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The family of Kaylee Goncalves — one of the victims of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger — said Monday they were sent “scrambling” and “jumped into panic mode” after Kohberger accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty.
Kohberger, 30, is accused of killing Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack on Nov. 13, 2022.
Goncalves’ 18-year-old sister, Aubrie, said she refuses to stay silent and reaffirmed her family support for the death penalty in this case. She said she was unable to attend the family’s meeting with prosecutors in person to make her case.
She said what the victims’ families have endured since the murders is “beyond comprehension,” pointing to delays and the relocation of proceedings that made it harder for loved ones to attend. She argued that the justice system has placed “heavy burdens” on people “already carrying unimaginable grief” but that they have attempted to hold on to hope.
BRYAN KOHBERGER ACCEPTS PLEA DEAL IN IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS CASE
Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Zach Wilkinson-Pool/Getty Images)
“We’ve believed in the process. We’ve had faith in the system. But at this point, it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth: the system has failed these four innocent victims and their families,” Aubrie wrote on the family’s Facebook page.
“These are not just names or headlines. Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, and Xana Kernodle were beautiful human beings who touched countless lives,” she continued. “They are not just ‘The Idaho Four.’ They were sons, daughters, siblings, and friends—real people with real dreams. They deserve to be remembered for who they were in life, not only for the tragedy of their deaths. But before that can truly happen, they deserve justice. Nothing less.”
The introduction of the plea deal weeks before the scheduled trial is “both shocking and cruel,” she said, adding that the families could have had time to “process, discuss and potentially come to terms with the idea of a life sentence” if it had come sooner.
BRYAN KOHBERGER RETURNS TO COURT FOR HEARING ON PILE OF EVIDENCE HE WANTS THROWN OUT BEFORE TRIAL
Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
“Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak, form relationships, and engage with the world,” she said. “Meanwhile, our loved ones have been silenced forever. That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the victims’ pasts.”
She said the justice system “was created to serve and protect—not to retraumatize grieving families,” adding: “time and time again, we find ourselves blindsided, unheard, and unsupported.”
“This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought,” she said. “We are not asking for vengeance. We are asking for accountability. We are asking for dignity for our loved ones. And we are asking—pleading—for a justice system that truly lives up to its name.”
The family said in another post that they vaguely spoke to prosecutors Friday about the possibility of a plea deal but that it was a “hard no” for them. They said the majority of the conversation was about the upcoming trial and nothing prepared them for the next steps.
Bryan Kohberger arrives for a hearing in the courtroom in Latah County District Court on September 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images)
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They said they received an email Sunday night that sent them “scrambling” and they “immediately jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails.”
The family met with the prosecution again on Monday to reiterate their support for Kohberger receiving the death penalty.
“Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter,” the family said. “We DID OUR BEST! We fought harder than anyone could EVER imagine.”
The four victims had all been stabbed multiple times with a large knife, according to prosecutors. Police recovered a Ka-Bar sheath that they allege had Kohberger’s DNA on it near Mogen’s body.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.