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- Will a judge approve a plea deal for Bryan Kohberger in Idaho student slayings?</p>
<p>Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAYJuly 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM</p>
<p>Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four Idaho college students in 2022, is expected to change his plea to guilty in a hearing on July 2 after accepting a deal with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty.</p>
<p>Kohberger, 30, was charged in the murders of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four were found stabbed to death in their rental house close to the University of Idaho campus on Nov. 13, 2022. Kohberger, who was studying criminal justice at the time at a nearby university, was arrested weeks after the murders in Pennsylvania, where his family lives.</p>
<p>The plea agreement came just over a month before murder trial proceedings were set to begin in August, after multiple delays and setbacks for the defense team over evidence and defense strategy.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty if Kohberger were convicted, but the plea deal will include a sentence of four consecutive life sentences for his murder counts and a maximum penalty of 10 years for one burglary count, according to ABC News, which cited a letter received by victims' families about the deal. He will also waive his right to appeal.</p>
<p>Prosecutors and Kohberger's defense attorney did not respond to inquiries from USA TODAY.</p>
<p>The Goncalves family confirmed receiving the letter in a statement to Reuters via an attorney and criticized prosecutors for the way they handled the plea deal. Their attorney didn't respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.</p>
<p>At the hearing on July 2, Kohberger is expected to change his plea. The hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. local time, according to court records. A judge previously entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.</p>
<p>In Idaho, a judge isn't obligated to accept the terms of an agreement between prosecutors and a defendant, and Kohberger could withdraw the guilty plea if the judge rejects the agreement.</p>
<p>Victim's family says plea deal isn't justice</p>
<p>The Goncalves family said in the statement that prosecutors hurried the deal without input on its details from the victims' families.</p>
<p>"Adding insult to injury, they're rushing the plea, giving families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2," the family said.</p>
<p>Steve Goncalves, Kaylee Goncalves' father, told News Nation's "Banfield" he wanted a jury to make a decision on Kohberger's fate. He said other families shared his opinion and called on the judge to reject the plea agreement.</p>
<p>"This is anything but justice. This is the opposite of our will. There was no majority believing that this was acceptable," Steve Goncalves said.</p>
<p>Kohberger's plea comes weeks before murder trial</p>
<p>Kohberger's trial was expected to begin with jury selection on Aug. 4 and opening statements on Aug. 18, according to a scheduling order by Judge Steven Hippler last week.</p>
<p>Prosecutors were to present DNA evidence, cellphone records and surveillance footage to tie Kohberger to the stabbings. DNA found on the sheath of a knife left by one of the victims' bodies was a statistical match to Kohberger, authorities previously said.</p>
<p>A police search warrant previously revealed Kohberger's phone was tracked near the students' house at least 12 times in the six months before the attack.</p>
<p>Neighborhood security camera videos also helped police identify a car they said was owned by Kohberger. The car was seen on video at least four times in the early morning hours the day of the killings before speeding off, earlier court filings said. Kohberger's defense has previously claimed he was driving alone and not present at the victims' homes.</p>
<p>Contributing: Reuters</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will judge OK a plea deal for Bryan Kohberger in Idaho slayings?</p>
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