For many, justice has been served. Bryan Kohberger has struck a plea deal, accepting life sentences for each of the four murders he committed, plus additional prison time for the charge of burglary. But for Kristi Goncalves – mother of Kaylee Goncalves, in whose Idaho home Kohberger broke in and committed the murders – his getting anything less than death isn’t justice.
The details of the Idaho 4 murder case have been kept under wraps – whether due to the fact that it is a high-profile investigation or now, because it involves an ongoing plea agreement. No one involved in the case is allowed to share any sensitive information, and the evidence remains sealed. But after learning that Kohberger has chosen a plea deal in order to avoid the risk of getting the death penalty in a jury trial, Kristi Goncalves vehemently slammed the legal system for allowing it to happen.
Her anger and call for proper justice have been publicly labelled as an unnecessary drive for vengeance by many, who feel Kohberger serving multiple life sentences is a justified punishment. This forced Kristi to address the criticisms in a Facebook post, wherein she revealed how Kohberger brutally assaulted Kaylee before stabbing her. She questioned why the state is showing her daughter’s killer any mercy when he didn’t show Kaylee any.
“[I]f your 21yr old daughter was sleeping in her bed and BK went into her house with the intention to kill her and he did, by stabbing her MANY times, as well as beating her in the face and head while it was clear that she fought for her life…what would you want?”
Kristi also addressed people expecting her and her husband to be “happy” that Kohberger will be serving a life sentence without parole and explained that “life on death row” would have been the correct and harsher sentence.
“We knew it would be decades before he ever would face the firing squad. We knew that his execution was not going to happen anytime soon, BUT his life on DEATH ROW while serving his time would have been much worse than serving his time as life in prison. He doesn’t deserve life in prison. He deserved life on death row. Also people say that the Goncalves don’t want justice, they want vengeance.”
Will Kristi’s raw emotions change the course of this case? Most probably, no. Judges rarely reject plea deals, especially when agreed upon by both prosecution and defense. But rejection isn’t impossible, especially if the judge believes the plea isn’t supported by evidence or doesn’t serve justice. Will this be the case where the almost impossible happens?
Published: Jul 5, 2025 09:45 am