Bryan Kohberger pleads guilty

0:02It's Kana Whitworth. More than two and a half years after the four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in an off-campus home, a case that captured the nation's attention, it's finally nearing a close. The defendant, who was set to go on trial next month for the murder of Kaylee Gonsalves, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kurnodal, and Ethan Chapin, has accepted a plea deal. On this bonus episode of the King Road Killings, Brian Koberger pleads guilty. On Wednesday morning, the judge, attorneys for both sides, Brian Koberger, his family, the victim's families, media, and curious spectators gathered in a Boise courthouse for a change of plea hearing.

0:52I had not expected to be in this courtroom until early August, when jury selection was set to begin. Up to 10 ,000 potential jurors would be filling out the jury questionnaire. The trial was set to last 12 weeks and might have answered the biggest questions on everyone's mind. Did Koberger kill Maddie, Kaylee, Zanna, and Ethan? And why? We're over two years into this legal battle, and every step has been contentious. The prosecution was seeking the death penalty. And for Koberger, the stakes could have been higher. But in a stunning turn of events, on Monday evening, news broke that Koberger had accepted a plea deal.

1:43He would plead guilty to all four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. As part of his plea deal, he'd be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the murder charges and the maximum penalty of 10 years for the burglary charge without the possibility of parole or appeal. He would spend life in prison, but be spared the death penalty. Idaho had just passed legislation earlier this year, making death by firing squad the main means of execution. Koberger's plea deal came as a total shock. From the very beginning, Koberger's defense had long insisted he was innocent. I first got word over the weekend that a plea deal between the prosecution and the defense was in the works, but was given no indication whether Koberger was actually going to take it.

2:37We all assumed everyone would be moving forward with the trial in August. When I found out he'd agreed to plead guilty to all charges, I immediately texted my producer the news, and we got on the first flight to Boise so we could be here for the change of plea hearing. People began lining up to get inside the courthouse at 4 a.m. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and security was unusually tight. When the building doors opened, there was a lot of security inside. the crowd of media, supporters, and onlookers made their way into the courtroom. We passed court officials asking everyone to maintain decorum, to keep any strong feelings to themselves, and to not interact with anyone on the other side of the aisle.

3:25Around noon, the families of the victims started arriving. Dylan Mortensen, one of the surviving roommates, was also present. On the other side of the aisle were Brian Koberger's parents. His mom and dad sat just feet away from the defense team. And then Koberger himself was finally escorted into the room. He was wearing a light gray button down, a gray tie and khaki slacks. He greeted his defense team and his parents with a smile and took a seat. And then Judge Stephen Hippler began the hearing. All right, we are here today to entertain a change of plea. Before I start, I want to address some issues of concern.

4:15Judge Hippler had a stern warning to those assembled and the thousands streaming online. Stop lobbying him about the plea deal. I have not read any of the numerous messages nor listened to any of the numerous voicemails that have been sent to me and my staff. Those have all been forwarded to security and, where appropriate, to law enforcement. I ask that you not continue to mount such campaigns or to send me information like this because, again, it is not appropriate and, frankly, not something I would take into account. The judge also apologized to the families for the short notice of the hearing.

4:54He said he only found out about the plea deal Monday afternoon, like everyone else. He moved on to lay out the basis of the agreement, the reason why we were in this Boise courthouse today. Judge Hippler questioned Koberger, asking if he understood the charges against him. Koberger abruptly stood up and gave an emphatic yes. In that moment, you could clearly see just how thin he's become. His khaki pants were almost falling down. And Mr. Koberger, just to make it easier, you don't need to stand when you speak to me. I appreciate the sign of respect, but for convenience, you can remain seated, all right?

5:36The judge then asked him a series of questions to make sure he was making the decision voluntarily and that he understood the severity of what he was agreeing to. The judge asked Koberger if he'd been coerced in any way, if he was under the influence, if he was of sound mind. Has anyone promised you that I would be lenient or easy on you if you pled guilty? No. Has anyone threatened you or anyone close to you to get you to plead guilty? No. Has anyone, other than the state's agreements with respect to the plea agreement, has anyone promised you anything in exchange for your plea agreement? No.

6:14And finally, the judge asked the big question. Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty? Yes.

6:27It's the very first admission of guilt we heard from Brian Koberger. You could feel the tension in the room. I was afraid to even breathe. The judge went on to fully list each charge, starting with the one count of burglary. And with each murder charge thereafter, Judge Hippler said the names of every victim for the first time in this hearing. Koberger's father shook his head and turned red as the judge read the crimes the state alleged, including, quote, willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and malice, a forethought, kill and murder. The judge gave the floor to lead prosecutor Bill Thompson, who laid out the timeline they had built against Koberger and the order in which the four victims were killed.

7:26Maddie, Kaylee, Zanna, then Ethan. Koberger didn't take his eyes off Thompson. The prosecutor described evidence the state was planning to present, the DNA, the phone pings off cell towers, even the cleanliness of Koberger's car. In Pennsylvania, the defendant's car was seized, and it was actually pretty much disassembled internally. And it also had been cleaned. There was a bucket of cleaner right beside it. I think we can all look to our own cars, you know, in those compartments in the doors. You can try to keep them clean where you put stuff. There's always some degree of crud in there. They were spotless.

8:04The defendant's car had been meticulously cleaned inside. And the state would present to the jury that that was part of the defendant's plan in covering up this. Thompson reminded the court that Koberger had studied how to process crime scenes as a grad student in criminology. And then the key moment of the hearing arrived. It was time for Koberger to enter his guilty plea. Judge Hippler walked him through each of the charges and directed him to respond. With respect to count one, burglary felony, how do you plead Mr. Kohlberger, guilty or not guilty? Guilty. As to count two, murder in the first degree as it relates to the murder of Madison Mogan, how do you plead guilty or not guilty?

8:52Guilty. As to count three, as it relates to murder in the first degree for the murder of Kaylee Gonsalves, how do you plead guilty or not guilty? Guilty. As to count four, the first-degree murder of Zana Karnodal, a human being, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty? Guilty. As to count five, the first-degree murder of Ethan Chapin, a human being, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty? Guilty. As each victim's name cut through the courtroom and the conviction in Koberger's answers, it prompted tears from their families. As the hearing ended, Dylan Mortensen, one of the roommates who lived in the house, the one who told authorities she saw a man clad in black that night, sobbed as she left the courtroom.

9:59The plea deal has prompted a mixed reaction from the families. Ethan Chapin's family released a statement Tuesday saying they planned to be at the courthouse in support of the agreement. When I spoke to them before the plea was announced, they were worried that Ethan's character would get lost in the trial, that he'd be treated as just another victim. They're ready to move on and are dedicated to keeping Ethan's memory alive. The attorney for Maddie Moken's mother and stepfather read a statement after the hearing saying they were grateful to the prosecutors and judges for their diligence and thoughtfulness in handling the case.

10:40We appreciate the difficult work you have done to balance the rights of all involved and to uphold the rule of law. You have had our prayers and support throughout this case. We send our love and gratitude to the many family and friends who have supported us. cared for us and helped us to heal our open emotional wounds. They ended their statement saying the plea has finally given them closure. But for the other two families, they're very disappointed with the outcome. Zanna Kernodle's father, Jeff, told the New York Times, quote, After nearly three years of waiting and being told there would be a trial, with evidence presented to convict him, I'm disappointed in the prosecutor's decision.

11:27And the family of Kaylee Gonsalves is furious. And they've been vocal about it. Her father, Steve, describes the plea deal as, quote, a deal with the devil. And outside the courthouse, both Steve and Christy said they felt like they'd let Kaylee down. We let her down. I let my daughter down. Trusting in this. As bad as you could possibly imagine. The family is extremely frustrated that Brian Koberger won't be put on trial. They believe they were cheated out of any real justice. They wanted the plea deal amended. They wanted a full confession from Brian Koberger and the location of the murder weapon, which has never been found.

12:16The victims' families will all have the opportunity to make statements at Koberger's sentencing hearing scheduled for July 23rd. It could continue into the 24th. The judge has left the gag order in place, at least through sentencing. So we'll be back in your feed later in July. The King Road Killings is a production of ABC Audio. I'm Kena Whitworth, and thanks for listening. Thank you.