Bryan Kohberger Sentenced to Life in Prison for Idaho Student Murders: 6 Takeaways

Bryan Kohberger sat in a courtroom in Boise, Idaho, for more than three hours on Wednesday, rarely changing his expression as he listened to emotional speeches from more than a dozen people condemning him for the murders of four University of Idaho students more than two years ago.

Among the speakers were relatives of the victims, two roommates who survived the November 2022 attack, a prosecutor who built the case against him, and the judge who ultimately sentenced him to four consecutive life terms with no opportunity for parole, in accordance with a plea deal.

Mr. Kohlberger, 30, was a Ph.D. student at Washington State University at the time of the killings in the neighboring college town of Moscow, Idaho. A strict gag order that has been in place for more than two years was lifted last week, and officials held a news conference after the sentencing, disclosing some new details.

Here’s what to know:

Kohberger declined to speak, leaving his motive a mystery.

“I respectfully decline,” Mr. Kohberger said when asked toward the end of the hearing by Judge Steven Hippler if he would like to make a statement. “Coward!” someone in the courtroom cried out.

Judge Hippler said he shared the desire of victims’ family members to know why Mr. Kohberger murdered the four students, but explained that he did not have the legal authority to compel the killer to speak.

The judge added that he did not believe that any answer Mr. Kohberger provided could be believed. The prosecutor, Bill Thompson, also said he believed that asking Mr. Kohberger to explain his crimes would allow him to shape his own narrative.

Investigators said they had never been able to identify a motive.

Two surviving roommates spoke publicly for the first time.

The public heard Wednesday for the first time from two other people who were in the house when Mr. Kohberger killed Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.

Much attention has focused on why neither called 911 until more than seven hours after the killings — particularly since one, Dylan Mortensen, saw a masked man walking through the house around 4 a.m., roughly the time of the killings. Ms. Mortenson said she had been haunted ever since the murders, afraid to close her eyes at night.

The other roommate, Bethany Funke, wrote a statement read in court. “If I had known, I, of course, would have called 911 right away,” she said, adding, “I understand it wouldn’t have changed anything, not even if the paramedics had been right outside the door.”

Family statements included rage, but also some forgiveness.

Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, turned the lectern 90 degrees to speak directly to Mr. Kohberger. “You tried to divide us,” he told him. “You failed. Instead, your actions have united everyone in their disgust for you.”

Several family members of victims said they hoped that Mr. Kohberger would suffer violence in prison. But others said they had forgiven him. Cara Northington, the mother of Xana Kernodle, said she prayed for the killer, but added, “I am washing my hands of you.”

Others expressed pain for the Kohberger family, including Mr. Kohberger’s mother, MaryAnn, who sat in the first row near her son, often dabbing her face with a tissue.

Ms. Kernodle’s uncle, Stratton Kernodle, focused on how the crime had “tainted” Mr. Kohberger’s family. And Kim Cheeley, the grandmother of Madison Mogen, said that her heart ached for the surviving roommates, the victims’ families and the killer’s family.

Investigators left many questions unanswered.

Investigators said that despite an extensive effort, they were unable to identify a prior link between Mr. Kohberger and the victims. They dispelled two popular theories: that Mr. Kohberger might have interacted with some of the victims on social media, or that he had met some of them at a restaurant.

Investigators also said they did not know if the killer had a specific target. Cpl. Brett Payne of the Moscow Police Department said that it was possible that Mr. Kohberger chose their home because of its location or layout, but that investigators simply did not know.

A widely circulated theory that he later participated in Facebook discussions about the case was false, they concluded. And crucial evidence — like the knife used in the killings — has never been found. “It wasn’t for a lack of trying,” Lt. Darren Gilbertson of the Idaho State Police said.

The prosecutor defended the plea deal.

Family members of some victims had vehemently objected to a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table for Mr. Kohberger.

Mr. Thompson, the county prosecutor, contended that the agreement was the best possible outcome. He noted that it resulted in Mr. Kohberger’s admitting guilt on all charges and ensured that he will now remain behind bars until he dies.