(MOSCOW, Idaho) — The father of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves is blasting the plea deal offered to Bryan Kohberger, accusing the prosecutors of mishandling and rushing the deal.
“We were not prepared for this — we had no idea that this was going to happen,” Steve Goncalves told ABC News hours after the plea deal was announced.
Kohberger — who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the Nov. 13, 2022 killings of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin — will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count, according to the plea agreement.
The plea comes just weeks before Kohberger’s trial was set to begin. Opening arguments were scheduled for Aug 18.
In advance of Kohberger’s acceptance of the proposed deal, prosecutors met late last week with some of the victims’ relatives and got their input on whether such a plea deal should be proposed to the defense team, sources told ABC News.
Steve Goncalves told ABC News the subject of a possible plea deal was first broached at the end of their Friday meeting.
“Up until that point, we had never even considered it,” he said. “It was described to me as, like, due diligence. We’re going to, like, look at this option, see if it could fit.”
“At the least, justice starts with an interview of the families to ask them what justice is. And we didn’t get that,” he said.
Over the weekend, Latah County prosecutors said in a letter to the families that they were planning to make an offer that would take the death penalty off the table in exchange for guilty pleas to all four murders and an agreement to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the letter reviewed by ABC News. Idaho law requires the state to afford violent crime victims or their families an opportunity to communicate with prosecutors and to be advised of any proposed plea offer before entering into an agreement, but the ultimate decision lies solely with the prosecution.
In explaining their decision to make the offer, the prosecutors cited the risks of going to trial even in a case where the state was confident in the strength of its evidence. Among those concerns were a mistrial, a hung jury or the potential for an acquittal. The state also referenced the heavy toll a monthslong trial could impose on the families as well as the possibility of lengthy appeals even if Kohberger were to be convicted and sentenced to death, according to the letter reviewed by ABC News.
But Steve Goncalves slammed the prosecutors for being willing to negotiate with Kohberger.
“We can’t just let people come from other states and come in here and kill our kids while they’re sleeping, getting an education, and then just negotiate with those types of people,” he said. “It’s sad, it’s disgusting, and I can’t pretend like I feel like this is justice.”
The prosecutors acknowledged that some of the family members may disagree with resolving the case via a plea deal, but contended that the most realistic path to closure is through the entry of guilty pleas.
On Monday, prosecutors sent another letter to the families informing them that Kohberger had accepted the proposed terms of the deal and would enter guilty pleas at a change of plea hearing on Wednesday.
“All of a sudden,” Steve Goncalves said, “the trial’s over. Two-and-a-half years of your life is over.”
“It’s the opposite of what we wanted and it’s the opposite of the majority of what the families wanted,” he said.
The Goncalves family is also frustrated with how little time they were afforded to mentally prepare — and make travel arrangements — for Kohberger’s Wednesday hearing.
“A miracle has to happen in 24 hours for me to get justice,” Steve Goncalves said.
In Monday’s letter to the families, prosecutors called the deal a “sincere attempt to seek justice for your family.”
“Your viewpoints weighed heavily in our decision-making process, and we hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors anticipate sentencing to take place in late July, as long as Kohberger enters the guilty plea as expected on Wednesday, according to the letter.
As a part of the deal, Kohberger — a Pennsylvania native who was a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University at the time of the crimes — will waive all right to appeal, the agreement said. The state also will seek restitution for the victims and their families for funeral expenses and crime victims compensation reimbursement, according to the agreement.
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