Facing the Murderer

0:02They called the convicted killer a psychopath, a sociopath, evil. They told him to burn in hell. Most refused to say his name. And they talked about their missing loved ones, shared little details, even funny stories. They said they're stronger than ever, that they are united by what happened. A couple of them even offered the killer forgiveness. Wednesday was Brian Koberger's sentencing, And this is some of what we heard from the families and friends of the four University of Idaho students he killed. The loved ones of Kaylee Gonsalves, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kernodel, and Ethan Chapin. This was their day to speak.

0:53To try and put into words how their deaths impacted them. To address Koberger directly. And tell him exactly what he's taken from them. and to do it face to face. They flew in from all across the country. I was there too. And for nearly three hours, the words spilled out of them as Koberger sat, wrists cuffed to a metal chain around his waist, seemingly without emotion. By midday, he was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences, one for each murder charge, plus 10 years for the burglary charge. He won't have the possibility of parole and has waived his right to appeal. That part went the way we expected it to.

1:49But I wasn't sure what to expect from the victim impact statements. A lawyer I know described this part of the process as a legal funeral. And in the end, that felt about right. We'll walk you through what was said on this highly emotional day. What we learned, who spoke, and who didn't. I'm ABC News correspondent Kena Whitworth, and this is the King Road Killings. Today, facing the murderer.

2:31The courtroom in Boise was packed with the victims' families, friends, media, spectators, and law enforcement. People started lining up the night before so they could get a seat inside. Members of the Gonsalves, Mogan, and Kernodal families were all present. Ethan Chapin's family decided not to attend. Koberger entered the courtroom wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffs secured to a chain around his waist. He calmly greeted his lawyers and his family. Only his mother and sister were present. Victim impact statements were read in the order of the charges listed on the indictment, starting with burglary.

3:18There were six University of Idaho victims that night, four who died and two who have to live with the terror of that night. Bethany Funk and Dylan Mortensen, the surviving roommates, shared how their lives have changed since their roommates were killed. Bethany chose to have her statement read by a friend, so Emily Allant stepped to the podium. Thank you, Your Honor. Zanna was one of Emily's best friends, too. And she was at the King Road house the morning after the murders. Here's Emily reading Bethany's words. I was roommates with Maddie, Kaylee, Zanna, and Ethan. I not only lost some of my best friends, but I also lost a sister.

4:08Never in a million years would I have...

4:15would I have thought that something like this would have happened to my closest friends? Bethany and Dylan faced a storm of criticism for not immediately calling authorities. Bethany described what happened that morning. When I first woke up that morning, I had no idea what happened. I woke up around 7 with a terrible toothache, so I called my dad, who is a dentist, and he asked what I should do. he told me to take Advil, so I did, and I went back to sleep. I was still out of it and still didn't know what happened. Bethany said she will always regret not calling the police sooner. Even though I understand, it wouldn't have changed anything, not even if the paramedics had been right outside the door.

4:59I was so frantic that morning and scared to death, not knowing what had happened. And when I made the 911 call, I couldn't even get out the words. And from then on, I don't remember a thing. It was like my brain wiped that whole memory. That was the worst day of my life. And I know it always will be. And it was made worse by the intense scrutiny she faced online after the murders. People blamed Bethany and Dylan for letting Koberger get away. Emily's voice was shaking as she read Bethany's words. While I was still in shock, trying to process the fact that my friends were truly gone, I had been attacked by the public.

5:46I was grieving, numb, and unsure of what had happened. It was even real. And at the same time, I was getting flooded with death threats and hateful messages from people who did not know me at all or know the dynamic of our friendship. Social media made it so much worse, and strangers made up stories to entertain themselves. The media harassed not just me, but also my family. People showed up at our house. They called my phone, my parents' phones, other family members' phones, and we were chased while I was still trying to survive emotionally and grieve the loss of my friends. Bethany said after the murders, she was terrified.

6:27She slept in her parents' room for almost a year. She hasn't had a good night's rest since that day, and the fear will never leave her. She continues to live with constant anxiety that someone will hurt her or anyone else she loves. Dylan Mortensen, the other surviving roommate, moved to the front to give her statement. She was sobbing, at times almost hyperventilating. but she was brave. It's the first time that we've heard from her. Remember Dylan was the roommate who saw Koberger in the house the night of the murders. She tried to control her heaving sobs so she could speak.

7:10Dylan, just take your time, all right? Okay.

7:33Thank you, Your Honor. Instead of standing at the podium, Dylan took a seat next to the prosecution to deliver her statement. What happened that night changed everything.

7:50because of him for a beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason. Dylan shook as she read her statement. Like Bethany, she said she's also haunted by what happened that night and is dealing with severe anxiety. Then there are the panic attacks. The kind that slam into me like a tsunami out of nowhere. I can't breathe. I can't think. I can't stop shaking.

8:35All I can do is scream because the emotional pain and the grief is too much to handle. My chest feels like it's caving in.

8:48Sometimes I drop to the floor with my heart racing, convinced something is very wrong. It's far beyond anxiety. It's my body reliving everything over and over again. My nervous system never got the message that it is over. And it won't let me forget what he did to them. At this point, I could hear sniffles in the audience. Members of the prosecution were quietly wiping away tears. But all throughout, Koberger's expression was unchanged. He maintained a straight face and never looked away. Dylan ended her statement by talking about him. He is a hollow vessel, something less than human. A body without empathy, without remorse.

9:38He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me. My friends, my safety, my identity, my future. He took their lives, but I will continue trying to be like them to make them proud. Next we heard from Maddie's family. including Scott Laramie, her stepfather. Maddie's mother, Karen Laramie, stood next to him with her arm around his waist. She was looking down, fighting back tears as Scott spoke. All parents dream of their children accomplishing more than them. We realized this dream. All we had not become, she was becoming. Karen and I are ordinary people, but we lived extraordinary lives because we had Maddie.

10:36Maddie was taken senselessly and brutally in a sudden act of evil. She was taken along with the young, promising, and bright lives of Kaylee, Zanna, and Ethan. Maddie's grandmother, Kim Cheely, shared a sweet story about how her granddaughter gave her the nickname Deedle. She wore an engraved necklace that Maddie had given her that said, Deedle and Maddie. I added an angel wing, and it's one of my treasured possessions. I also got an angel wing tattoo. Never thought I'd see the day, but along with many members of our family, replicating the one that Maddie and her sorority sisters had, I wanted mine where I could see and touch it often.

11:38The Mogan family, they're still devastated. They're still grieving Maddie's loss. But they're also ready to move on and said Koberger's guilty plea is the first step in that process. They support this plea deal. The Gonzalves family does not, and they've been outspoken about their anger over the plea. And that anger was a big theme in their statements. Steve Gonzalves, Kaylee's father, approached the podium and actually moved it so that he directly faced Koberger instead of the judge. And he wasted no time scolding Koberger. Today, we are here to finish what you started.

12:30Today, you've lost control. Today, we are here to prove to the world that you picked the wrong families.

12:41You tried to break our community apart. You tried to plant fear. You tried to divide us. You failed. Instead, your actions have united everyone in their disgust for you. He called him stupid, careless, a complete joke. The world's watching because of the kids, not because of you. Nobody cares about you. You're not worth the time, the effort to be remembered. In time, you will be nothing but two initials forgotten to the wind. no visitors, nothing more than initials on an otherwise unmarked tombstone. And then it was Olivia's turn, Kaylee's older sister. She took to the stand and spoke with an equal amount of fiery rage, yet she maintained her composure while holding nothing back.

13:39I won't stand here and give you what you want. I won't offer you tears. I won't offer you trembling. Disappointments like you thrive on pain, on 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. She said she refused to give Koberger the satisfaction of their tragedy. Her voice got louder as she read her statement. She and Koberger were making direct eye contact. He never looked away once as she was disparaging him and demanding answers. I will ask the questions that reverberate violently in my own head so loudly that I can't think straight most any day.

14:33Some of these might be familiar, so sit up straight when I talk to you. How was your life right before you murdered my sisters? Did you prepare for the crime before leaving your apartment? Why did you choose my sisters? Where is the murder weapon, the clothes you wore that night? What did you bring into the house with you? What was the second weapon you used on Kaylee? What were Kaylee's last words? Never once did anyone from the Gonzalves family say Brian Koberger's name. The truth is, 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.

15:35If the Gonsalves family lashed out in unified anger at Koberger, Zanna Kernodle's family offered a sweeping range of reactions, from forgiveness and an invitation to talk, to her stepfather's wish to take him out to the woods, alone. Zanna's father Jeff described the pain of hearing a young child call out for her father on the airplane as he was flying in for the hearing and how it reminded him of Zanna. He talked about how his younger daughter had checked in on him and his regret that he hadn't been there to protect her that night. Jeff Kernodle said he thought about driving over that night. He was just seven miles away, but Zanna had told him not to drink and drive.

16:25Zanna's mother, Karen, talked about how Jesus has allowed her to forgive Koberger, so she was washing her hands of the man who killed her daughter. Koberger, she said, didn't deserve to hear about the good memories of their daughter. Zanna's aunt, Kim, also talked about forgiveness because she said she saw how anger and hate could destroy people. But how I look at it now is this tragedy, this horrible tragedy on all of our, the four children, has brought us closer. You united us with your actions. We're united now, and we're stronger than ever. We have family and friends now that we never knew we had.

17:18And, you know, this is probably going to bother everybody, but Brian, I'm here today to tell you I have forgiven you because I no longer could live with that hate in my heart. And for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you. And anytime you want to talk and tell me what happened, get my number. I'm here. No judgment. Because I do have answers or questions that I want you to answer. And I'm here. I'll be that one that'll listen to you. Okay? Zanna's stepfather, Randy Davis, took to the podium and described Zanna as funny. He made a point to turn his body and speak only to the other family members of the victims to share a story about how Zanna and her sister had once put their little brother in a dress and makeup.

18:20He said, now she's an angel. Then he turned his body, pointed and stared directly at Koberger. 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. Oh, man. You're going to 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 going to suffer, man. I'm shaking because I want to reach out to you, but I just, I hope you feel my energy, okay?

19:14Go to hell.

19:45thirst for retribution. Through it all, Koberger sat still, his face not reacting. Sometimes I saw him clenching his jaw or blinking. And then he was offered his chance to speak. We have more after the break.

20:14After the victim impact statements, State Prosecutor Bill Thompson addressed the court. He stood at the podium and opened a manila folder. So now, it is time for the judicial system to impose final judgment and close the door on this chapter of these tragedies. He acknowledged that some of the victims' families were unhappy that Koberger had been allowed to take a plea. We recognize, I recognize and acknowledge personally, and I respect the fact that of these fine, suffering people here, not everybody agreed with the decision we make. I accept that. It's my responsibility to the end. I recognize that that's the duty of the office that I hold.

21:05He ticked through each of the five counts that Koberger has pled guilty to. He showed photographs of the victims one by one. That on count one, the felony burglary court sentenced the defendant to the maximum period of 10 years fixed in the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. And on count two, that the court sentenced the defendant to fixed life for the murder, Maddie Mogan. Thompson seemed to get choked up here. He continued to list all of the murder counts and asked the court to enforce each life sentence consecutively, back to back, not at the same time. To recognize and respect the unique individuality of each of these beautiful young people whose lives were taken brutally and for no reason.

22:07Thompson then displayed another photo. It was that iconic image of Maddie on Kaylee's shoulders, Zanna and Ethan, along with their roommates Dylan and Bethany. It was taken on a porch. This is the picture taken on November 12, 2022, of the special family of 1122 King Road. And you can see all six of these dynamic, vibrant, loving, special, innocent faces taken together just across the street from their residence. And barely 12 hours before four of them would be brutally murdered in their sleep.

23:04They've been described consistently as being bright, caring, vivacious, with futures we can only imagine now. Thompson said it was time for everyone to move forward. Today's proceedings and all the testimony we heard were one step in that process. And it's been a long road getting to this moment where Brian Koberger would be sentenced and held accountable for his crimes. I have one last thought. after your honor imposes judgment and sentences the defendant to spend the rest of his life in prison. In other words, sentence the defendant to die in prison. He's going to stand up in the belly chains and leg irons that he's wearing today.

24:04And he's going to be escorted into the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. And the door will close behind him forever. That is the closure that we seek, that all of these people, these loving friends and family deserve. so we can move forward. Thank you, Your Honor.

24:45And then it was the moment we'd all been wondering about, the moment where the judge turned to Brian Koberger and asked if he had anything he wanted to say.

25:01You could feel the tension in the courtroom. It was like everyone was holding their breath. All right, Mr. Kohlberger, you have an opportunity to make a statement if you wish to. I take it you are declining. I respectfully decline. I watched him lean closer to the mic, but still, it was a little hard to hear him when he said, I respectfully decline. I heard someone on the family side of the gallery say, surprise, surprise. There was a pause. and then it sounded like someone muttered, coward. Judge Hippler gently reprimanded the courtroom by saying, please. Then he read from prepared remarks. He spoke as an officer of the court, but also as a parent.

25:46And he reiterated the word, coward. During the quiet morning hours of November 13, 2022, a faceless coward reached the tranquility of six beautiful young people and senselessly slaughtered them, four of them. Who committed this unspeakable evil was unknown for several weeks, but due to the killer's incompetence and outstanding police work by numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The person that slithered through that sliding glass door at 1122 King Road world and this court unmasked. This unfathomable and senseless act of evil has caused immeasurable pain and loss. No parent should ever have to bury their child.

26:50This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted upon a person. Parents who took their children to college in a truck filled with moving boxes had to bring them home in hearses lined with coffins.

27:08The loss this killer inflicted was not just the death of these people's children, siblings, grandchildren, as we've heard today. It has ripped a hole in their soul, destroying a special part of their very essence.

27:28Any person who is a parent defines themselves foremost as such. It is their existence and purpose of being. And it has been stolen from these parents. Judge Hippler spoke about one of the big unanswered questions in this case, the why of it all. And what was Brian Koberger's motive for these crimes? As we sit here today, this case is ending, and we are now certain who committed these unspeakable acts of evil. But we don't know, and what we may never know, is why.

28:10I share the desire expressed by others to understand the why. Even President Donald Trump has weighed in on Koberger's plea in recent days and said the judge should compel Koberger to give a reason for the killings. but the judge tried to steer people away from fixating on the why. It seems to me, and this is just my own opinion, that by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr. Kohlberger relevance. We give him agency and we give him power. The need to know what is inherently not understandable makes us dependent upon the defendant to provide us with a reason, and that gives him the spotlight, the attention, and the power he appears to crave.