The family of one of the University of Idaho murder victims said they are trying to return $85,000 in donations after Bryan Kohberger accepted a plea deal last week, weeks before his trial was slated to begin.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Sidney Sumner. A family of one of the University
of Idaho murder victims, said they are trying to return
eighty five thousand dollars in donations after Brian Coberger accepted
a plea deal last week, weeks before his trial was
fleated to begin. Crime stories reporters have more details.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
The families of the Moscow for received a letter signed
by Leyta County Prosecutor Bill Thompson telling them a plea
deal had been worked out with Brian Coburger that prevents
a trial, and Coburger will confess to ending the life
of their child while saving his own.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
The letter tells the victims family the state was approached
last week by Coburger's defense team asking for a deal.
Thompson says they met with available family members, weighed the
right path forward, and made a formal offer to Coburger.
The letter continues, we cannot fathom the toll that this
case has taken on your family. This resolution is our
sincere attempt to seek justice for your family. This agreement
(00:57):
ensures that the defendant will be convicted, spend the rest
of his life in prison, and will not be able
to put you and the other families through the uncertainty
of decades of post conviction appeals.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Kaylee Gonzalvez's family was against the plea deal that spared
Coburger from the death penalty for the four slayings.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
After hearing that a deal has been offered to Brian Coberger,
the family of Kai Gonzavez went public with their disappointment
over the decision. Kaylee was just twenty one when she
was murdered in Moscow, and her family has been one
of the most outspoken since their nightmare began. They're not
happy the prosecution has decided to let Coberger avoid the
death penalty. A post on the Gonzavez family facebook page
posted minutes after the deal was announced says, we are
(01:37):
beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us.
Please give us some time. This was unexpected now.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Steve Gonsalvez says they are trying to return the GoFundMe money,
which was to cover travel during the trial, but many
donors want them to keep it as they are also
dissatisfied with the plea deal. The GoFundMe campaign closed before
the plea deal was announced, meaning and it is on
Gonsalvus's family to handle refunds. However, Steve Gonsalves said he
(02:05):
refuses to bait and switch the donors like lead prosecutor
Bill Thompson did to his family to avoid the death penalty. Coburger, thirty,
admitted to fatally stabbing Ethan Shapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen,
and Kaylee Gonsalves on November thirteenth, twenty twenty two, at
the women's off campus home. Coburger also pleaded guilty to burglary,
(02:26):
which carries a ten year sentence. The plea deal means
Coburger will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He also waived his right to appeal. Steve Gonsalvez said
Coburger's July twenty third sentencing hearing is the same day
he has to take his surviving daughter to college, meaning
he will not be able to confront Coburger in court.
(02:48):
Coberger's trial was set to begin on August eleventh, despite
motions from his lawyers seeking additional time to prepare due
to the breadth of evidence in this case. They also
claim that information about the high profile case was leaked
on an episode of Dateline in May.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Never before publicly seen surveillance videos footage obtained exclusively by
Dateline show a white car circling the block that terrible night,
pulling after the house just before the murders occurred, and
speeding away after.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
His primary objective now is to get out of there
and nut to get caught.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
The source of that leak remains undisclosed. Before Wednesday's plea,
Coberger's attorneys claimed he was not at the crime scene
and was driving around alone the night the four students
were fatally stabbed. Late last month, Judge Stephen Hipler rejected
the defence's list of four alternative perpetrators, whose names have
not been released to the public. Police claimed Coburger visited
(03:45):
the area twelve times before the slayings, and that he
turned off his phone on the night in question. Coberger's
DNA was found on a knife sheath located near Mogen
and Gonsalvus's bodies. According to prosecutors, the murder weapon has
not been found. Meanwhile, defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding
evidence about unidentified DNA samples, including DNA on a glove
(04:08):
outside the home investigators tested DNA from a trash can
outside Coberger's family home in Pennsylvania against DNA found on
the sheath of the crime scene. Testing determine that at
least ninety nine point nine nine eight percent of the
male population would be expected to be excluded from the
possibility of being the suspect's biological father.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
This is a criminologist. This is somebody who spent you know,
probably century studying law and getting the ins and outs.
This person knows there cannot be a direct connection and
easy direct connection that that that's how everyone gets caught.
So you got to reverse engineer it back to what
(04:50):
he was doing and the steps he was taking. I
think this will go all the way back to his
Pennsylvania home, in his actual room. You're going to find
out that he planned this from that actual location, and
he left Pennsylvania with a thought and motivation to go
out and kill someone.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
At the time of the slayings, Coburger was working on
his PhD in criminology from Washington State University, which is
located ten miles from the crime scene. He was arrested
in Pennsylvania in December twenty twenty two after taking a
cross country road trip with his father from Washington to
Pennsylvania for the holidays. In September, Coburger's trial was moved
(05:29):
from Latta County to Boise in Ada County. The trial's
venue was changed after the state Supreme Court upheld a
ruling identifying publicity and media attention concerns that could jeopardize
Coburger's right to a fair trial. Further, the courts noted
that the Latta County courthouse lacked space and local police
did not have enough deputies to provide adequate security. The
(05:51):
trial was expected the last three months. For the latest
crime and justice breaking news, be sure to follow the
Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app with
this crime Alert. I'm Sydney sum Nurking.
Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Sidney Sumner. A family of one of the University
of Idaho murder victims, said they are trying to return
eighty five thousand dollars in donations after Brian Coberger accepted
a plea deal last week, weeks before his trial was
fleated to begin. Crime stories reporters have more details.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
The families of the Moscow for received a letter signed
by Leyta County Prosecutor Bill Thompson telling them a plea
deal had been worked out with Brian Coburger that prevents
a trial, and Coburger will confess to ending the life
of their child while saving his own.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
The letter tells the victims family the state was approached
last week by Coburger's defense team asking for a deal.
Thompson says they met with available family members, weighed the
right path forward, and made a formal offer to Coburger.
The letter continues, we cannot fathom the toll that this
case has taken on your family. This resolution is our
sincere attempt to seek justice for your family. This agreement
(00:57):
ensures that the defendant will be convicted, spend the rest
of his life in prison, and will not be able
to put you and the other families through the uncertainty
of decades of post conviction appeals.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Kaylee Gonzalvez's family was against the plea deal that spared
Coburger from the death penalty for the four slayings.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
After hearing that a deal has been offered to Brian Coberger,
the family of Kai Gonzavez went public with their disappointment
over the decision. Kaylee was just twenty one when she
was murdered in Moscow, and her family has been one
of the most outspoken since their nightmare began. They're not
happy the prosecution has decided to let Coberger avoid the
death penalty. A post on the Gonzavez family facebook page
posted minutes after the deal was announced says, we are
(01:37):
beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us.
Please give us some time. This was unexpected now.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Steve Gonsalvez says they are trying to return the GoFundMe money,
which was to cover travel during the trial, but many
donors want them to keep it as they are also
dissatisfied with the plea deal. The GoFundMe campaign closed before
the plea deal was announced, meaning and it is on
Gonsalvus's family to handle refunds. However, Steve Gonsalves said he
(02:05):
refuses to bait and switch the donors like lead prosecutor
Bill Thompson did to his family to avoid the death penalty. Coburger, thirty,
admitted to fatally stabbing Ethan Shapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen,
and Kaylee Gonsalves on November thirteenth, twenty twenty two, at
the women's off campus home. Coburger also pleaded guilty to burglary,
(02:26):
which carries a ten year sentence. The plea deal means
Coburger will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He also waived his right to appeal. Steve Gonsalvez said
Coburger's July twenty third sentencing hearing is the same day
he has to take his surviving daughter to college, meaning
he will not be able to confront Coburger in court.
(02:48):
Coberger's trial was set to begin on August eleventh, despite
motions from his lawyers seeking additional time to prepare due
to the breadth of evidence in this case. They also
claim that information about the high profile case was leaked
on an episode of Dateline in May.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Never before publicly seen surveillance videos footage obtained exclusively by
Dateline show a white car circling the block that terrible night,
pulling after the house just before the murders occurred, and
speeding away after.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
His primary objective now is to get out of there
and nut to get caught.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
The source of that leak remains undisclosed. Before Wednesday's plea,
Coberger's attorneys claimed he was not at the crime scene
and was driving around alone the night the four students
were fatally stabbed. Late last month, Judge Stephen Hipler rejected
the defence's list of four alternative perpetrators, whose names have
not been released to the public. Police claimed Coburger visited
(03:45):
the area twelve times before the slayings, and that he
turned off his phone on the night in question. Coberger's
DNA was found on a knife sheath located near Mogen
and Gonsalvus's bodies. According to prosecutors, the murder weapon has
not been found. Meanwhile, defense attorneys accused prosecutors of withholding
evidence about unidentified DNA samples, including DNA on a glove
(04:08):
outside the home investigators tested DNA from a trash can
outside Coberger's family home in Pennsylvania against DNA found on
the sheath of the crime scene. Testing determine that at
least ninety nine point nine nine eight percent of the
male population would be expected to be excluded from the
possibility of being the suspect's biological father.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
This is a criminologist. This is somebody who spent you know,
probably century studying law and getting the ins and outs.
This person knows there cannot be a direct connection and
easy direct connection that that that's how everyone gets caught.
So you got to reverse engineer it back to what
(04:50):
he was doing and the steps he was taking. I
think this will go all the way back to his
Pennsylvania home, in his actual room. You're going to find
out that he planned this from that actual location, and
he left Pennsylvania with a thought and motivation to go
out and kill someone.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
At the time of the slayings, Coburger was working on
his PhD in criminology from Washington State University, which is
located ten miles from the crime scene. He was arrested
in Pennsylvania in December twenty twenty two after taking a
cross country road trip with his father from Washington to
Pennsylvania for the holidays. In September, Coburger's trial was moved
(05:29):
from Latta County to Boise in Ada County. The trial's
venue was changed after the state Supreme Court upheld a
ruling identifying publicity and media attention concerns that could jeopardize
Coburger's right to a fair trial. Further, the courts noted
that the Latta County courthouse lacked space and local police
did not have enough deputies to provide adequate security. The
(05:51):
trial was expected the last three months. For the latest
crime and justice breaking news, be sure to follow the
Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app with
this crime Alert. I'm Sydney sum Nurking.
Host
Nancy Grace
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.