Emotional Mother at Sentencing Hearing for Bryan Kohberger
Bryan Kohberger’s mother, MaryAnn Kohberger, was visibly emotional during the sentencing hearing, even as her son maintained a stoic and unemotional demeanor. The courtroom witnessed a stark contrast between the killer’s cold exterior and his mother’s evident distress. MaryAnn was accompanied by her lookalike daughter, Amanda, as Judge Steven Hippler delivered four life sentences for the “grotesque murders” of Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
Throughout the victim impact statement portion of the hearing, MaryAnn was seen shuddering with emotion. She quietly wept during the proceedings and briefly sobbed when Mogen’s grandmother shared her grief for the victims’ families, including the Kohbergers. MaryAnn and Amanda sat near the defense table, the only two individuals in the gallery supporting Kohberger. His father did not attend the hearing but was present when Kohberger pleaded guilty earlier this month.
After the sentencing, MaryAnn and Amanda were pictured exiting through a back door of the courtroom. The grieving mother wore dark glasses to conceal her face, had her hair styled in an updo, and was dressed in a black floral dress with dangling earrings. Amanda, on the other hand, looked directly into the camera as she left first from the courthouse. Both traveled from their home in Pennsylvania to witness the conclusion of one of the most infamous crimes of the 21st century.
They were escorted out of the courtroom by police and did not make any public statements. The family issued a statement shortly after Kohberger’s arrest, expressing their support for him. The statement acknowledged their deep care for the families who lost their children and stated that they were cooperating fully with the investigation. It also emphasized that the family would continue to love and support their son and brother.
Kohberger has never provided an explanation for the murders. During the court session, he listened as heart-wrenching statements were made by the families of the four students he stabbed to death. When asked if he wanted to address the court, he declined, saying, “I respectfully decline.”
Judge Hippler acknowledged the families’ pain, stating that they may never understand why Kohberger killed their loved ones. He remarked that the need to comprehend something inherently incomprehensible often places the defendant in the spotlight, granting him attention and power. “In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame,” he said. “It’s time that he be consigned to the ignominy and isolation of perpetual incarceration.”
At the time of the murders, Kohberger was pursuing a doctorate degree in criminology at Washington State University. In 2022, he drove to the small town of Moscow, Idaho, and broke into the shared house of the victims. He moved from room to room, stabbing four of the six occupants to death.
Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ house in Pennsylvania on December 30 of that year, after DNA found on a knife sheath was traced to him. Despite the mounting evidence, he continued to deny the charges and appeared set to go to trial until a surprise plea deal was announced this month, which spared him the death penalty.
Following the victim impact statements, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson provided more details about how the plea bargain came about. On June 18, Kohberger’s final motions were argued before the court, including requests to delay the trial and to accuse others of being alternate suspects. The following week, the defense approached the prosecution with the possibility of a plea. This marked the first mention of a possible plea, as the defense had consistently maintained Kohberger’s innocence from the beginning.
Thompson explained that his office met with the victims’ families to discuss the potential of a plea deal. He noted that there were differing opinions among the families regarding the decision. Despite this, his office chose to proceed with the plea deal, acknowledging that not everyone supported the decision. “I accept that. It’s my responsibility,” he said.
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