Bryan Kohberger to Plead Guilty to Murders of 4 Idaho College Students, Sparing Him Death Penalty

Bryan Kohberger has reportedly accepted a deal to plead guilty to all counts in the murders of four students at the University of Idaho.

If confirmed at a July 2 hearing, he will formally enter guilty pleas to four counts of first degree murder and one count of burglary for the Nov. 2022 slayings of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin, according to a letter sent to victims’ family members cited by ABC News.

Goncalves, Kernodle, and Mogen were roommates and Chapin was Kernodle’s boyfriend.

Kohberger, who previously pleaded not guilty, will waive his right to a jury trial — where he could have faced the death penalty if convicted — and accept four consecutive life sentences plus up to 10 years on the burglary charge.

He will also waive his appeal rights, per ABC. His trial had been scheduled to begin on Aug. 11.

Kaylee Goncalves’ family responded on Facebook to the plea, writing they were “beyond furious at the State of Idaho” for the “unexpected” deal, contending the state had “failed us.”

Kohberger, a former PhD student at Washington State University, was arrested in December 2022 at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania after police linked him to the crime using DNA from a knife sheath and cellphone pings. He was extradited to Idaho shortly after.

Prosecutors had previously indicated they intended to seek the death penalty before the reported deal was reached.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.  

Two other roommates survived the attack.

According to court documents, one of them told police she saw a figure in black clothing and a mask inside the house around the time of the killings. She described the person as tall and athletically built, with bushy eyebrows, walking past her as he left through a sliding glass door.

Investigators say cellphone records and surveillance footage placed Kohberger near the victims’ home several times before the attack. A white Hyundai Elantra connected to him was also recorded in the area.

Many other details remain undisclosed, as a gag order remains in place in the case, limiting what parties can publicly share.

It’s unclear whether the terms of the plea agreement will lead to additional information being released.

This is a developing story; check back later for more updates