Reports: University of Idaho quadruple homicide suspect Bryan Kohberger expected to plead guilty on all charges, leaving one victim’s family ‘beyond furious’

The 30-year-old accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022 appears poised to accept a plea deal that allows him to avoid both a trial and potentially a firing squad.

Multiple media outlets reported Monday that 30-year-old Bryan Kohberger agreed to plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the deaths of UI seniors Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum; junior Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls; and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20, of Mount Vernon, Washington. All four were stabbed to death at a rental home in Moscow.

The broadcast corporations and local news outlets like the Idaho Statesman and KTVB in Boise cited a letter sent to families of the victims this week stating Kohberger intends to accept a plea agreement that does away with his right to an appeal and comes with a sentence of four consecutive life sentences for the murder charges, and an additional 10 years for burglary – the maximum allotted under state law. The plea deal allows Kohberger to avoid a trial that could have ended with a death sentence if found guilty.

The letter arrived a few days before  Kohberger’s change of plea which is expected to happen at an 11 a.m. hearing Wednesday.

The Goncalves family confirmed the letter and Kohberger’s intent to plead guilty in a Facebook post Monday afternoon. The Spokesman-Review was unable to reach Kristi Goncalves, mother to Kaylee, or Maddie’s father, Ben Mogen, ahead of publication.

“We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho,” the post reads. “They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.”

Kohberger’s attorneys approached the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office earlier this month about a plea deal, ABC News reported. After meeting with family members who were available last week, the office made a formal offer to Kohberger.

Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson called the agreement their “sincere attempt to seek justice” in the letter distributed to family members, according to a copy obtained by the Idaho Statesman.

“We cannot fathom the toll that this case has taken on your family,” Thompson wrote in the letter. “This resolution is our sincere attempt to seek justice for your family. This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction appeals.”

When reached by The Spokesman-Review Monday afternoon, Idaho State Supreme Court spokesperson Nate Poppino said, “I do not have any information I can confirm this evening.”

Kohberger, who is originally from Pennsylvania, declined to enter a plea at an arraignment in May 2023. A judge entered not guilty pleas to all charges on his behalf, and his defense has maintained his innocence over the more than two years leading up to his high-profile trial, which was moved from Moscow to Boise late last year. The trial was set to begin Aug. 11.

In March, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law House Bill 37, which made the firing squad the primary death penalty in Idaho.