Bryan Kohberger Accepted A Plea Deal But Why?

Is he actually guilty or is there another reason for him to accept the deal?

Image by Edward Anderson via Canva

Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing 4 University of Idaho students, has reportedly accepted a plea deal. The news set off a chain reaction on social media and through the press. More than a number of people were furious at the development.

The deal will see Koherger plead guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and be sentenced to four lifetimes in prison, rather than the death penalty.

Members of the victims’ families have released various statements. They varied from feeling as though the prosecution failed to bring justice to being outright outraged by the deal that was being cut.

Steve Gonclave wrote on the family Facebook page: “It's true! We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected. We appreciate all your love and support.”

In the hours after the announcement, rumors swirled that the families had not been contacted about the deal. Gonclave clarified that prosecutors did talk to them, but the family had rejected any plea deal for Kohberger.

They wanted to face him in court.

Alongside the Gonclaves, another of the victims’ families plan to fight the plea deal. They want Kohberger to go through with a jury trial and face the death penalty. Newsweek reports that Kim Kernodle, aunt of Xana Kernolde, believes that the prosecution didn’t want to take the case to trial.

It is also of note that up to June 30, 2025, Kohberger had maintained his innocence in the brutal murders. As recently as June 27, his defense team had publicly been working on their arguments for the trial, including possibly introducing another suspect.

So, what happened? Why did Bryan Kohberger accept a plea deal?

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It’s important to know why people accept plea deals in the first place, both those that are guilty and innocent. The biggest factor is said to be cost. A lot of defendants don’t have deep pockets to pay for a defense, so a plea deal allows them to get the situation over with before spending too much money.

The New York County Lawyers Association wrote on their website: “Accused misdemeanants and felony offenders often plead guilty simply to “get the matter over with.” Many make that choice because they cannot bear the costs of repeated court appearances, including lost work and/or necessary child care expenses.”

Many wondered how Kohberger was paying for his lawyers. There were some reports that the state of Idaho was footing the cost of his defense, and it was not cheap.

Another reason people, especially innocent defendants, accept plea deals is because they are scared of the maximum sentence. Prosecutors will often try to go for a higher punishment to scare the accused into accepting a plea deal, which can then be counted as a win for them.

Prosecutors in Kohberger’s case went for the death penalty. They wanted to send a message that they weren’t playing with the murders of four students. It also allowed them some room to entice the former grad student to cut a deal with them.

His defense team had argued that his autism spectrum disorder should automatically preclude the death penalty. However, the judge disagreed with them on that matter and allowed it to be on the table.

Another aspect could be the DoorDash driver that claimed to have seen Kohberger at the residence where the murders took place. This would have placed him at the scene of the crime, People Magazine said.

But is there more to it than these reasons?

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In the United States, defendants are promised a free and fair trial. However, Kohberger was not likely to get a trial that was not tainted by the bias against him. Media outlets ran story after story about him and his presumed guilt.

Nearly every comment section of these outlets were filled with people calling for Kohberger to be killed, either by the death penalty or a fellow prisoner. There was no room for any other punishment.

Let alone the fact that he could be innocent.

His defense attorneys may have known this and not been able to find a way to combat the vitriol online or in any perspective jury pool. Even with appeals, it seemed unlikely that they would prevail on any arguments they could have made.

So, they convinced him to take a plea deal to spare his life. He’ll be in prison, but if someone were to come forward and confess to the murders, it would allow him to be released. Though, that seems unlikely.

During a hearing on July 2, 2025, a judge will be advised of the plea deal. He will be able to accept it or reject it. At least two of the victims’ families are hoping for the latter.

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For more on the Bryan Kohberger case, check out this article: