Bryan Kohberger will spend the rest of his life in prison. There’s no chance for him to ever get out. A judge sentenced the 30-year-old on Wednesday, July 23. This came after he broke into a house in Moscow, Idaho, back in November 2022. He murdered four of the six young people living at 1122 King Road.
The victims, Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were all stabbed to death. Their housemates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, somehow survived the attack. Judge Steven Hippler spoke powerfully in court on Wednesday. He called the crime "an act of unfathomable and senseless evil." The judge added that it caused "immeasurable pain and loss." He stressed that no parent should ever have to bury their child. "This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted on a person," he said. As Kohberger faces his future behind bars, it’s important to remember the young lives tragically cut short.
Madison Mogen
Madison Mogen was 21 years old and a senior at the University of Idaho. She was studying marketing. Maddie and her roommate Kaylee had been friends for many years. They were both tragically killed in the same bed by Kohberger.
Maddie’s mother, Karen Laramie, first heard about a "homicide" at the King Road house from her daughter’s boyfriend, Jake Schriger. Karen and her husband, Scott Laramie, drove to the university in Moscow. They hoped to pick up Maddie because the police weren’t giving them information right away. Karen shared her thoughts in the Prime Video documentary One Night in Idaho: The College Murders, which came out on July 11. She explained that during the drive, she believed only one of Maddie’s roommates had been killed.
"The whole drive, I just thought we were going to pick Maddie and Kaylee up," Karen remembered. She thought they would "bring them home, comfort them, hug them, and figure out what happened." Finally, officers led them into a small room. "The officer explained, ‘There’s been a homicide at your daughter’s house, and there are four victims,’" Karen recalled. "It just didn’t make sense. He said, ‘Maddie was a victim.’"
Kaylee Goncalves
Kaylee Goncalves was also 21. She was studying general studies and was part of the Alpha Phi sorority. Kaylee died in the horrific attack.
During Kohberger’s sentencing hearing on Wednesday, July 23, Kaylee’s mother, Kristi Goncalves, delivered a chilling message to the killer. A video shared on X captured her words. "A dead killer doesn’t kill again," Kristi told Kohberger. "So, while I’m disappointed the firing squad won’t be shooting you, I trust the men in prison will do with you what they want, and in more ways than one."
Kristi continued, "You see, you haven’t beaten the system. You’ve simply entered a new one where the rules are cruel, and consequences never end. You’re entering a place where no one will care who you are, and no one will ever respect you. You will be forgotten, discarded, used, and erased. You’ll always be remembered as a loser and a complete failure."
Xana Kernodle
Xana Kernodle was 20 years old. She was a marketing student and dating Ethan Chapin when the murders happened. Court documents reveal that Xana received a DoorDash order around 4 a.m. "Either going downstairs or coming out," Kohberger met Xana and killed her. She suffered 50 stab wounds, most of them from trying to defend herself.
Xana’s older sister, Jazzmin, spoke at Kohberger’s sentencing hearing. She called Xana a role model. Jazzmin declared, "I am strong. I am brave. I am a fighter, just like Xana." Jazzmin also stated that Xana’s story does not end with her death. Instead, she said, "She lives through the love she gave, the people she touched, and the legacy her family will protect."
Ethan Chapin
Ethan Chapin, 20, was Xana Kernodle’s boyfriend. On the night of the murders, he had attended a gala with his sister. He then spent the night at Xana’s house. Chapin was Kohberger’s final victim. He was killed while sleeping in Kernodle’s room.
After Ethan’s death, the Ethan’s Smile Foundation was created. This foundation gives scholarships to "allow others to pursue their dreams" in his honor. His parents, Jim and Stacy, shared their memories of Ethan on the foundation’s official website. "Ethan’s zest for life was boundless," they wrote. "With a booming laugh and contagious smile, he spread joy to all the people fortunate enough to know him. Ethan was our storyteller, tireless worker, and friendship maker."