Bryan Kohberger Was Investigated for Break-In 1 Year Before University of Idaho Murders

Everything changed for Kohberger in 2022, however, when he was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary after breaking into a Moscow, Idaho, home with the intent to commit a felony.

Following his initial not guilty plea, Kohberger pleaded guilty to the University of Idaho murders in a deal to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced in July to four lifetimes in prison.

Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death, while roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke survived the incident that made headlines across the country.

Before Kohberger’s sentencing, Mortensen delivered an emotional victim impact statement and explained how the deaths of her friends changed her life forever.

“What happened that night changed everything,” she said through tears, per CBS News. “Because of him, four beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason. What he did shattered me in places I didn’t know could break. I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable.”

During sentencing, Judge Steven Hippler also shared a few words and insisted that no parent should find themselves burying a child.

“This unfathomable and senseless act of evil has caused immeasurable pain,” he said. “This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted upon a person.”