sgt. Shaine Gunderson wrote in his report that “it was obvious an intense struggle had occurred”
Xana’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, appeared to have been killed in his sleep.
At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, several of the victims’ family members delivered statements, in some cases addressing Kohberger directly.
“You are entering a place where no one will care who you are and no one will ever respect you,” Kaylee’s mother, Kristi Goncalves, told Kohberger, according to E! News, adding:
“Quick message from our youngest daughter: Aubrie wanted to say, ‘You may have received As in high school, but you’re gonna be getting big Ds in prison.’”
While the families will likely never be able to make sense of these heinous crimes, we hope they can find some solace in the fact that Kohberger will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
We will have further updates on this developing sroy as new information becomes available.