Idaho murder victim’s family slams decision to ‘protect killers’ after Bryan Kohberger accepted plea deal

The family of Kaylee Goncalves, who was tragically killed in the University of Idaho student massacre, has spoken out following Bryan Kohberger’s plea deal.

Kohberger is set to be sentenced next week after being charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the deaths of Gonclaves and Madison Mogen, both aged 21, and 20-year-old Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, in November 2022.

The students were found dead in their off-campus home they shared in Moscow, Idaho, which they also shared with surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, who were also in the residence at the time.

Kohberger had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges; however, he later changed his plea to guilty.

It is reported that the 30-year-old had accepted a judge's plea deal, which would instead see him serve four consecutive life sentences as well as a maximum penalty of 10 years for the burglary charge.

The four students were found dead in their home (CBS)

If he is handed four life sentences, then he would escape the death penalty, a decision which the Goncalves' family had previously hit out at the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office for, further alleging that they'd rushed the 'mishandled' case.

And now, Kaylee's father, Steve Gonclaves, has criticised the secrecy he believes shrouds the case as the family says they are still struggling for answers.

In an appearance on CBS Morning Plus, Steve told host Gayle King that they 'still don't know the motive' behind the killings.

"I don't think they want anyone to know the motive. I don't think they want anyone to know when he first came on their radar." he said.

Bryan Kohberger took a plea deal (Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images)

According to CBS, a gag order on the case was only just lifted, with the Goncalves family attorney now planning to request details such as police reports and investigation files from prosecutors.

The Goncalves family is currently preparing to deliver their victim impact statements during Kohberger's sentencing on July 23, and Steve says he wants to know more about his daughter's death in order to 'show the ugliness of what this person did'.

"I think by hiding the truth, we're protecting our killers." he continued.

Kaylee's parents, Kristi and Steve Goncalves, appeared on CBS Morning Plus (CBS)

He said that he 'needs to know the facts' before writing his victim impact statement, adding: "How many times was my daughter stabbed? Was she choked? What happened?

“And that should be party of our victim impact statement. They're robbing us. And they’re protecting her killer still.”

As for what they do know, Kaylee's mom, Kristi, said it’s not 'any more than pretty much everybody else', but with the gag order lifted, she hopes it 'will allow us to know more of what happened to our daughter'.