Watch: Judge Steven Hippler's chilling final words on motive as Bryan Kohberger gets life sentence
Bryan Kohberger gets life without parole for murdering 4 Idaho students. Judge says he showed no remorse and deserves to be forgotten, not understood.
Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the fatal stabbing of four Idaho University students in November 2022, has been charged with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on Wednesday.
Kohberger, 30, admitted to the murders this month as part of a plea deal that will allow him to get away with life imprisonment, instead of the death penalty. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to life in prison by Ada County Judge Steven Hippler, who delivered his concluding remark as he sentenced Kohberger to life.
"Truth be told, I am unable to come up with anything redeeming about Mr. Kohberger, because his grotesque acts of evil have buried anything that might have been good or intrinsically human about him," Judge Hippler said. “His actions have made him the worst of the worst.”
"Even in pleading guilty, he has given nothing hinting of remorse or redemption. Nothing suggesting even a recognition of understanding, let alone regret for the pain he has caused and therefore, I will not attempt to speak about him further, other than to simply sentence him, so that he is forever removed from civilized society."
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"I share the desire to understand the why, but upon reflection, it seems to me that by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr. Kohberger relevance… The time has come to end his 15 minutes of fame. It's time he be consigned to the isolation of perpetual incarceration," he added.
Kohberger has been sentenced to four life terms for the murder of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, at their off-campus residence in Boise, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. A doctoral student in criminology, Kohberger did not disclose his motive behind the killing, leaving everyone, from the judge to the victim's families, puzzled.
When asked before the sentencing if he would like to speak, Bryan Kohberger said: “I respectfully decline.”
White Addresses Bryan Kohberger's Sentencing
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, opened Wednesday's briefing, reacting to the sentencing of Bryan Kohberger at the Ada County courthouse earlier today. She said that the White House is sorry for the pain that the victim's families had to go through "at the hands of such a vicious and evil killer."
“We are so sorry for the grief and the pain you have experienced at the hands of such a vicious and evil killer. Our nation grieves with you, and we will never forget the precious souls who were lost in this horrific act of evil,” Leavitt said.
"If it were up to the president, he would have forced this monster to publicly explain why he chose to steal these innocent souls," she added.
