At least two of the University of Idaho victims’ families are not happy with Bryan Kohberger‘s reported plea deal!
In a shocker to this heartbreaking case, NewsNation’s Brian Entin reported on Monday that Bryan will plead guilty to killing Maddie Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. In return, prosecutors will drop the death penalty and instead request that he serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. Whoa.
Related: Diddy & Son SLAMMED With New Lawsuit For ‘Brutal Gang Rape’
This comes just over a month before the murder trial was set to begin in early August. It’s certainly an unexpected twist considering the prosecution seemed to have a stronger case, especially after the defense’s main argument was shut down by the judge. Victims’ loved ones were also speaking out for the first time as everyone prepared to testify. They seemed ready to fight for justice — so, what changed??
Immediately following the news, Xana and Kaylee’s families are hitting back at the proposed plea deal — and they’re PISSED!
On Monday evening, Xana’s aunt Kim Kernodle told TMZ that prosecutors briefly mentioned the idea of presenting a plea deal a couple of days ago, however, the family made it crystal clear they were firmly against that! Now that they ignored their initial request, they’re begging the lawyers not to go through with it!
She also blasted the prosecution for being vague when they discussed the deal and never mentioning it would strip the death penalty away. Plus, she’s confused because the prosecutors had been positive they had enough evidence for a guilty verdict! Oof. That’s even more of a blow for the victims’ families. It’s not like they needed this plea deal for justice. It seems to be favoring the murderer way more!
Kim was so upset by all this, she spoke through tears while on a conference call with prosecutors, who she says told her the defense approached them with the offer. That tells you they ran out of options! The prosecution claims they entertained it to “spare the families” the pain of the trial. But Kim thinks this is bulls**t because her family and the Goncalves, at the very least, wanted the suspect to face a jury.
The grieving aunt also said the lawyers expressed worry about the families having to go to court and see the disturbing crime scene photos of their deceased loved ones — but she argued:
“We know the graphics. They were not trying to spare us.”
A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, which is likely when both sides will ask the judge to approve the plea deal. Kim is begging for the judge to delay the decision to give the families more time to figure out what to do next. Yeah, a one day turnaround is tough!
As mentioned, the Gonvalves family are feeling similarly frustrated about this turn of events. Also speaking to the outlet, they ripped into the prosecution — who they feel have let the victims and all their relatives down every step of the way! Jeez!
The family told TMZ in a scathing statement:
“The death penalty is merely an illusion in the criminal justice system. When available, it serves as a bargaining tool for the State, and when rarely applied, it’s never enforced due to a highly inefficient appellate process.”
They continued:
“The notion that someone can plead guilty to a crime and still face years of appellate delays reveals a systemic failure. The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office’s treatment of our family during this process is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
The family has been left with many questions throughout this legal process, which began in November 2022 after Bryan allegedly snuck into the kids’ homes and brutally stabbed four of six housemates just after 4 in the morning. The statement noted:
“We questioned decisions early in the investigation: why was the mayor commenting on the case? Why was the coroner speaking to families? Why was an officer with less than two years’ experience leading the investigation? Why was the University of Idaho involved when they declared it an isolated off-campus incident? Why was the University permitted to write a book about the incident while others were silenced under an overly broad order?”
They’ve been through the wringer, which makes getting shut out of this latest decision all the more upsetting! Throwing prosecutors under the bus for their allegedly shady deal-making, the family stated:
“As a result, we were branded adversaries. So, it was no shock how the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office mishandled the plea deal. They vaguely mentioned a possible plea on Friday, without seeking our input, and presented the plea on Sunday.”
Because of everything they’ve endured in the last few years, they feel they’ve been treated worse than the suspect’s family, which is really saying something! They dished:
“Latah County should be ashamed of its Prosecutor’s Office. Four wonderful young people lost their lives, yet the victims’ families were treated as opponents from the outset. We weren’t even called about the plea; we received an email with a letter attached. That’s how Latah County’s Prosecutor’s Office treats murder victims’ families.”
They didn’t even call?! That’s so insensitive!!
“Adding insult to injury” was the fact that prosecutors are “rushing the plea, giving families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2. Who do they think they are?” The statement powerfully ended:
“After more than two years, this is how it concludes with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims’ families on the plea’s details.”
Awful when you put it like that. The families have been put through enough with the gruesome death of their beloved college students. They certainly deserve more respect from the legal professionals seeking justice on their children’s behalf. While a guilty verdict is better than nothing, we’re sorry they’re left feeling so let down by the court system!
We’ll have to wait and see what happens at Wednesday’s hearing… Thoughts? Share them (below).
[Image via MEGA/WENN & Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram]
The post University Of Idaho Murder Victims’ Families FURIOUS! Told Prosecution NOT To Make Plea Deal With Bryan Kohberger! appeared first on Perez Hilton.