Relatives of one of the four University of Idaho students murdered by Bryan Kohberger in 2022 delivered a surprising message at his July 23 sentencing hearing: forgiveness for their loved one’s killer.
“Bryan, I’m here today to tell you I have forgiven you because I no longer could live with that hate in my heart. And for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you,” said Kim Kernoodle, the aunt of Xana Kernoodle, one of the four students Kohberger pleaded guilty to murdering.
The comments were among the many from loved ones of the victims who gave tearful reflections on the impact the killings have had on their lives. Some talked about how fear and grief haunt them daily. Some lambasted Kohberger, calling him “pathetic,” a “sociopath” and a “complete joke.”
Still, Xana Kernoodle’s mother, Cara Northington, also told Kohberger her faith gave her the strength to offer him forgiveness.
“Jesus has allowed me to forgive you for murdering my daughter without you even being sorry or asking for this,” she said. “I do not fear you or even let you rent space in my head anymore. This forgiveness has released me from any and all evil you have inflicted on me and my family.”
At the conclusion of the hearing, Kohberger declined to provide a statement. The judge then sentenced him to four consecutive life sentences plus 10 years for burglary and $270,000 in fines.
Kohberger’s sentencing comes nearly three years after the students were found stabbed to death in a rental house near the University of Idaho campus, setting off a nationwide manhunt and shocking the quiet college town of Moscow.
Earlier this month, Kohberger pleaded guilty to the killings and accepted a deal from prosecutors consisting of the four consecutive life sentences. The plea agreement, which had divided the families of the victims, allowed him to avoid the death penalty and what would have been a highly publicized trial.
Prosecutors said Kohberger, who was a criminal justice student at the time of the murders, had long planned the attack that killed Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Investigators said DNA evidence, cell phone records and surveillance footage tied Kohberger to the stabbings.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey Bragg and Jeanine Santucci
