The courtroom sat heavy with silence as Bryan Kohberger, 30, stood before the judge on Wednesday. The former criminology PhD student was finally sentenced more than a year after four University of Idaho students were found brutally murdered.
Families of the victims waited quietly, hoping for answers. Kohberger had the opportunity to speak and offer explanation, but when asked to address the court, he responded only with three words:
“I respectfully decline.”
Those in the room were visibly stunned. For the grieving families, it was one more blow after months of anguish and unanswered questions.
He received four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. An additional 10 years were added for burglary, and he was ordered to pay nearly $290,000 in restitution to the victims’ families.
“The more we struggle to seek explanation for the unexplainable, the more power and control we give to him,” Judge Steven Hippler said, per Fox News. “In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame.”
Earlier this month, Kohberger avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty as part of a deal. Prosecutors detailed how he entered the off-campus home in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022.
He used a military-style Ka-Bar knife to carry out the deadly attack. Investigators believe he started upstairs, targeting Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, then moved to the main floor to kill Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
All four were found stabbed to death in their beds, sparking a national media frenzy and a complex manhunt. Kohberger, a student at nearby Washington State University, was arrested weeks later in Pennsylvania.
DNA from a knife sheath, cellphone data, and surveillance footage led investigators to him. Though the evidence painted a clear picture of the crime, key elements remained missing.
The murder weapon was never recovered and no motive has ever been publicly revealed.
In court, survivors and relatives delivered emotional statements. One of the surviving roommates called Kohberger a “hollow vessel… something less than human.”
Kaylee Goncalves’ sister, Alivea, stood defiantly before him and said,
“Sit up straight when I talk to you… you are a psychopath.”
Her mother added,
“He will wish for the death penalty when inmates start to target him.”
In a press conference following sentencing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, via NBC News,
“We are so sorry for the pain and the grief you have experienced at the hands of such a vicious and evil killer. Our nation grieves with you.”
Leavitt ended by stating,
“May God bless everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy, especially the parents who lost their children.”
Prosecutors also requested that the court extend no-contact orders currently preventing Kohberger from communicating with the victims’ families. The existing orders are due to expire in January 2027, but they have asked for a 99-year extension to protect families from future trauma.
Even as the sentencing concluded, there was no closure. Kohberger left the courtroom offering no explanation, no apology, and no sign of remorse.
Just silence.
Featured Image Credit: (Youtube)
