Bryan Kohberger, PA Native Who Killed 4 College Students, Sentenced To Prison

BOISE, ID — Bryan Kohberger, a Pennsylvania native who was arrested more than two years ago at his parents' home in the Poconos, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing four Idaho college students in November 2022, according to multiple reports.

Kohberger's sentencing hearing comes after he pleaded guilty earlier this month in a deal to avoid the death penalty for murdering Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Ethan Chapin in the rural college town of Moscow, Idaho.

Judge Steven Hippler sentenced Kohberger to 10 years in prison for the one count of burglary and four life sentences to be served consecutively for each first-degree murder count, CNN reported.

Kohberger also told the judge he "respectfully" declined to speak at sentencing hearing, according to NBC News.

During the hearing, Hippler also called Kohberger a “faceless coward” and said “the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame," reports said.

“The 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,” he said.

Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University, which is a short drive from the scene of the killings across the state border.

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The murders took place on Nov. 13, 2022, and autopsies showed the students were likely asleep when they were attacked, according to authorities. Some had defensive wounds, and each was stabbed multiple times.

Investigators later pieced together DNA evidence collected from a knife sheath found at the home that identified Kohberger as a possible suspect. They also accessed cellphone data to pinpoint his movements and used surveillance camera footage to help locate a white sedan that was seen repeatedly driving past the home on the night of the killings.

Authorities arrested Kohberger at his parents' Pennsylvania home in December 2022, nearly seven weeks after the killings. A Q-tip from the garbage at his parents’ house was used to match Kohberger’s DNA to genetic material from the sheath, investigators said

A grand jury indicted Kohberger in May 2023, and he stood silent in court before a judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

His trial was set to begin next month.

In exchange for Kohberger admitting guilt and waiving his right to appeal, prosecutors agreed not to seek his execution. Instead, both sides agreed to recommend that he serve four consecutive life sentences without parole for the killings.

If they know why Kohberger did it, investigators haven't said so publicly. Nor is it clear why he spared two roommates who were home at the time.

Cellphone location data did show Kohberger had been in the neighborhood multiple times before the attack.

The families and surviving roommates of the victims will have the opportunity during the sentencing hearing to describe the damage the killings have done to them. Because there are so many of them, the hearing could stretch into Thursday.

Kohberger will also have the opportunity to speak. Defendants sometimes use such chances to express remorse, ask for mercy, or to say whatever else they think the court should hear before sentencing. But Kohberger also has the right to remain silent.

Friends and family members have sought to commemorate the victims' lives by raising money for scholarships and other initiatives.

Ethan's Smile Foundation, started by Chapin's family, honors his “love of life, people, and new adventures by providing scholarships that enable others to follow their dreams,” its website says.

The Made With Kindness Foundation honors the legacy of Mogen, Goncalves, and Kernodle through scholarships, wellness support and empowerment initiatives. “Our mission is to inspire and uplift the next generation, turning their dreams into realities in a world that values compassion and community,” its website says.

The University of Idaho built the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial in memory of all students who passed away while enrolled at the school.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.