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.
Share and Follow

() The father of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves criticized a plea agreement that would spare Bryan Kohberger from the death penalty, calling it “anything but justice.”

“This is the opposite of our will,” Steve Goncalves told ’s “Banfield” on Monday evening in his first national interview since the plea deal report. “There was no majority (of victims’ survivors) believing that this was acceptable.”

Goncalves expressed outrage after learning that Kohberger, charged with killing four university students in November 2022, had accepted a plea deal that would sentence him to life in prison without parole in exchange for guilty pleas to murder and burglary charges.

“Prison is nothing but adult child care. You get free vision, you get free dental, you get free meals, you get AC room and board, cable TV, internet access. It’s ridiculous,” Goncalves said.

first reported that the plea agreement requires Kohberger to waive his right to appeal. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

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.

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.” 

He praised law enforcement officers and FBI agents who worked on the case, placing fault “100%” on leadership.

The victim’s father said prosecutors never consulted families about their wishes regarding the plea deal, despite regular meetings with the prosecution team. He said multiple families opposed the agreement but declined to speak for other victims’ relatives.

  • Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom during a hearing Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. Defense attorneys for Kohberger who is charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students asked a judge Tuesday to order prosecutors to turn over more records, laying the groundwork for challenges to the case. Kohberger, 28, was indicted in May on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the Nov. 13, 2022, slayings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at a rental home near the University of Idaho campus. (August Frank/Lewiston Tribune via AP, Pool)
  • 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.
  • two girls smiling for a photo

“We had an outsider come to our community, kill our kids in their sleep while they’re getting a college education, doing everything that they should do, and we don’t have the courage to hold him accountable,” Goncalves said.

He urged Judge Steven Hippler to reject the plea agreement, asking the public to contact the judge to oppose the deal.

“We couldn’t pick the prosecution. We inherited them,” Goncalves said.

Shanon Gray, attorney for the Goncalves family, said judges typically accept plea agreements when both prosecution and defense present sufficient facts supporting guilty pleas to the charges.

Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Mayor weighs into arrest of driver after cops smashed window

Mayor Comments on Driver’s Arrest Following Police Window-Smashing Incident

The mayor of a Florida city is addressing the incident where police…
The celebrities who've BLOCKED me: KATIE HIND

Celebrities Who Have Blocked Me: A Personal Account by Katie Hind

There was a period when, as a journalist covering show business, receiving…
Heat advisories and warnings issued for Southeast and Midwest as temperatures and humidity soars

Southeast and Midwest Brace for Heat: Rising Temperatures and Humidity Trigger Alerts

It’s always hot in the summer in the U.S. Southeast, but even…
Outraged families of slain NYPD officers fight to keep killers from collecting massive legal payouts

Families of Fallen NYPD Officers Battle Against Huge Legal Settlements for Killers

The bereaved families of two NYPD officers who were brutally murdered are…
The major peace offering Prince Harry has made to the Royal family

Prince Harry Extends Significant Peace Gesture to the Royal Family

Prince Harry has proposed sharing details of his official engagements with the…
Study shows surge of residents getting rich — quick

Research reveals rapid increase in residents achieving wealth swiftly

Households in Huntington, Long Island have experienced a significant increase in their…
MLB Saturday picks, player props, odds

Saturday MLB Predictions: Player Prop Bets and Odds

Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission…
This 80s bombshell played a crime-fighting stuntwoman... guess who?

Can you name this iconic 80s actress who starred as a daring stuntwoman crime fighter?

In the 1980s, she became famous as the striking blonde stuntwoman on…