Bryan Kohberger, the suspect alleged to have murdered four Idaho University students, could face the death penalty, a subject the parents of the victims appear to be split on.
Kohberger, 28, is accused of breaking into an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, and stabbing to death Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
Some of the parents of the victims have been speaking to the media throughout the investigation and criminal case against Kohberger.
Father Steve Goncalves and mother Kristi Goncalves have both announced their support for the death penalty, according to reports, as has father Ben Mogen.
Cara Kernodle, the mother of Xana Kernodle, has stated she is against the death penalty while also saying she hopes the accused "spends the rest of his days in prison."
Some of the victims' families haven't publicly commented on their stance toward the death penalty for this case, however, reflecting a split among the parents.
Former prosecutor Matt Murphy spoke on NewsNation in late May and said: "I think there's going to be a lot of pressure within the DA's office to actually seek the death penalty."
Madison Mogen
The Mogen family said they supported the death penalty in this case, according to a late May report by The Daily Mirror.
Separately, this stance was announced by the Goncalves attorney at the end of May, according to a Mail Online report.
Karen Caufield Laramie, Madison's mother, who is divorced from father Ben Mogen, has not made clear her views on the death penalty.
Kaylee Goncalves
Kaylee Goncalves' parents, Steve and Kristi Goncalves, have repeatedly spoken to the media throughout the investigation into their daughter's death.
"We're glad that we live in Idaho," one of 27 states where the death penalty stands, Kristi Goncalves said, while speaking about the possibility of capital punishment on NewsNation in January.
When NewsNation host Ashleigh Banfield probed the parents more deeply, the pair agreed that they were in favor of the death penalty in this case.
They also spoke about their feelings toward life imprisonment, a punishment the accused could face if the prosecution doesn't wish to proceed with the death penalty.
"If our daughters could switch places with him—and I'm saying Maddie [Mogen, Kaylee's friend since sixth grade] as my daughter—we'd do it in a heartbeat," Steve Goncalves said.
"If they could sit there and have three squares [a reference to prison meals], a place to live, we could call them, we could write them letters, they could watch TV, they could get educated."
"I would love if Maddie and Kaylee were doing life in prison right now. At least we could talk to them," Kristi added.
Xana Kernodle
Cara Kernodle, the mother of Xana Kernodle, has said she is against the death penalty but wants to "see [Kohberger] pay for what he's done."
"I'm not interested in a death penalty; that's not who I am, I don't believe in that, but I do believe he should spend the rest of his days in prison," she said speaking on NewsNation in late January.
Father Jeff Kernodle hasn't spoken publicly about his stance on the death penalty. Regarding the case, in November following the incident, he said this tragedy was his "worst nightmare", according to an Independent report.
He also stated that his daughter's injuries suggested she had desperately tried to fight off the killer before she was murdered.
Ethan Chapin
Earlier this week, Stacy Chapin, the mother of Ethan Chapin, spoke about the upcoming trial and said she and her family do not plan to attend, according to a New York Post report.
Without stating whether she or the family supported the death penalty in the Kohberger case, she highlighted their focus to remember Ethan's legacy in other ways.
"[The trial] does not change the outcome of our family and it's energy that we need to put into healing our kids and getting back to a new family dynamic," Chapin said on Monday while speaking on NBC's Today show.
"We let the prosecutors do their job and we do our job in our family. Everyone loved him. He was warm, he was inclusive, he was the kid you wanted to hang out with. He was always game to participate in anything. He was kind," Chapin added.
Correction 06/12/2023 7.50 a.m. ET: This article was amended to state that the Chapin family do not plan to attend Kohberger's trial and to correct the spelling of Stacy Chapin's name.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Gerrard Kaonga is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter and is based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on U.S. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
