Former doctoral student to plead guilty in Idaho student murders

Wednesday 02 July 2025 - 13:03

By: Zahouani Ilham

Former doctoral student to plead guilty in Idaho student murders

A man who was pursuing a doctorate in criminal justice has been scheduled to enter a guilty plea for the stabbing deaths of four students from a university in Idaho. The plea deal with prosecutors would avoid the possibility of the death penalty.

Bryan Kohberger, 30, had previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and burglary charges in a shocking multiple homicide case from 2022 that deeply affected the college town where the victims studied. Family members of at least two of the victims were expected to attend the court hearing scheduled in Boise, Idaho. The families remain divided over the plea agreement.

At the time of the murders, Kohberger was a doctoral student at a university located near the victims’ campus. The killings occurred on November 13, 2022, in a shared off-campus residence occupied by five women. Three female roommates aged 20 and 21 and one of their boyfriends were found fatally stabbed inside the house. Authorities reported that all victims suffered numerous stab wounds.

The night before the murders, two of the victims attended a party while two others visited a local bar and food truck. All four returned to the house before 2 a.m. and were discovered dead hours later. Two other women present in the house escaped harm.

An affidavit revealed that one surviving roommate heard crying and saw a masked man dressed in black leave the house during the incident. Law enforcement linked Kohberger to the crime through DNA evidence, cellphone data, and video footage. He was arrested weeks later in Pennsylvania while visiting family and returned to Idaho to face charges.

Had Kohberger been convicted by a jury of four counts of first-degree murder, he would have faced the death penalty. However, the current plea deal would spare him from execution. According to the victim’s family, the arrangement includes four consecutive life sentences and a waiver of his right to appeal.

The family of one victim criticized the agreement, calling it a secretive and rushed resolution made without proper input from the families affected. Prosecutors anticipate sentencing Kohberger in late July if he enters his guilty plea at the upcoming hearing.