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Moscow, Idaho – A quiet college town forever scarred. The brutal stabbings of four University of Idaho students – Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – sent shockwaves that reverberated far beyond its borders. Now, as Bryan Kohberger admits his guilt, new details emerge that twist the knife of grief even deeper into the hearts of a shattered community: the alleged killer, just hours after committing his horrific acts, not only returned to the scene but then, chillingly, grinned for a selfie.
In a Boise courtroom on July 2, 2025, the truth began to unfold. Kohberger, a 30-year-old former criminal justice Ph.D. student, pleaded guilty to the murders as part of a deal that spared him the death penalty. He will now spend the rest of his life, four consecutive life sentences plus 10 years for burglary, behind bars. But for the families left behind, and for a world still trying to comprehend such evil, the court revelations added another layer of unspeakable horror.
Prosecutor Bill Thompson laid bare Kohberger's chilling post-crime behavior. Less than five hours after the unfathomable violence on November 13, 2022, Kohberger's cellphone pinged near the students' home. He lingered for a disturbing 10 minutes, as if to absorb his handiwork, before driving back to his dorm.
What he did next is difficult to fathom. Upon his return, he reportedly took a selfie, captured grinning and giving a thumbs-up. Prosecutors called it a "trophy moment" for the killer.
"He smiled after killing them," a source close to the case confided to PEOPLE. "Then he returned to the scene like he was checking his work." This isn't just a legal detail; it's a window into a chilling psyche, a stark reminder of the coldness that can exist within a human form.
Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Xana's boyfriend Ethan Chapin
Kohberger's confession validates the painstaking work of investigators who pieced together a night of terror. Surveillance footage captured a white Hyundai Elantra, later traced to Kohberger, circling the quiet neighborhood. Inside the home, a knife sheath found near a victim contained DNA, a silent witness matched to Kohberger through genetic genealogy. Months prior, he had purchased a military-style knife and sheath online – a chilling premeditation. Phone records placed him near the home multiple times in the weeks leading up to the attack, a stalking behavior that left police baffled, as there's no evidence he knew any of his victims personally.
Kaylee, Madison, Xana, and Ethan. Their names echo the lives brutally stolen. Autopsy reports suggest they were likely asleep when the attack began, a horrifying thought for their loved ones. Some, in their last moments, bravely tried to fight back, defensive wounds telling a silent story of terror. Two roommates, miraculously unharmed, slept through the unimaginable, with one later recounting seeing a masked man in black leaving the home – a phantom figure in a waking nightmare.
Kohberger's guilty plea, while avoiding a grueling trial, has brought mixed emotions to the forefront of the grieving families. For the Chapin and Mogen families, the deal offered a path to begin healing. "We can finally begin to grieve without this looming over us," shared Maddie Mogen’s father, Ben, his words painting a picture of profound exhaustion.
Yet, for the Goncalves and Kernodle families, fury mixes with sorrow. On Facebook, the Goncalves family expressed being "beyond furious at the State of Idaho," accusing prosecutors of "handing the killer a deal." They yearned for a trial, for every detail to be laid bare, for answers – especially about the murder weapon's location and, most agonizingly, his motive. To this day, he remains silent, leaving the question of "why them?" agonizingly unanswered, and deepening the mystery of why two roommates were spared.
The unsettling truth is that at the time of these murders, Kohberger was a Ph.D. criminology student, participating in discussions about criminal behavior, miles from where he allegedly stalked and killed. It's a jarring contrast, a reminder that evil can wear a seemingly ordinary mask.
After his arrest in December 2022 at his parents' Pennsylvania home, police noted his calmness, his lack of confession – a composure that makes his eventual plea all the more startling. Over two years passed before he admitted guilt, two years of agonizing uncertainty for those who loved the victims.
Now, with his sentencing set for July 23, 2025, the families will have one final opportunity to speak, to face the man who stole their children’s futures, and perhaps, to find a fragment of peace in the pursuit of justice.
Did Bryan Kohberger know the victims? No evidence has been found linking him personally to the victims. Investigators believe he chose the house at random or was driven by an unsettling fascination.
Why did Kohberger avoid the death penalty? He agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a deal that removed the death penalty from consideration, ensuring he will now serve life without parole.
What did the selfie look like? Prosecutors state Kohberger took a photo of himself grinning and giving a thumbs-up after returning from the crime scene. The image has not been released to the public.
When will Bryan Kohberger be sentenced? His sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2025. He will not be eligible for parole and has waived his right to appeal.
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