Murderer Bryan Kohberger sentenced for killing four students 'you're going to hell'

Bryan Kohberger has been sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the murders of four Idaho university students, bringing an end to a harrowing case that shocked the nation and devastated a tight-knit college town.

The 30-year-old former criminology student showed no emotion as he sat in court wearing an orange jumpsuit, listening to more than two hours of tearful and angry statements from the grieving families of the victims. Judge Steven Hippler delivered a damning assessment as he handed down the sentence on Wednesday, declaring: "I'm unable to find anything redeemable about Mr Kohberger. His actions have made him the worst of the worst."

Kohberger brutally stabbed Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen to deathin the early hours of 13 November 2022 at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Two other roommates were in the house at the time but were unharmed.

Police hunt for Kohberger

Authorities spent more than six weeks tracking down the killer, eventually arresting Kohberger at his family's home in Pennsylvania on 30 December. Key evidence included DNA from a knife sheath left at the scene, as well as phone and surveillance data showing his white car in the area. Investigators later revealed he had visited the house multiple times before the murders.

Kohberger also received a 10-year sentence for burglary. He pleaded guilty as part of a deal to avoid the death penalty and declined the chance to speak during the hearing, simply telling the court: "I respectfully decline."

The hearing saw emotional testimony from the families of the four victims, who spoke of the irreplaceable loss of young lives filled with promise.

"Karen and I are ordinary people, but we lived extraordinary lives because we had Maddy," said Madison Mogen's stepfather, Scott Laramie.

Kaylee Goncalves' mother, Kristi, told the court Kohberger had "altered my every waking moment" and robbed her of peace.

Victims' families take aim: 'you're pathetic'

Some, like Goncalves' sister Alivea, took aim at Kohberger directly. "Sit up straight," she demanded. "You're a textbook case of insecurity. You are not profound, you're pathetic."

Xana Kernodle's stepfather, Randy Davis, added: "You're going to go to hell."

But there were also words of forgiveness. One of Kernodle's aunts told Kohberger she forgave him and urged him to speak out: "Any time you want to talk, I'm here for you."

Survivor's testimonies

The court also heard from two of the surviving roommates. Dylan Mortensen, who saw the masked attacker in the hallway that night, wept as she described the lasting trauma: "People call me strong, they call me a survivor, but don't see what my new reality looks like."

"He didn't just take their lives," she said, "he took the light they carried into every room."

Kohberger's silence at sentencing left many questions unanswered - including his motive. Investigators said they had found no connection between Kohberger and the victims or surviving roommates, and no evidence he had followed them online.

Judge Hippler acknowledged that uncertainty: "There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality. By continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr Kohberger relevance. It is time to end Mr Kohberger's 15 minutes of fame."