Bryan Kohberger agrees to plead guilty to killing 4 Idaho college students

Bryan Kohberger has agreed to plead guilty to killing four Idaho college students, as first reported by NewsNation Monday.

By pleading guilty to all counts, Kohberger will avoid the death penalty, but waive his right to appeal, according to a letter sent to one of the victims’ families. He is expected to be sentenced in July to life in prison, the Idaho Statesman reported. If he does not plead guilty, the trial will continue.

Kohberger’s attorneys had previously asked for the death penalty to be removed due to his diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, but the request was denied.

“Not only has the defendant failed to show that ASD is equivalent to an intellectual disability for death penalty exemption purposes, he has not shown there is national consensus against subjecting individuals with ASD to capital punishment,” Idaho Fourth District Judge Steven Hippler wrote.

Judge denies postponing Bryan Kohberger’s trial

Earlier this week, Hippler denied the defense team’s request to postpone the trial. He also rejected a request to present four different perpetrators to the jury.

“Nothing links these individuals to the homicides or otherwise gives rise to a reasonable inference that they committed the crime; indeed, it would take nothing short of rank speculation by the jury to make such a finding,” Hippler wrote in the order.

Kohberger is charged with allegedly stabbing to death four University of Idaho students—Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves—in 2022.

His next court date is 11 a.m. July 2, according to the Idaho Statesman.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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