Murder suspect Bryan Kohberger to plead guilty to killing four Idaho students in bid to avoid death penalty

Bryan Kohberger has accepted a deal which will see him plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students, according to reports.

On 13 November 2022, students Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were fatally stabbed at a student residence in Moscow, Idaho.

Kohberger, 30, was arrested the following month and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He initially pleaded not guilty to the killings.

However, US outlets have reported that Kohberger agreed to accept a deal yesterday (30 June) which will see him plead guilty to killing Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin.

It's believed that he has accepted the deal in order to avoid the death penalty.

The development appeared to have been confirmed by a relative of the Goncalves family, who shared a post on social media revealing they were 'furious' at the news.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle (Instagram/@Kaylee Goncalves)

"It's true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho," the Facebook post read.

"They have failed us."

According to the BBC, a hearing for the plea deal is currently set for Wednesday (2 July), the Washington State University graduate is currently expected to stand trial for the murders in August.

The family later clarified their position in a follow-up post, revealing they'd been approached about the prospect of Kohberger accepting a plea deal, but had rejected it.

"We DID talk to the prosecution on Friday about the POSSIBILITY of a plea deal and it was a HARD NO from our family," the post read, reiterating the family's stance in having Kohberger face the death penalty.

"We met with prosecution AGAIN today to reiterate our views on pushing for the death penalty. Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter."

Meanwhile Mogen's father appeared to be more accepting of the news, with the Idaho Statesman reporting the family accepted the agreement if it meant avoiding reliving their daughter's murder at trial.

(Zach Wilkinson-Pool/Getty Images)

Meanwhile the university of Idaho has since released a statement regarding the update, saying ‘no outcome’ will replace the loss of the four students.

"We keep the families of the victims in our hearts as each deals with this outcome in their own way," the statement read.

"No outcome can replace what they lost. We will never forget the four incredible lives taken."

No motive for the students' killings has ever been found and it's unclear if Kohberger had any prior connection to the victims.

Two of the students - Mogen and Kernodle - were living at the off-campus address at the time while Chapin was staying the night with Kernodle.

Goncalves had previously lived at the address but had since moved out. Two more students were in the house at the time of the killings, however they were not attacked.