President Donald Trump has weighed in on the shocking Idaho murders case, calling on the judge to demand answers from confessed killer Bryan Kohberger about his motive for the brutal slayings of four college students, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The case that shocked the nation in 2022 is seemingly coming to an abrupt halt as Kohberger entered a guilty plea in early July. However, for many, questions remain regarding the motive for the quadruple homicide.
Kohberger’s guilty plea seems to have been his way of avoiding the death penalty. From the very beginning of the case, Kohberger was identified as a prime suspect, with police indicating that he had left a preponderance of evidence behind linking him to the murders.
A knife sheath belonging to Kohberger was left behind at the crime scene, and reports indicate that a living witness saw Kohberger as he was leaving the house.
Kohberger’s car had also been caught on camera circling the neighborhood the night of the murders, and cell phone records indicated he had cased the house numerous times prior to committing his heinous act.
However, despite the mounting evidence against him and his admission to the crime, Kohberger has yet to speak on what caused him to break into a home and stab four college students to death.
Kohberger confessed to murdering 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, her best friend Madison Mogen, and 20-year-old couple Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin on November 13, 2022. He broke into their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, and left behind a scene so gruesome it shocked the nation.
What would drive someone to murder four people he apparently didn’t even know, in a seemingly random act of violence? Many are demanding answers, including President Trump.
“Bryan Kohberger, who was responsible, in Idaho, for the deaths of four wonderful young souls, has made a plea bargain deal in order to avoid the Death Penalty. These were vicious murders, with so many questions left unanswered,” said Trump on Truth Social.
“While Life Imprisonment is tough, it’s certainly better than receiving the Death Penalty[,] but, before Sentencing, I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders. There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING.”
It’s hard to argue with his sentiment.
In a chilling hearing earlier this month, Kohberger pleaded guilty one by one to each of the four murders, with the judge quietly reminding those present that he had taken a human life in each count.
While he was arrested about six weeks later, he has spent over two years in jail fighting the charges.
Only recently was he able to strike a deal with prosecutors, which some are saying is controversial in its leniency.
Under the new terms, instead of being executed, in exchange for pleading guilty, Kohberger will instead receive a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He will also forfeit his right to an appeal.
This deal comes just weeks before his August trial date.
Many oppose the plea deal, including the family of Kaylee Goncalves. Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, protested outside the July 2 plea hearing in person.
Kohberger’s guilty plea also resulted in the lifting of the gag order placed on those involved in the case. In the immediate aftermath, Goncalves would go on to state that the search records revealed throughout the trial created an undeniable sexual angle to the murders.
Judge Steven Hippler on Wednesday, sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, one for each victim. He also issued a 10-year sentence for burglary, along with a $50,000 fine and a $5,000 civil penalty for each death, according to FOX.
Comments
2025-07-24T20:56-0400 | Comment by: Paul
Since it obviously wanted to avoid the death penalty. Give it the option of giving an honest (hook it to a lie detector) reason for the murders or face a firing squad (one rifle with one live and 5 blanks). It only gets one shot at telling the truth. First lie- load the rifle.
2025-07-26T15:25-0400 | Comment by: Michelle
There’s nothing that will make him tell the truth. And according to information released, he had attempted to date one of the girls who wasn’t interested. One of the girls had her face slashed excessively by him, which means she’s likely the one he tried to date and rejected him. So I would say this was motivated by rejection from the girl. As far as the others, he had to do away with the male because that was the biggest threat. It also sounds as if one of the girls stumbled across him and he killed her. They never should’ve given him life and should’ve gone after the death penalty. There’s plenty of evidence showing the premeditation involved in this crime, as well as the hatred/anger he had with his callousness.