
Idaho College Murders: Victims’ Family Members Address Bryan Kohberger At His Sentencing
Today, the criminology student-turned-mass murderer Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the November 13, 2022 stabbing murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
Three weeks ago, Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders, avoiding the death penalty. Today was the first chance the victims’ family members had to address the stony-faced and remorseless incel who cut down these young, vibrant students to fill the void inside himself. Their testimonies continued for more than two hours. Here are some highlights from their statements.
Olivia Goncalves (Kaylee Goncalves’ Sister)
Disappointments like you thrive on pain and fear and on the illusion of power, and I won’t feed your beast. Instead I will call you what you are. Sociopath. Psychopath. Murderer.
I will ask the questions that reverberate violently in my own head, so loudly that I can’t think straight most any day. Some of these might be familiar, so sit up straight when I talk to you. …
If you were really smart, do you think you’d be here right now? What’s it like needing this much attention just to feel real? You’re terrified of being ordinary, aren’t you? Do you feel anything at all? Or are you exactly what you always feared? Nothing. …You didn’t create devastation. You revealed it in yourself.
You didn’t win; you just exposed yourself as the coward you are. You’re a delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac, loser who thought you were so much smarter than everybody else. …Lurking in the shadows made you feel powerful, because no one ever paid you any attention in the light….
You act like no one could ever understand your mind, but the truth is you’re basic. You’re a textbook case of insecurity disguised as control. Your patterns are predictable. Your motives are shallow. You are not profound. You’re pathetic…
The truth is, the scariest part about you is how painfully average you turned out to be. The truth is, you’re as dumb as they come. Stupid, clumsy, slow, sloppy, weak, dirty. Let me be very clear. Don’t ever try to convince yourself you mattered just because someone finally said your name out loud. I see through you. You want the truth? Here’s the one you’ll hate the most. If you hadn’t attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night, like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your fucking ass. Thank you.
Kristi Goncalves (Kaylee Goncalves’s mother)
I never imagined having to speak to someone so devoid of humanity. For a long time, I didn’t think I’d find the words low enough to meet you where you are. …I am forever changed. But for you, as a person working on a PhD in criminal justice, you really didn’t think this one through. You’re not that good. In fact, you’re not that good at anything. You couldn’t secure a job. You couldn’t get along with others. You couldn’t even get a female to look in your direction.
All because you are pathetic. Now you’re a joke in this courtroom. I wish I could crown you with a jester hat to complete your orange jumpsuit clown look. A dead killer doesn’t kill again, so while I’m disappointed the firing squad won’t get to take their shots at you, I’m confident that the men in prison will have their way with you in more ways than one. You will finally get what you wanted—physical touch. Just probably not how you were expecting it. … You will be forgotten, discarded, used, and erased. You will always be remembered as a loser, an absolute failure. And when those prison doors slam shut behind you, I hope that sound echoes in your heart for the rest of your meaningless days. I hope it reminds you of what we all already know. You’re nothing.
May you continue to live your life in misery. You are officially the property of the State of Idaho, where your fellow inmates are anxiously awaiting your arrival. But it’s okay, because they’re there to help you. Hell will be waiting.
Quick message from our youngest daughter: Aubrey wanted to say, you may have received A’s in high school and college, but you’re going to be getting big D’s in prison. Thank you.
Steve Goncalves (Kaylee Goncalves’s Father)
Today, we are here to prove to the world that you picked the wrong families, the wrong state, the wrong police officers, the wrong community. You tried to break our community apart. You tried to plant fear. You tried to divide us. You failed.
We are united in our disgust [for you] and our love for these children. Today you have no name because when this all started we all came together and we said, “Let’s stop even talking about his name, just use initials,” so even the media just calls you BK…
Within hours, within hours, we had your white car on a camera. We knew. We knew from the very beginning we had you. Police officers tell us within minutes, they had your DNA, like a calling card.
You were that careless, that foolish, that stupid. Master’s degree, you’re a joke. Complete joke….
The world’s watching because of the kids, not because of you. Nobody cares about you. Initials on an otherwise unmarked tombstone…. From this moment, we will forget you….
You picked the wrong family, and we’re laughing at you on your trip to the pen.
Randy Davis (Xana Kernodle’s Stepfather)
I had stuff wrote up. It was probably best I didn’t read it out. Probably get kicked out of here….
So let’s hold that to our hearts because this evil thing is not going to take nothing from us. You, man, I don’t know what my limits are here, but I’m really struggling, dude. I am struggling.
So I want to just be out in the woods with you just so I can teach you about loss and pain. I love God. I wouldn’t take your life. That’s up to Him. But I guarantee you, you are weak.
God, I would just give a moment, man, five minutes out in the woods. Man, you’re gonna go to hell. I know people believe in other stuff. You’re evil. There’s no place for you in heaven. You took our children.
You are gonna suffer, man. I’m shaking because I want to reach out to you, but I just, I hope you feel my energy, okay?
Go to hell.
Cara Northington (Xana Kernodle’s mother)
Today I stand before you, the man who was responsible for murdering my beautiful daughter, Santa Kernodle. My daughter was beautiful both inside and out. She possessed love for those around her and had a light so bright it will live on forever in our hearts. She brought joy and laughter to her friends, her family, and anyone in her presence….
You have accepted a deal that will prevent you from receiving the death penalty. Nothing man can do to you can ever compare to the wrath of God. Inevitably, you will stand before our Lord and will have to answer to Him over the sins you have committed in murdering our children. I pray you come to the end of yourself before that day. Whether you like it or not, heaven is for real, and so is hell. The innocent life of Xana that you stole from myself and my family and the destruction of this and the destruction it has caused. I am washing my hands of you and turning you over to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whom vengeance belongs to….I’m not going to share memories of Xana or any more of the goodness of her with you because I do not want that to be in your head. I don’t want it to be in your head. You don’t deserve that. You don’t deserve our good memories that we have.