"48 Hours" covers Bryan Kohberger's guilty plea, sentencing for the Idaho student murders | Forensic Files

[Music] Are you pleading guilty because you are guilty? >> Yes. What a moment. A guilty plea 962
days in the making in the murder case that horrified the country. Brian Coberger pleaded guilty to the murders
of four University of Idaho students as their anguished loved ones looked on in a packed courtroom in Boise, Idaho. He
did not react with emotion as he communicated with the judge. >> As to count two, murder in the first
degree as it relates to uh the murder of Madison Mogan, how do you plead guilty or not guilty?
>> Guilty. >> As to count three, as it relates to murder in the first degree for the
murder of Kaylee Gonzalez, how do you plead guilty or not guilty? >> Guilty. As to count four, the uh
first-degree murder of Xanna Kernal Kernodal, pardon me, uh a human being, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?
>> Guilty. >> As to count five, uh first-degree murder of Ethan Chapen, a human being, how do
you plead? Guilty or not guilty? >> Guilty. >> This is what these four families of the
victims had been longing to hear. An admission of guilt that Coberger had attacked their loved ones in their
off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. But family members were divided over whether justice was being fully served. Some
wanted him tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. Coberger, who had been a PhD candidate studying
criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested on December 30th, 2022.
We've spent the last 2 and 1/2 years awaiting a trial for these monstrous crimes in hopes of finally understanding
the full story of what happened that night and why? What was the motive? Who was Coberger's main target? How did he
seem to know exactly where to go once inside that house? I'm Peter Vans. I've been covering this case for 48 hours
since the beginning. I attended nearby Washington State University. I knew Moscow, Idaho to the
point where I could just drive about anywhere without using a map. These murders really hit home for me. Here at
48 hours, we were preparing to take you through the trial week by week, but then
news broke on Monday evening that a plea deal had been struck. and Brian Coberger
would admit in open court that he was the killer. So joining me today to review these
developments is CBS News legal analyst attorney Mary Fuljaniti. Mary, thanks for helping us sort all this out.
>> Thanks for having me, Peter. And Mary, just starting at the beginning of today's hearing, I was struck by Judge
Steven Hipler's introduction about outside pressure he was facing as it pertains to this plea deal.
>> Court is not supposed to and this court will never take into account public sentiment
uh in uh making an opinion regarding uh its judicial decisions in cases. Court should and I always will make
decisions based on where the facts and the law lead me. Period. I have not read any of the numerous messages nor listen
to any of the numerous voicemails that have been sent to me and my staff. Those have all been forward to security and
where appropriate to law enforcement. >> And there's so much emotion in this case. Mary, what was your reaction to
what the judge had to say? Well, you know, Peter, this case has captured the nation and the world
really, and I think the judge is sending a clear message to the public that all the calls in the world are not going to
impact his decision in this case, and that he's going to rely strictly on the facts and the evidence and to stop. You
know, it's inappropriate. It's time consuming, and it's it's it's taxing on the people that are working in the
courthouse. For the millions of people who have been following this case, all the attention was of course on the plea
deal itself. A plea deal that surprised all of us. Talk about what this agreement entails.
So the defendant pleaded guilty to all five counts included in the indictment, which were the felony burglary count and
four first-degree murder counts. Uh and with regard to the homicides, all four of them, it was life, a fixed life
sentence, which is life without the possibility to parole with all five counts to run consecutive to each other.
In addition, the defendant waved his right to not only a jury trial, but to appeal his sentence and to even have the
court consider any leniency in his sentence at the time of sentencing. Uh so it it was interesting because I think
a lot of people didn't understand is the court bound by this and and what the court basically said is this is not a
binding plea agreement which means he is not bound by the plea agreement and that
he could impose a different sentence a lawful sentence obviously at the hearing when it comes up. Uh but I think that's
probably unlikely in this case that he's going to stick with what the parties have agreed to uh which has taken a long
time to get to. >> This plea deal seemed to come out of the blue. We were all prepared for a long
trial. Why do you think the defense approached prosecutors about making a deal? >> Oh, to save his life, to take the death
penalty off the table. And remember, accepting a plea deal is ultimately not the decision of the defense lawyers, but
rather the defendant. And sometimes it's hard to get to that place until all legal arguments and strategies are
thoroughly exhausted. And for all of us who've lived with this case, the prosecution today stood up and basically
what seemed like almost an opening statement laid out what the prosecution's case was. Here's
prosecutor Bill Thompson. Back in March of 2022, when the defendant was residing
at his parents' residence or was residing back in Pennsylvania, his home state, he purchased online a KBAR knife
and sheath with an Amazon gift card that he had purchased shortly prior to the purchase of the knife, sheath, and
sharpener. Jumping ahead, the end of June of that year, uh the defendant, Mr. Coberger moved from Pennsylvania to
Pullman, Washington, which is right across the state line from Moscow, Idaho, for the purpose of pursuing a PhD
in criminal justice at Washington State University. The state's evidence would indicate that
beginning July 9th of 2022, Mr. Cobberger's phone began connecting to a cell tower that serves the area of
the 1122 King Road residence in Moscow, Idaho. Now, I I will acknowledge for the
court and all present that there are many residences in that area. It's a dense population of mostly college
related uh occupants. Between July 9th of 2022 and in November 7th, the defendant's phone connected to
that particular tower during late night, early morning hours, 10:00 p.m. to 4:00
a.m. on approximately 23 times. And then Thompson described what transpired in the early morning hours of November
13th, 2022. According to the state's evidence, Coberger's phone left his Pullman
residence and was turned off at 2:54 a.m. and remained off until 4:48 a.m. They also obtained video surveillance on
the highway that runs between Pullman, Washington, and Moscow, Idaho, that showed a vehicle matching Coberger's car
entering Moscow at 3:02 a.m. and circling the neighborhood. And at 4:05 a.m., surveillance video showed
Coberger's car parked behind the 1122 Kings Road home. The state believes that its evidence would then show that um the
defendant entered the residence of 11:22 through the kitchen sliding door on the
back side of the residence, which is the side of the residence that would uh face
the area above where the defendant's car was parked. defendant entered the residence, went to
the third floor, and with a knife killed Madison Mogan and Caitlyn Gonzalez. The defendant, as he left that room, for
whatever reason, ended up leaving or the sheath for a KBAR knife was left on the bed next to
Madison Min's body. And I can jump ahead. That sheath was tested by the Idaho State Police Forensic Lab and
single source male DNA was found on the snap of that sheath as well as blood from both Kaye and Madison and other
trace evidence. But it's important to note single source male DNA was on the snap of that cheek.
The state's evidence would show that Zana Kenodal was still awake at this time. In fact, had taken a Door Dash
order not long before this started. Her room was not on the third floor. It was on the second floor on the west side.
As the defendant was either coming down the stairs or leaving, he encountered Zana and he ended up
killing her also with a large knife. Ethan Chapen, Zanna's boyfriend, was asleep in their bedroom, in her bedroom,
and the defendant killed him as well with a large fixed bag. Each victim suffered multiple wounds. I will state
for the record that there is no evidence there was any sexual component or sexual
assault on any of the victims. I want to make that clear so there's no speculation.
There were two other roommates in the house and they were already asleep. During the course of this, one of those
roommates arro awoke, looked out her door, not knowing what was going on, and saw the defendant who was dressed in
black with a black belt cob on, holding some sort of container in his hand. And she saw him leave the house through the
direction of the kitchen where that sliding door is that I mentioned before. At approximately 4:20 that morning,
so this would have been 15 minutes or so later, Finn's car is seen on a surveillance
camera for 1112 King Road, which is immediately next door to the west of 11:22, leaving the area at a high rate of
speed. And if the court were to see that or anybody in this courtroom were to see
that, you can see the court the car almost loses control as it makes the corner, heads north, and then turns to
go south on Wenta, which is one of the only ways to get out of that part of town.
The evidence would show that following that, the defendant in his Elantra drove south of Moscow. We know that he
drove on the back roads because there are surveillance cameras on the main highways, Highway 95, that would have
picked up the defendant's car if he'd gone that route and they did not show the defendants's car on that route
during the time. So, we know that he went through a variety of back roads and very rural isolated part of Lake County.
About 4:48 that morning, the defendant's phone comes back on and the evidence will show that that
phone was located south of Moscow, likely at a side road intersection with uh Highway 95. From there, the
defendant's phone activity tracks heading back north towards Pullman, Washington, where the defendant lived.
about 5:26, starting approximately 5:26, various surveillance cameras in Pullman,
Washington, pick up the defendant's vehicle as he enters Pullman from the south and heads north and slightly west
towards his apartment where he arrived at approximately 5:30 in the morning. Later that morning, this still this uh
Sunday, the 13th of November of 2022, Mr. Cobberg's phone returned to the area of King Road. We don't know exactly what
he did, but it returned to that area. It's about 9:00 in the morning, was there for about 10 minutes, and then
returned to his Pullman residence about 9:30 that states evidence will show evidence
taken from the defendant's phone that he took a selfie of himself on his phone in
what appears to be the bathroom of his Pullman apartment with a thumbs up. So, we know there was a lot of evidence,
but we didn't hear anything about motive, Mary. What about that? >> I know the big question that everybody
wants to to understand in this case. Um, we didn't hear anything about motive. Motive is not an element of the crime.
Uh, and I'm not so sure that the prosecution actually knows at this point even what the motive was. And sometimes
in cases like these in particular where the murders are so gruesome and heinous uh you don't have any sort of black and
white explanation. Uh so I think that's why we probably didn't hear anything along those lines because either they
didn't know it or they felt that it wasn't uh it might be confusing to the factual basis because it's not
necessary. >> And by the way I had a brief conversation by text message with Christy Gonzalez Kayle's mother
yesterday. in it. She told me that the family asked the prosecutor if they were asking Coberger for more evidence,
including the location of the murder weapon as part of the deal. And according to Christy, the prosecutor
said no. This raises the prospect that families may never know exactly what happened. Imagine living with that for
the rest of your life. Yeah, that's actually, you know, there are so many elements to a case that
sometimes, you know, people will never know. So, it it's hard and I know it's um it's consuming for many of them
because they want the picture filled in so they can fully understand what happened and hopefully put closure and
get some closure out of the case, but that that doesn't always happen. And even if it went to trial, they wouldn't
necessarily have had that closure as well. So unfortunately um in cases like these uh you you need to focus on the
evidence and what the evidence is and and stick with that when it comes to the resolution.
>> But even without a motive, why not take this to trial? >> Uh the reason why the prosecution at
this late date uh I think decided to discuss a plea was because the defense reached out to them. I mean, after all
the hearings and the motions and the judge finally denied the continuence, uh, the defense reached out to the to
the prosecution and asked if there was a plea deal, and they would be remissed in
not really going through that with them. And anything can go wrong. I mean, you can have witnesses go sideways. You can
have a juror do something that could cause a mistrial and then restart the whole process again. So, they have to
evaluate everything. and in this situation and here is the defendant willing to plead to everything to all
the facts to everything that's included in the indictment and I think they took all that into consideration and decided
that this was the most appropriate and just thing to do in the circumstances and we've seen a divide among families
of the victims. Some are relieved while others are outraged, feeling betrayed by
the prosecution for taking this deal. The Chapens said that they were attending the hearing in support of the
plea deal and the Mogan's family attorney read a statement on their behalf today also supporting the plea
deal. >> We support the plea agreement 100%. While we know there are some who do not
support it, we ask that they respect our belief that this is the best outcome possible for the victims, their
families, and the state of Idaho. We extend our deep gratitude to the many law enforcement officers and staff who
work tirelessly to obtain the critical evidence that brought justice today. >> This is something where they want to put
it away. And this is a guarantee. There's no more risk of all that's going to save them a lot of pain and anguish.
On the other side, the Gonzalez family issued a statement saying they are beyond furious at the state of Idaho.
They said the state failed us, calling it a deal with the devil. Kay's father, Steve Gonzaleves, refused to go inside
the courtroom today, but spoke outside to the media before the hearing. He blasted prosecutor Bill Thompson for
negotiating a plea deal. He only negotiated with the murder of our children. That was the only person that
he negotiated with. He didn't give us the call and courtesy to negotiate with us, even pretend. He could have just
pretended and then lied. But he didn't even pretend. He basically said, "Your guys' input isn't needed."
>> The judge could hear one thought from you that he should remember. What is it?
>> He's going to own this. He's going to inherit what Thompson did and he's the only one that can fix it. He's the only
one who can make it right. >> I know it's an emotional one for some of the victim's families, but it's a call
that is solely within the prosecutor's discretion, weighing not only the victim's interest, but the states and
the time, the money, and the consumption of this case on the court's resources. >> And there's another reason Kaylee
Gonzalez's parents have expressed outrage. This deal took the death penalty off the table. They wrote on
social media that the death penalty is merely an illusion in the criminal justice system. When available, it
serves as a bargaining tool for the state. A new law in Idaho will go into effect on July 1st, 2026 that will make
death by firing squad the state's primary method of execution. When I spoke to the Gonzalez family over
two years ago, they had very strong opinions about that should he be found guilty of the murders.
>> Oh, firing squad. Absolutely. I think lethal injection is way too easy. I mean, I've read about it
and it's it's evidently very torturous, but I'm like, yeah, no, I'm not buying it. Evidently, if you feel like you're
drowning and whatnot, I don't know. I mean, yeah, but I think that a firing squad would be pretty terrifying, but
nowhere near as terrifying as what our girls went through. >> They are understandably very angry and upset and
want the defendant to pay the ultimate price here. And I know the Gonzalez's wish that since the prosecution had all
the leverage in this negotiation that they had that they had included a stipulation that Coberger tell every
detail about how this crime was committed, how he planned, how he carried it out, that he would have to
tell that story before he could get the plea deal. And that breaks their heart that that was not a part of this.
>> Yeah. And no one can compel that. The court can't compel that. The prosecution
can't compel that. I mean, what we do know is that the judge found that there was sufficient facts and evidence to
accept his guilty plea to each of the five counts. >> So, after all this, what happens next?
Is this case finally over? >> Not yet. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23rd and we expect on that day the
families will be able to have their day in court. they will be able to address the court and give victim what they call
victim impact statements about the pain and the anguish and the and the torture basically that they have gone through as
a family. Uh and I expect that that'll last the whole day and it's going to be a very emotional day. It's one that you
hope gives some closure and some peace to the families. And it's one that I I I suspect there won't be a dry eye in the
house. >> And these will be very powerful statements for people like the Gonzalez
family. They finally get to say in a room where they know Brian Coberger can hear them what they think about all of
this and they are devastated. So that will be that will be a compelling day and we will continue to provide updates
on this case. Thanks Mary for joining us. >> Thank you Peter >> and thanks to all of you for listening.
I'm Peter Vansat. This episode contains graphic audio and references to violence. Please listen
with care. He is a hollow vessel, something less than human. A body without empathy, without remorse.
He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. For the first time, Dylan Mortonson, one
of the two surviving roommates in the house on King Road, courageously spoke in court about her grief and trauma as
the murderer of her friends, sat facing forward with no emotion. >> He tried to take everything from me, my
friends, my safety, my identity, my future. He took their lives, but I will continue
trying to be like them to make them proud. On Wednesday, a shackled Brian Coberger,
who admitted earlier this month to the mass murder of University of Idaho students Kaylee Gonzalez, Madison Mogan,
Zana Kernodal, and Ethan Chapen was forced to hear the cries, the anguish, the frustrations, and the righteous
anger of the loved ones left behind at his sentencing hearing in Boise. Today we are here to prove to the world that
you picked the wrong families. >> Instead, I will call you what you are. Sociopath, psychopath,
murderer. >> We are done being victims. We are taking back our lives. >> I'm 48 hours correspondent Peter Vans
and this is the Idaho student murders inside the Brian Coberger case. Today you're going to hear what happened
inside the courtroom. And joining me to discuss it all is CBS News legal analyst, attorney Mary Fuljiniti, and
Washington State University Muro School of Journalism Professor Matt Loveless. And Matt, you live in Pullman, just a
stones throw down the road from Moscow. You're the one that went over to that house on King Road after you learned of
these murders. You saw that that tragic sight of some blood seeping down the outside of the building which gave us
all a sense of what was going on on the inside. Give me a sense of what this day
was like for you. >> It was an emotional day, Peter. And as this case has gone on for close to a
thousand days now, I hesitate to call it closure, but it was nice as a community
member just to hear the families be able to speak and release a little bit today.
And I think we'll get to the fact that they released quite a bit today. So, it did feel like a little bit of closure
and also it felt incomplete. I know we'll talk about that as well. For the victim's families and surviving
roommates, they had been expected to give impact statements after a trial when their words would influence the
sentencing, but that trial never came to be. >> Yeah. No, it didn't. I mean, Brian
Coberger ended up signing a plea agreement and on July 2nd in court admitted his guilt to each charge in the
indictment. And part of that agreement and part of those admissions included him agreeing to fixed terms, fixed life
sentences for each of the four murder counts as well as a 10-year count for the felony burglary, all to run
consecutively. Uh, and in addition, he waved all rights to appeal. And for all of us who have watched this from the
beginning, to see all those loved ones in that room and be able to look at the man across the way who was so stoic,
emotionless, lacking remorse sitting there, the man who had wielded that knife and and and and created all this
pain was just extraordinary, wasn't it? >> Yeah. Watching him was was eerie to be
perfectly honest. I think the one thing to me that stood out out of all the tears and emotion was that Brian
Cobberger did not shed a tear. He did not show any emotion. >> Even the judge was wiping away tears
throughout. And for me, in the dozens and dozens of court cases I've been involved with, I'd never seen that
before, Mary. What about you? >> Yeah, you know, I've never seen a judge shed a tear in a case. The prosecutor
was tearing up. The the judge was tearing up. We had the victims. We had the family members. I was even tearing
up throughout much of it because you sit there and you hear how heinous and horrific the crimes were. And as a
mother to a daughter who's in college at a sorority, it just it hits home. >> In addition to Dylan Mortonson, we heard
from her fellow surviving roommate Bethany Funk. Good friend Emily Alant read Bethy's words inside a packed
courtroom. >> For some reason, I am still here and I got to live. I still think about this
every day. Why me? Why did I get to live and not them? >> People always ask that, the survivors.
Matt, what do you think? >> It's still hard to explain. You know, we know Bethany had a basement room in that
place. I think people are learning the layout of that three-story uh building there on 1122 King Road. We know Dylan
came down to be with Bethany. She had a second floor bedroom. She went downstairs after she says she opened the
door and saw a man with bushy eyebrows. And I know there was a lot of confusion over the 911 call, the fact that it took
more than 7 hours for them to make that call. >> When I first woke up that morning, I had
no idea what happened. I woke up around 7:00 with a terrible toothache. So, I called my dad who is a dentist and he
asked what I should do. He told me to take Advil. So, I did and I went back to sleep. I was still out of
it and still didn't know what happened. If I had known, I of course would have called 911 right away. I still carry so
much regret and guilt for not knowing what had happened and not calling right away. Even though I understand it
wouldn't have changed anything, not even if the paramedics had been right outside
the door. I was so frantic that morning and scared to death, not knowing what had happened.
And when I made the 911 call, I couldn't even get out the words. And from then on, I don't remember a
thing. It was like my brain wiped that whole memory. That was the worst day of my life, and I
know it always will be. >> You know, much of the information in this case, it's sort of been that leaky
faucet. We'll get a drip here and a drip there and a drip there. And one of those
drips came recently as we found out a little bit more about why there was so much chaos on that call. There's still a
lot of confusion, but we hear some context now from the Amazon series about how friend Emily Alant, friend Hunter
Johnson, and another friend had come and how Hunter had found Ethan and Zana and
reported that they should call the police for an unconscious person, essentially sparing his friends the
trauma of knowing what happened. And we also know now that at the time they weren't even aware that Maddie and Kaye
had been killed as well. And so we are just beginning to learn this little trickle of information about what had
happened that morning. And it is starting to make a lot more sense. >> And while Bethany did not attend, we
learned more from Dylan who lived on the second floor of the house. And she sat down at the prosecutor's table and took
moments to compose herself. >> Dylan, just take your time. I'm all right. I'm sorry.
Thank you, your honor. And the presentation that Dylan Mortonson had in that courtroom. This
was a a young teenage girl at the time of these murders, overwhelmed by what had happened there, and she had been
savaged in social media. Well, the Dylan Mortonson that showed up today was mature and eloquent and profound and and
so impressive. >> I was barely 19 when he did this. We had just celebrated my birthday at the end
of September. I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the
college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the
unimaginable. I couldn't be alone. I had to sleep in my mom's bed because I was too terrified to close my eyes.
Terrified that if I blinked, someone might be there. I made escape plans everywhere I went.
If something happens, how do I get out? What can I use to defend myself? Who can
help? Then there are the panic attacks. the kind that slam into me like a tsunami out of nowhere. I can't breathe.
I can't think. I can't stop shaking. All I can do is scream because the emotional pain and the grief is too much
to handle. My chest feels like it's caving in. >> The the enormous consequence of murder.
uh was just expressed there. And I hope those who tortured this young woman take
a moment perhaps to send off something kind now that you know the context of what had happened cuz she doesn't
deserve anyone's sworn. She didn't speak at the sentencing hearing about what she saw that day.
Mostly just talking about the pain she continues to endure. We got to hear her talk about a lot of the coverage that
was about her early on in the coverage of this case and it was it was just devastating to hear.
Mattie Mogan's stepfather Scott Laramie spoke on behalf of himself and Mattiey's
mother Karen who stood beside him in tears. He said he refused to waste words on the defendant, saying evil doesn't
deserve time and attention. It helps us to know that he is in heaven now, freed from the trials of this earth.
We, however, continue to live on without the grace and support of her presence. We will grow old without our only child,
our bright, beautiful friend and daughter. In the end, there are no words that can
accurately capture the devastation of losing Maddie. >> You know, one person who was so moving
to me was Mattiey's father, Ben Mogan. This is a man who's been through a lot in life. And he said that Maddie was the
only child he ever had. She was the only great thing he ever really did and the only thing he was ever proud of. Boy,
those hit me. That was so sad. and he was honest about his struggles with addiction and how Maddie helped him.
>> I went through a lot of uh issues with addiction and with uh with substance abuse and and um when I wasn't
wanting to live anymore, she was what would keep me from just not caring anymore. and um
knowing that she was out there and that she was just such a beautiful person uh kept me alive a lot of a lot of rough
moments and for for her father Maddie's Maddie helped put him back on the rails and even though she's lost her life in
some ways she has saved his and that was very poignant. Ben Mogan, Scott Laramie
and Mattiey's paternal grandmother expressed their support of the plea agreement. Now, in contrast, Kaylee
Gonzalez's family has been outspoken about their disappointment about that plea deal agreement. Her father, Steve,
called it a deal with the devil and has called out the prosecution and judge in the case. When Steve Gonzalez got up to
speak, he dramatically turned the podium in the direction of Coberger. Today we are here to finish what you started.
Today you've lost control. Having interviewed Steve Gonzalez a couple of times for many hours and other
members of the family. What he had to say about when the family learned of this tragedy and the shock and the
horror and they're holding each other and what they decided to do as he tells that story. For me, that was one of the
most memorable moments in that courtroom today. >> My kids turned around, looked at me, and
said, "What do we do, Dad?" I told him, "You get to work. You get your ass to work." And we
started calling. We started texting. We started emailing. And you know what? Within hours, within hours, we had your
white car on a camera. We knew. We knew from the very beginning we had you. The police officers tell us within
minutes they had your DNA. Like a calling card. You were that careless, that foolish, that stupid.
Master degree. You're a joke. Complete joke. >> This family, they came out fighting
right out of the box, you know, from the day they heard what happened to their sister, their daughter. um they were on
it and they wanted to find out who did it, how did it happen, what happened and uh and they haven't really stopped, you
know, and I think that that's very telling of sort of the dynamic in the family and and and how, you know, and
how they express, you know, their own feelings and handle situations. Kayle's older sister, Olivia, um, who I I've met
along the way, who had done such research and found breakthroughs in this investigation, and listen to what she
had to say. >> I will ask the questions that reverberate violently in my own head so
loudly that I can't think straight most any day. Some of these might be familiar, so sit up straight when I talk
to you. How was your life? right before you murdered my sisters. Did you prepare for the crime before
leaving your apartment? Please detail what you were thinking and feeling at this time.
Why did you choose my sisters before making your move? Did you approach my sisters? Do you tell what
you were thinking and feeling before leaving their home? Is there anything else you did?
How does it feel to know the only thing you failed more miserably at than being a murderer is trying to be a rapper?
Did you recently start shaving or manually pulling out your eyebrows? Why November 13th?
Did you truly think your Amazon purchase was untraceable because you used a gift
card? How do you find it enjoyable to stargaze with such a severe case of visual snow?
Where is the murder weapon, the clothes you wore that night? What did you bring into the house with
you? What was the second weapon you used on Kaye? What were Kayle's last words? Please describe in detail the level of
anxiety you must have felt when you heard the bearcat pull up to your family home on December 30th, 2022.
Which do you regret more? returning to the crime scene five hours later. Or never ever going back to Moscow, not
even once, after stalking them there for months. If you were really smart, do you think
you'd be here right now? What's it like needing this much attention just to feel real?
You're terrified of being ordinary, aren't you? Do you feel anything at all or are you exactly what you always
feared? >> Nothing. >> She came mad, but mad and prepared. I sat there at various points and said,
"Can he can we get some answers to those questions?" She asked a number of questions we've all wanted to ask since
the beginning of this case. Not only that, she talked about reports of his heroin use. She talked about his efforts
to be a rapper. She made fun of him taking a online IQ test. >> The truth is you're as dumb as they
come. Stupid, clumsy, slow, sloppy, weak, dirty. Let me be very clear. Don't ever try to convince yourself you
mattered just because someone finally said your name out loud. I see through you.
You want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most. If you hadn't attacked them in their
sleep in the middle of the night like a pedophile, Kaye would have kicked your ass.
>> Yeah, she was brilliantly angry. Mary, what did you think? >> Yeah, I know. I I thought she was
incredibly articulate and frankly poised given how angry she was. Uh but I, you know, she also, you know, brought up
things like, "Do you feel anything at all? Do you have any remorse? What, you know, what's wrong with you? Are you a
sociopath? Are you a psychopath?" I mean, she was really grappling with, you know, what the heck are you? And and
don't think that this is going to make you powerful or important. And I'm a little shocked that the judge sort of
allowed that vilification, but uh but she clearly got across how she was feeling and and what she and the family,
I think, wanted to know. And following Olivia's blistering uh comments, Kayle's mother, Christy, also called him a loser
and referenced the death penalty, which had been taken off the table when Coberger took that plea agreement.
>> While I'm disappointed the firing shot won't get to take their shots at you, I'm confident that the men in prison
will have their way with you in more ways than one. You will finally get what you wanted, physical touch. just
probably not how you were expecting it. See, you haven't beat the system. You've
simply entered a new one where the rules are cruel and the consequences will never end.
You are entering a place where no one will care who you are and no one will ever respect you. You will be forgotten,
discarded, used, and erased. You will always be reme remembered as an as a loser, an absolute failure. And when
those prison doors slam shut behind you, I hope that sound echoes in your heart for the rest of your meaningless days. I
hope it reminds you of what we all already know. You're nothing. May you continue to live your life in misery.
You are officially the property of the state of Idaho, where your fellow inmates are anxiously
awaiting your arrival. But it's okay cuz they're there to help you. Hell will be waiting.
>> I don't have a word to add to what she just said. The things Chrissy told me in
in in the interview we did was that she wanted this firing squad because she wanted Colberger to have just that
moment of fear of deep fear that she knew her daughter had experienced as he was attacking her. And then she had one
last thought. She shared a message from Kayle's younger sister. Listen to this. >> You may have received A's in high school
and college, but you're going to be getting big D's in prison. >> Thank you. >> A spattering of applause there.
Something that I've never heard in in a courtroom, too. >> Yeah. I mean, again, you typically don't
hear such strong language uh ever really at a sentencing hearing. >> And outside the courthouse after that
hearing, Steve and and Christy uh referenced 34 stab wounds that they believe their daughter suffered. And
Christy said the details are far more horrific than anybody ever imagined. We do not know at this point if the
families learned of information that came out after the hearing in documents released by the Moscow Police
Department, but here's some of what we have learned from one of the first officers at the scene. He said, "I
looked inside the bedroom. Zanna was laying and it was obvious an intense struggle had occurred. Zanna was
obviously deceased." Quick side note, when I interviewed Zana's family, they said they were so proud. They had been
told that she had fought for her life and that they were very proud of that. They mentioned that in the interview
they did with 48 hours. Ethan was found on the bed. Quote, "The midsection of Ethan's body was covered by a blanket.
Kaye and Madison were covered by a pink blanket which was covered in blood. And Kaye, the report shows, was
unrecognizable as her facial structure was extremely damaged. >> I would caution anybody who feels like
they're curious to take a second thought before reading through these documents because the details are just awful.
And as far as Zana Kernodal's family, the court heard from her father, Jeff, and her sister, Jasmine. I walk with the
comfort of knowing I will see my sister again. Zana didn't get the future she deserved.
She won't be the maid of honor at my wedding. The cool aunt to my future children.
I'll never hear her laugh or see her light up a room ever again. But I will carry her with me for the
rest of my life. I will live in her honor. Fight to be the best kind of woman and someone she's proud of. To
make sure the world never forgets who she was. Zanna's story doesn't end with what was taken from her.
>> Aunt Kim spoke of forgiveness at this hearing. One of the few people who did.
Brian, 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. And anytime you want to talk and tell me what happened, get my
number. I'm here. No judgment because I do have answers or questions that I want
you to answer. And I'm here. I'll be that one that'll listen to you. Okay. >> And then in contrast, Zanna's
stepfather, Randy Davis, he turned to Coberger with disgust. He did not have forgiveness on his mind.
>> I want to I want to just be out in the woods with you just so I can teach you
about loss and pain. I'm not I believe I love God. I wouldn't take your life. That's up to him. But I guarantee you,
you are weak. God, I would just give a moment, man. Five minutes out in the woods.
Oh man, you're gonna go to hell. >> Zana Kernodal's mom, Karen Northington, also spoke. She has been open about her
struggles with addiction. She previously said she hit rock bottom and relapsed when Zana was killed and went to jail.
She is now sober and has spoken recently about how her faith has helped her cope
with this tragedy. However, Ethan Chapen's parents and siblings were not in court. Ethan's father, Jim Chapen,
said last week that he preferred to spend this time on their boat with his children. Ethan was a triplet and his
brother Hunter and sister Maisie also attended the University of Idaho. With the impact statements complete,
prosecutor Bill Thompson held back tears while reading the sentence for each count as photos of the victims were
displayed. Cries could be heard in the courtroom. He then showed that photo we all know so well of the roommates on
that game day weekend taken just hours before the murders. He called them a family. The prosecutor said Coberger
would die in prison. Colberger was given the opportunity to speak. This was a moment all of us were waiting for. And
here's what it turned out to be. >> All right, Mr. Coberger. Uh, you have an opportunity to make a statement if you
wish to. I take it you are declining. >> I respectfully decline. >> He said, "I respectfully decline." Our
producers inside the courtroom heard murmurss of surprise, surprise, and coward. Judge Steven Hipler said he
couldn't force Coberger to speak. But even if he could, how could we know it's the truth? Mary, he has a point there,
doesn't he? >> Yeah, he I mean, first of all, you can't force a defendant to speak. they have
their fifth amendment right and under Idaho law a criminal defendant can't be forced to speak at sentencing and it
can't be used against him or her in any way shape or form. Um procedurally the court must ask for alocution but again
it's optional. >> Mary I think one of the questions we have though is why can't we ask him
anything? Why can't we get any information? And I'll ask it by offering a little context. I think a lot of us
look at what had happened and if anything hope that there was a warning sign there that future young men and
women who go to these universities, could we possibly find that out? Would there not be a benefit to trying to get
at some of those answers? >> Look, absolutely. I mean, there's a benefit to understanding the why, you
know, and and and a benefit to understanding everything. The plotting, how did he figure out who they were? Did
he know who they were? Did this just become a happen stance? I mean, but at the end of the day, you guys have to
realize that there is a process in place here. And there are protections that are
afforded not only to the victims, but obviously to the defendant. And this is a capital case. And just like any other
criminal case, you can't compel them to talk. You couldn't compel them to take the stand. You can't even compel them to
take a plea agreement. After all of these uh passionate words um eloquent um spoken through pain, broken hearts, the
judge sentences Kobberger to what was agreed to in this plea agreement. He received four consecutive life sentences
without the possibility of parole along with 10 years for burglary. I remand the
defendant to the custody of the Ado State Board of Corrections for to be imprisoned in an appropriate facility
and execution of the sentence where he will remain until he dies. >> Also, uh Coberger has waved his right to
appeal, but he can file a notice of appeal. What does that mean, Mary? Uh it seems to be contradictory.
>> Yes. uh under the law, and this is the Supreme Court of the United States, if a
defendant asks to file a notice of appeal, his attorneys must do so. And failure to do so is a huge procedural
problem they found. But it's really done to protect those defendants that might not have entered into a waiver of appeal
voluntarily, who who might not have plead guilty knowingly and voluntarily. So here although he has the right to
file that notice of appeal and they must do so if he asks uh I predict that an appellet court if he did would look at
the the basis for the waiver and make sure that it's adequate and determine that it was in this case and that the
waiver was knowing and voluntary uh and therefore reject any appeal. We've touched on this a bit, but at this
point, after hearing all that people had to say and all the questions they still
have, everyone wonders, why did Brian Coberger murder Maddie, Kaye, Zana, and Ethan? Even President Trump weighed in
days before the hearing, posting on Truth Social, "I hope the judge makes Cober at a minimum explain why he did
these horrible murders. There are no explanations. There is no nothing." At a presser, Lieutenant Darren Gilbertson of
the Idaho State Police said, "We have never to this date found a single connection between him and any of the
four victims or the two surviving roommates." Detectives also said they found no social media connection between
Coberger and the victims. There was also evidence he wiped his devices regularly,
using software to clean, and he also used VPN. And we also heard that they never found the weapon. They never found
the clothes he was wearing that night. >> Uh but I think what we do know is that
he's going to that area over 20 times. So there had to have been some connection. He's going to that area.
He's doing something. And it's not like he's going to random areas. He's going to that particular area. So you don't
always know the answer to all the questions, but I would suspect there's some connection at some point along the
way, and we might just never know what it was. Judge Hipler acknowledged the public's need to understand the why.
>> I share the desire expressed by others to understand the why. But upon reflection, it seems to me, and this is
just my own opinion, that by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr.
Cobberger relevance. We give him agency, and we give him power. The need to know what is inherently not
understandable makes us dependent upon the defendant to provide us with a reason and that gives
him the spotlight, the attention, and the power he appears to crave. >> Finally, after all of this time, the
judge lifted the gag order on this case. Uh, when can we expect to learn new details? What does it mean now that the
gag order is gone? Well, it means that people can talk, right? You're going to hear a lot of
people talking. You could hear some of the victims and the roommates talking and and the police and investigators can
all now speak about about the case and their investigation, the facts, evidence, whatever they found. Um, when
it comes to the documents that are sealed though, the judge made it very clear that he was going to wait until
obviously this notice of appeal uh time lapsed before he would actually review those and decide what to unseal and not
to unseal. But that time period is about 42 days. And so I think once that time period lapses, we're going to see the
judge looking at these documents closely and then um hopefully releasing some that will hopefully answer some
questions that everybody's been asking. >> And a number of these documents are already revealing initial reports from
arriving at the scene, conversations with family members. You know, as much as we talk about closure in this case, I
think what people need to understand is we're going to start seeing body cam footage of at least conversations with
witnesses and people standing outside. A lot of information is going to come out.
>> And as of this recording, the Moscow Police Department just posted its police
reports and other documents on its website. As more information comes to light, we will continue to keep you up
to date on this perplexing, disturbing case. And we'll leave it at that for today.
Mary and Matt, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me and thanks to all of you for listening. I'm
Peter Vans. What was it like to be the lead prosecutor in the Brian Cobberger case?
A case that captured the world's attention with seemingly everyone looking over your shoulder and
commenting on your every legal move. And how did that plea deal come to be? And why was there no stipulation that
Coberger provide key answers? Today I'm speaking with Latalk County, Idaho prosecutor Bill Thompson. He has worked
on this case from day one. This is inside the Bryant Coberger case. the Idaho student murders. I'm 48 Hours
correspondent Peter Vans. It is great to be with you, Bill. Thank you for joining
us. Um, can you tell us what it was like for you to be at the center of this case
that literally commanded attention all around the world? >> Well, I didn't feel like I wanted to be
at the center of the case. It's really just a team effort. This was a huge team effort. I've been the prosecutor here
for over 30 years now. I've never seen this degree of coordination with agencies like the FBI and the Idaho
State Police as well as our Moscow Police Department. >> You're the quarterback, kind of the team
captain and all of that social media pressure. Did you feel that during the course of all of this? Did you pay any
attention to it or did you try to brush that aside? >> Actually, I don't watch social media.
Um, we made our decisions based on what the law was and what the evidence was. And frankly, we were pretty successful
in insulating ourselves from what the swings of public opinion might be out there uh on the internet. Bill, I have
to tell you, during that sentencing hearing, I have never, as a reporter who's been in in dozens and dozens of
courtrooms, I've never seen such emotion as I witnessed during that hearing, both
you and the judge were moved to tears. What is it about this case that touches you so personally?
Well, it's just so it's so sad in every possible sense. I we we've dealt with many homicide cases
unfortunately during my my time here as the prosecutor. Uh but this one just was
so sad. Such a loss of life. These young people, you know, four people killed in
their home in the middle of the night. Uh it was just simply cruel uh and heartless and feeling for
those families and feeling for the two surviving roommates. Uh my goodness. Um you know, I was sitting right next to to
one of them as she was giving her statement and she asked that that we block her view of the defendant. That's
why I was sitting kind of at a funny angle, but that was overwhelmingly powerful. uh pure honesty and emotion
from this young woman in such strengths >> and it was remarkable and and for Dylan
Mortonson after what she had experienced through social media she just said it all from the heart um it brought that
teared me I teared me up. I mean she was just a remarkable person. What was it like for you to listen to her?
>> Oh it was it was almost overwhelming. Uh, but I saw her strength and I knew that we needed to be strong with her and
for her. >> Bill, you have been in the house where these students were brutally murdered.
You saw the blood. You've seen what was done to these students bodies. How do you describe the crimes that Brian
Coberger committed? >> These crimes, these murders were brutal. We've we've seen plenty of homicides and
each one is different. Um, but this is one that you'll never be able to erase from your eyes and from your memory.
>> Were you actually inside that house while the victims were still present? >> Yes. Ashley Jennings, my senior deputy,
and I were both on scene on November 13th. We were in the house. We were working with the investigators uh and
seeing firsthand what was going on, what the crime scene looked like. Um, it's part of our philosophy. We work
with our officers right from the very beginning. Um, but it brings with it some challenges and this certainly
brought emotional, physically emotional challenges with it. >> You've also been in the same room as
Brian Coberger. Um, you've looked into this man's eyes and you've watched his reactions during these victim impact
statements. What did you see? I saw nothing in Brian Coberger while the impact statements were going on.
It's as though his eyes were empty. >> He made eye contact with with each of these people completely
unmoved. No reaction, no remorse, no tears. What does that tell you about this man?
What is inside him? If if anything, >> I don't know how to answer that. Um he's an enigma to me. Uh the evil that he
committed is incomprehensible. In many cases when I'm in court, I'm engaging directly with the defendant.
I think I did it once at the sentencing and that was just to point out that he wasn't going to leave prison until he
was dead and that was it. I don't care to ever interact with him again. I'd be happy to never hear his voice again,
never see him. >> Bill, I want to ask you a question. And I know you've been asked this already a
bunch of times, but as you well know, everyone, the families and friends of those students, the public at large,
everyone is vexed by the question of why did he do this? Do you have a theory? I don't know why he did this. Early on
in the investigation when we had uh folks from the FBI's behavioral analysis unit, their profilers, they were here
helping with the investigation in the first few weeks. Um as they were looking at the case, even just the little we
knew then, they were telling us in all likelihood we would never find out or understand why this occurred. And even
if the murderer were to tell us the reasons that in all likelihood it wouldn't make sense to ordinary people
like ourselves. >> So we know that Colberger had done some homework he'd studied um past crimes. Is
it within the realm of possibility that for Coberger this was a thrill kill? >> I don't think we can rule out anything.
I mean he certainly is a criminal justice major. He was studying criminal behavior. He studied serial killers. We
know that um the investigators recovered uh textbooks uh on those topics that were part of classes he was taking. He
studied how to manage a crime scene and that was evidence that we were prepared to offer a trial to help explain why
this particular crime scene it was so clean of incriminating evidence and his car was so clean of incriminating
evidence. There was a lot of thought and preparation put into that. When I talk to people about this case,
people know that there are Ring doorbells and security cameras that pick up automobiles in an area and everyone
knows about DNA. How would you describe He meticulously seemed to prepare for this and yet he
made some mistakes. >> Well, no plan is perfect and we don't know what may have changed his plans if
it did inside the home. um because we don't know who he intended to attack first. Uh we do believe that uh Zana
encountered him while she was still awake. She was up. Um she'd received a door dash uh order. Um that very likely
could have put him into a panic uh and panicked people make some mistakes. Or maybe it's just simply he's not as smart
as he thought he was. Um we'll never know for sure and we really don't need to know for sure. I mean, we look at at
where this investigation went. They started out with one sample of DNA from a knife sheath. It was from a single
male unknown source and the car leaving the scene. That's what the investigators
had. Um, that's the what Cobberger left behind. Uh, and from there, the team put
the case together to where he was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There's no question. You know, in those weeks after
the murder when the public was getting more and more uh frustrated that they they felt as though no progress was
being made. In fact, progress was being made. It's just you can't reveal it. Right.
>> Correct. Yes. Well, whenever investigation's going on, the investigators aren't going to
compromise what they know. That's important to protect the the quality of investigation. It was a bit satisfying
uh when we finally were able to come public with the charges and the basis for the charges and to see the skeptics
out there scratch their heads and say, "Oh, yeah, these folks really did know what they were doing." And I know you've
talked about this quite a bit, but the fact that the defense team came to you seeking a deal, doesn't that mean that
you had the leverage in this case that essentially you were holding all of the cards that since Brian Coberger clearly
now wanted to live? So, help me out on this cuz even the president of the United States weighed in on this issue.
Why didn't you put a stipulation into this deal where Coberger would have to have honestly answered all questions
about these murders to the satisfaction of detectives before this plea could be finalized? Why didn't you do that?
>> Well, and you know, Judge Hitler talked about this at the time of sentencing.
Um, there is nothing that I believe that Mr. Coberger could say that would shed the actual truth on what happened. If he
were to talk, he would only say things to benefit himself that would further victimize the families. That's what
we've seen repeatedly over the years. Um and in particularly in major cases. Uh under Idaho law, there's no way we could
compel him to disclose. Um and if we'd gone to trial, he would have never even acknowledged guilt. we would have just
moved into appeal time. So, it was our our conclusion that straight up guilty please as charged, waiver of appeal for
closure, so we have accountability and closure with fixed life sentences was the best course.
Bill, based on my experience and and with my colleagues on 48 hours, we cover murder cases for a living. I had a story
in which in a plea deal, the defendant was, it was contingent on the defendant agreeing to show where he had disposed
of a body. And a colleague of mine had a a case in another state where the plea deal stipulated that not only did they
have to show where the body was, but give a narrative of how that person um committed the crime. And it answered all
sorts of questions for the families. you guys didn't decided not to do that and why not at least try. I I don't
understand that. >> Well, and I I understand what you're saying and and I certainly understand
and hear from uh the families and members of the public uh who will always have the question why. Uh as we viewed
this and looking at the circumstances of this case, it was our conclusion and ultimately my conclusion. I'll take
responsibility. I'm the elected prosecutor, so it stops with me. Um, but it was our our team's decision that
getting the guilty p, straight up factual guilty please, uh, was going to be the best legal way to approach this.
I think that there were concerns that somebody like this particular defendant uh if he was trying to allocate in a
specific factual fashion, he could actually undermine the basis for his plea and the judge would not have as
solid of a foundation to uphold the plea. So we we analyze this really from a pretty strict legal factual point of
view. It's not to say that we don't understand and appreciate folks desires to know what really happened, but I have
no faith at all that Mr. Cobberger would ever truthfully explain what happened or
what he would say would make any sense. And I think that would even further victimize our families.
>> But why not challenge him on that? Why not see if you might get some honesty from him?
>> Yeah, I I hear what you're saying, Peter. And um we have considered that and we decided that our best course on
this case with this defendant in Idaho was to proceed as we did. Uh I'm not going to say the decision was perfect.
It certainly doesn't perfectly answer everybody's questions. I I realize that. But I also accept that um as I said
earlier from the beginning we were advised by the profiling professionals that even if the person who committed
these homicides uh tried to explain his ra reasoning and what occurred that it wouldn't make sense uh to ordinary
people and that would further victimize these poor families. It was a judgment call. I accept it. It was a judgment
call. Is it true that you are personally opposed to the death penalty? You know, I don't know that I have
strong feelings one way or the other. We've had uh a handful of death penalty potential cases during the time here. We
have had one case where the death penalty was imposed and it was thrown out uh after the Arizona versus ring
versus Arizona decision uh came down. Um and that was a case involving Dale Shackleford. That was a 10-week trial.
Uh and we elected at that point that many years after the fact uh that it wasn't realistic to go back to trial uh
just to seek the death penalty. Um so you know we have pursued the death penalty where we think it's appropriate.
Um in the cases we've had to try and death penalty uh eligible we've had it there. Uh we've decided each case on its
merits and I I really don't have a personal moral feeling one way or another. Uh the law of the state of
Idaho is the death penalty is a sentencing option for certain crimes and this this crime would certainly fit the
elements of a death penalty case if we'd gone to trial. How difficult was it for
you to take the death penalty off the table in this case? >> I don't know how to how to characterize
it as being difficult. Making the decision was difficult because it was a major decision. Uh and it was changing
course from where we'd been working for so many months preparing to go to trial.
So, we took a step back and look, we being the attorney team, the prosecutor attorney team, uh, and just kind of
analyzed each aspect of this case and we came to the conclusion that if the defendant was prepared to plead guilty
straight up, factually admit the crimes uh, and agree to wave appeals and we get
fixed life sentences, that that was an appropriate resolution. I've always thought that the death
penalty in in various states is basically reserved for those spectacularly heinous crimes like this
one where someone like Coberger here he butchers these four kids shows no remorse. Wasn't it your responsibility
to to take this case as far as you could so that he gets the maximum penalty that
is in Idaho law? What do you say to that? >> Oh, I would say that it's my responsibility as a prosecutor to do
justice. Prosecutors who blindly go into court on an agenda, I think are doing a
disservice to their profession and the public. This case and his actions certainly deserve the death penalty if
we had had to go to trial. No question about it. for Coberger in his mind. Wasn't this plea deal a
victory? He gets to live. >> You know, I can't speak to what's going on in his mind. I don't see it as being
a victory where he's going to prison. The only way he's going to leave is when he's dead.
>> I've been in many a maximum security prison. And for what it's worth, they are places of extreme punishment. I'll
put it that way. I can say a lot more than that. But when you park sometimes in the parking lot outside a maximum
security prison and you hear people shouting inside from the parking lot, you know there's a hellscape behind
those walls. >> You're right. And there's something to be said for a person being reminded
every day of the punishment for what they've done. >> Give us a sense of what your closing
statement would have been if you had an opportunity to sum it all up. Uh Peter, actually the best way to look at that is
go back to what we did in court on July 2nd in front of Judge Hiper uh where we gave the summary of the evidence in this
case. Uh and we presented it I presented it uh in a manner very similar to what we have argued to the jury would present
in opening statements and argued in closing uh arguments. Uh the length of the evidence here that once the
investigators identified Mr. Coberger, they were able to bring into play uh not only the DNA
match, which was significant in and of itself. It's kind of tough to explain that away when your DNA is on the sheath
of the murder weapon next to the body of one of the victims. >> As you know, uh, Bill, jurors want that
CSI moment, they call it, and you had one in this case. You had a a CSI moment that was irrefutable. Well, and as the
story came out, it it really was a multiple CSI moment because we didn't file charges uh even though we had a lot
of circumstantial evidence until they did the trash poll in Pennsylvania and we got the paternal DNA match uh from a
Q-tip in that trash pole that said the source of that DNA on the Q-tip is the father of the person whose DNA was on
the knife That was the CSI moment to start for us. That's what really triggered us being
able to get the arrest warrant in place, the search warrants in Pennsylvania, get
him arrested, get a direct DNA sample from him, and it matched. That was that was overwhelmingly powerful.
>> When do you believe the Cobberger family realized that their son was the murderer
in this case? >> I don't know for sure. Uh when the investigators spoke with them after his
arrest, uh there was nothing the investigators uh heard or saw to suggest that the family knew uh that Mr.
Cobberger was responsible for this. The information we have and the defense maintained his factual innocence uh all
the way up to the time of the plea would suggest to us that he never acknowledged
guilt to his family. Um, quite possibly not until he stood up in court on July 2nd and entered his guilty p.
At that time, that may very well have been the first time they actually heard it. Police reports reveal that Kaylee
Gonzalez had told roommates that she saw a creepy looking man while she was walking her dog and that roommates
returned to find that the front door had been damaged. Do you believe that Cobberger was possibly stalking the
house, stalking them? >> Well, we think that Coberger was certainly stalking that neighborhood.
Um, and we're aware of those incidents where where the roommates uh at the house would sense perhaps that somebody
was up on the bank behind the house when the dog went out or uh that somebody was
being followed. Um, the cell phone experts were not able to correlate um Mr. Coberger's phone being in the
area at the time of those occurrences. Um, but they were able to show that he was in that area some 20 plus times. Um,
other times at night between like 10 and early morning hours, 10:00 in the evening when there would be no
legitimate reason for him to be over here to shop here being Moscow, being in Moscow to shop, uh, which was his
routine practice. So, we certainly believe that those trips uh were uh involved Mr. Cobberger uh looking uh and
surveilling or stalking, whatever the case may be, >> wanting to see what their living
patterns were when they came and went from the house, getting familiar with that neighborhood, things like that.
>> Certainly, and certainly there may have been other potential victims that he was
looking at. The Gonzalez family told me in an interview some months ago that they
thought he must have been in that house prior to the murders because on the night of the murder, it's alleged that
he had entered that house and gone right up to Matt Madison Mogan's room. Do you
think that's a possibility? >> It's possible. We The investigators never undercovered any evidence that
would definitively prove that, but I think that's a legitimate point. The layout of the house is unique. It's a
little bit confusing. Admittedly, if he was parked up behind the house on that bank, which we believe is where he
parked, he would be able to see into the house at night and he would be able to see whose rooms were where. Um whether
he was actually in the house at some point before November 13th, we don't know for sure. We can't exclude that.
>> Bill, for you personally, what questions do you still have about this case? Well, I don't have any question about
whether we have convicted the killer. Uh I think if there are questions, they're
more details uh that really in the big picture don't have any significance. Um our feeling is that we have accomplished
a lot to obtain straight up guilty pleas to all five charges in the indictment. um and have him spend the rest of his
life, not leave prison until he's dead with no appeals. So we have that finality for the families and for our
community. >> And so each night now, Bill, as you put your head on that pillow to go to sleep,
are you still preoccupied with this case? Is your heart still broken? Do you still have moments of of emotion looking
back at this uh tragedy uh for the state of Idaho, for the country? There is never a day that goes by that I
don't remember this and remember what happened to these poor young people and what happened to their families and
their friends and the community. And I don't know that that ever is going to end. Um,
for the past over 2 and 1/2 years, I have woken up every night around 2:00 in the morning and will just sit there with
this spinning in my head. And I keep a pad of paper and a pen right beside the bed so I can sit up and write down
what's going through my mind about what we need to do with the case before I fall back asleep and forget it. Um,
that's been our life for well over two and a half years. Uh and I think gradually that that will change for us.
Um but what has happened in our community with these murders uh is forever. >> And one last message to Bryant Cobberger
if he happens to be listening to this. >> Goodbye and good riddens. >> Thank you, Bill Thompson.
>> You're welcome. Thank you for the time. And thanks to all of you for listening.
I'm Peter Vans. [Music] Moscow will forever be known as a scene of one of the most tragic crimes in
American history. There's still sort of a a darkness whenever you talk to people.
It will be ever part of the university's history and the town's history. >> There are four very, very important
names in this case. Kaylee Gonzalez, Madison Mogan, Xan Kernodal, and Ethan Shapen. And if you're going to remember
any names from this case, I ask that it be all four. My name is Olivia Gonzalez and Kaye was my little sister.
>> Everybody's going to work and you look out the window and there's kids running
down the street laughing and you're just like, "How can you be out there playing? My
daughter is dead." You know, Kaylee Gonzalez is gone. Stop everything. Everybody in the whole
world, stop. And everything just keeps going. [Music] My sister Zanna Kernodal is one of the happiest, funniest people
I've ever met. And I had the awesome privilege of growing up with her. And I still have a hard time coming to terms
with the facts that it did happen. Brent Coberg is accused of stabbing these four University of Idaho students
in the pre-dawn hours on November 13th, 2022. Uh the murder weapon, which was a knife, has never been found. This is
type of survival knife. Brian Coberger did not make his own plea. The judge entered a plea for him of not guilty.
>> Maximum penalties, life in prison, or the death penalty. Due to the nature of
the crimes, the state of Idaho is seeking the death penalty. He was there to kill.
>> He came in with the kit. I believe he had a kill. And you believe that everything right down to the implement
of destruction, this large marine knife, that was all planned. >> All planned. It
>> was inhumane. You wouldn't do these type of things to any living creature, let
alone an innocent human being. The star piece of evidence in the prosecution's case is the DNA that was
found on the knife sheath that was left at the crime scene that there's so much other evidence that's also pointing
towards nobody else that we're aware of. How was Brian Cobberger's car spotted leaving the scene? Why was his cell
phone seen there 12 times, including the morning after the offense? Prosecution would like everyone to believe that it's
an open andsh shut case. But I think the facts they have make the case more open
than open and shut. According to the defense, there is no connection whatsoever between Brian
Cobberger and the victims. And if there is no connection, then there is no motive. And if there is no motive, then
it becomes very hard to make the case that he is the killer. And this is a graduate student, not a trained
assassin. >> It's more so about putting these pieces together because I know what the puzzle
looks like at the end. I have the box in front of me, but I'm missing so many pieces.
How did all of these pieces fall to create what I'm living in right now? Where did where did this come from?
[Music] [Music] It was not the new Steve and Christy Gonzalez. Elvis wanted to hear. In
August of 2023, just 6 weeks before the murder trial of Brian Coberger was set to begin, he waved his right to a speedy
trial. >> Surely you want to begin? >> Absolutely. >> They would have to wait indefinitely for
their day in court. I was really hoping that um we could get this show on the road because uh the not
knowing it just it's agony. It's agony. Steve and Christy, the parents of Kaye, haven't left anything to chance. After
the judge issued a gag order to attorneys and law enforcement, quote, to preserve the right to a fair trial, they
drilled down on their own investigation and are now sharing what they believe that investigation found. Steve says he
believes transparency is the best path to justice. >> We're not going to just sit back and
cross our fingers and pray that we're going to get justice. [Music] It has been a long and painful journey
for the families of Kaylee Gonzalez, Maddie Mogan, Zana Kernodal, and Ethan Chapen. the four University of Idaho
students who were savagely murdered by a knife wielding asalent in the wee hours
of November 13th, 2022 as they settled down to sleep in their off-campus house on King Road.
>> Do you ever dream of your sister? >> Yeah, I've had some dreams of her. There's times where I prayed and asked
God to see her another time and I did and just gives me some peace knowing that I know she's okay.
[Music] Jasmine Kernodal who is speaking for the first time was a senior at Washington
State University and lived only 15 minutes away from her younger sister Zana. Often mistaken as twins growing
up, she says they were best friends. >> She just was always fun and she was uplifting and she took any bad situation
and turned it into a good one. >> Jeeoff, what did you love most about your daughter?
>> Everything. >> She cared about people. She was a people person. She cared about
her friends just as much as like her family. For the first time in her life, Zana had fallen in love with fellow
student Ethan Chapen, a triplet who loved his siblings, boats, and working on a tulip farm.
>> The sweetest kid ever. They were just two happy people. And there's just seeing the videos and photos of them,
you can just like tell how happy they are. They were just amazing together. Sadly, they will now forever be linked
in death. On Sunday morning, November 13th, Zana's friends started calling Jasmine, saying
something bad had happened on King Road. Jasmine rushed over to Zana's house. >> And while you're driving that 8 n miles
over to the house, are you trying to reach your sister then? >> Mhm. >> How many times do you call her?
>> A lot. I called her a lot. I called Ethan a lot. Her next call was to her father. Jeffrey had been visiting
Jasmine for dad's weekend and was on his way home. >> So, you answer the phone. What do you
hear? I hear her kind of crying and just telling me to get back to Moscow and meet me at Santa's house and
you know, my heart drops. He instantly raced back down there. The house was cordoned off and swarming with
investigators. As soon as Jeffree said he was Zanna's father, he and Jasmine were escorted to the Moscow Police
Department. >> And Jasmine, what does the officer say to you and your father? >> Oh, I don't remember exactly. Just that
four people passed away and that one was Santa. >> The worst day of your life. just your
worst nightmare. [Music] It just happened. You know what do you do? You can't do a damn thing.
>> 100 miles away, the Gonzalez family also had been getting frantic calls saying
something bad had happened to their daughter Kaye, but no one knew what. >> I just kept saying over and what do I
do? What do we do? What do we do? Finally, at around 4:00 in the afternoon, a deputy appeared at their
door >> and we said, "What's going on? I can confirm your daughter's died. It's passed away."
>> He said, "There were four victims." And we and I said, "Four?" And he said, "Yes, ma'am." I said, "Can
you tell us if one of the victims was Mattie Mogan?" And he said, "Yes, ma'am." >> Maddie Mogan, Kayle's best friend from
childhood. give us a sense of just how close uh Kaye and Maddie were in life. >> I think that they had a very
amazing relationship. The epitome of true best friends from very early. I mean, they were sisters
through and through. They were um completely inseparable. As soon as the news hit, Olivia, the
eldest of the five Gonzalez children, and her parents went into detective mode. We had zero details. We just knew
they were gone. >> Olivia got into her sister's call log and frantically started cold calling
recent numbers. She says a friend told her that Kaye had been at the Corner Club bar around 1:07 a.m. and later
texted a ride share driver who Olivia managed to track down. >> The ride share driver said around 1:45
Kaye had texted him requesting a ride from the Grub Truck, which is the local mac and cheese food truck to take her
back home to 1122 King. and she had with her another female. >> Olivia then uncovered one of the most
important leads in the case. The ride share driver told her about a camera mounted on the grub truck.
>> So I was able to look it up and um find Kaye on the video and I saw the girl that she was with was Maddie. So at that
point I knew Kaylee and Maddie were together. They got into the car to go home together and alone. The driver told
her the exact time Kaye and Maddie were dropped off at their house on King Road,
1:56 a.m. A timeline she says she confirmed before the police. >> I immediately took it to the police
officers. Here's her phone information. Here's the ride share driver's name. >> Olivia says Kaye made a call to her
boyfriend at 2:56 a.m., but he didn't answer. The Gonzalzes believe Kaye fell asleep shortly after. According to the
police affidavit, Kaye and Maddie were stabbed to death between 4 and 4:25 a.m. Just as they had done since they were
little girls. They were sleeping in the same bed. >> Those two best friends since little
girls, I don't think there's anything more terrifying than what they went through.
I really don't. >> The killer took four lives in a matter of minutes, but he left behind two
surviving roommates, one of whom would provide a key description of the intruder.
>> He was dressed in black, muscular build, and very bushy eyebrows. [Music] If there is one picture that speaks to
the Idaho student murders, it is this. Six smiling college students blissfully unaware of the carnage to come. It's
staged in a way that is almost in a strange way ominously predicting. >> Investigative journalist Howard Bloom
has written extensively on the student murders for Graden Carter's online magazine Airmail. He is now writing a
book on the case. >> On the ends of the picture are the two survivors. In the middle are are are the
victims and they're huddled together. Kaye with a beaming Maddie on her shoulders. Friends for life. Ethan with
his arm around Zana. Young love in full bloom. A moment that should have been a memory of their idyllic college years
would eternally be a reminder of the gruesome murders that put them in their graves.
What makes it so tragic is they're forever preserved in this moment. They'll never be able to leave
this moment. >> Hours after this photo was taken, the four friends would be murdered. Their
deaths so violent, even the house seemed to be bleeding. >> There was literally blood oozing out
from the home. Uh you could see it on the exterior walls. >> CBS News consultant Brianna Fox is a
former FBI agent and professor of criminology at the University of South Florida. That's how bloody and gruesome
the crime scene is. >> According to the affidavit, which outlines law enforcement's
investigation, the bodies of Zana and Ethan, who was sleeping over, were found in or near her bedroom on the second
floor. The bodies of Kaye and Maddie were on the third floor in the same single bed in Mattiey's room.
>> How did your daughter die in that house? What do you know? We know the autopsy.
We know the means of what is officially how she died. She was assaulted and stabbed
>> several several times. Her death certificate is the ugliest, disgustingest piece of paper that you
will ever see in your life. >> And every line is a horror show. >> Every line. Cuz there's causes of death
and then there's contributions to death. Christy and Steve spoke to coroner Kathy
Mbott before the gag order was issued and they say she told them how the two friends were positioned in the bed.
>> The bed was up against the wall. The headboard was touching the wall and the left side of the bed was touching the
wall and we believe that Maddie was on the outside and Kaye was on the inside. >> According to Coroner Mbot, the killer's
first victim was Maddie, says Steve. And then from Maddie, he moved on to your daughter. You believe she had awakened
at that point? >> Yes. >> Yeah. There's evidence to show that she awakened and >> tried to get out of that situation.
>> The way the bed was set up is what >> she was trapped. >> She was trapped. >> We know from the affidavit that
Coberger's cell phone pinged in the vicinity of the house 12 times prior to the murders. Steve says before the gag
order, one of the lead investigators told him they believe Coberger had been scouting out the house. You believe
these visits were like he was like on an intelligence mission, a scouting mission, looking at lifestyle patterns,
when they came and went, who came to the house methodically. >> He had to know when people were coming,
people were going. It makes the Gonzalez wonder if he'd ever gone inside the house.
>> I think that he at least had opened that door, went in, tested the waters, looked
around. >> Steve says the coroner told him the killer's rampage started on the third
floor where both Maddie and Kaye had their bedrooms. Christy thinks he wasn't expecting to find the two friends
together in the same bed. >> I do think that his plan went ary. I do think that, you know, he intended to
kill one and killed four. >> Brianna Fox also believes Zanna and Ethan were collateral damage. According
to the affidavit, Zana received a Door Dash food delivery at 400 a.m. then went back to her room on the second floor.
It's possible, says Fox, that Zana, still awake, came face to face with the killer.
>> And she sees somebody that she doesn't expect. and I don't think he was expecting to see her either.
>> One of the two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortonson, later told the police that she heard what she thought was
crying coming from Zana's room. She heard a male voice say something to the effect, "It's okay. I'm going to help
you." Not something a killer would likely say to an intended target, says Fox. >> He probably was trying to make a
split-second decision. Do I run away? Do I kill her? What do I do? And he decided
to kill her. >> At approximately 4:17 a.m., police say an outside security camera less than 50
ft from Zanna's room, picked up distorted audio of what sounded like voices or a whimper followed by a loud
thud. Shortly after, Dylan, the surviving roommate whose bedroom was near Zanna's, opened the door. According
to the police affidavit, when Dylan opens the door, she saw a man dressed in black with a black mask and she says he
has bushy eyebrows. Those bushy eyebrows become very important when the police are
making their identification. >> The man with the bushy eyebrows kept walking to the rear of the house without
harming Dylan. >> Why was Dylan not killed? Again, there is no definitive answer. He He didn't
kill her because he didn't see her. He was sort of transfixed on getting out. He didn't kill her because he was
satiated. >> Or he was simply too depleted to kill again, says Fox. >> Even stabbing somebody for a minute and
a half, not only is that overkill, but it actually would become rather exhausting.
The police believe the murder weapon, which has not been found, was a militarystyle KBAR knife similar to this
one. The details are disturbing. >> This is not a civilian knife. It was actually meant to tear apart bone,
ligaments, organs. So this is a extremely brutal and something that you would never expect a person to walk in
and want to commit unless they took some pleasure out of the brutality of it. >> After seeing the intruder, Dylan, the
surviving roommate, told investigators she locked herself in her room. It would be almost eight hours before 911 was
called, causing an uproar on social media criticizing Dylan's alleged inaction. But Brianna Fox says it's not
unusual for people to freeze or be too afraid to intervene. >> She had no reason to, you know, know how
to handle herself in that moment. According to the affidavit, the male walked towards the backsliding glass
door and presumably left the scene. But committing murder and getting away with it are two different things, says Fox.
>> For an offender to get away with a crime, a murder. They have to bat a thousand. They have to be absolutely
perfect. They make one singular mistake. That's all it takes. And that one possible mistake in this case may have
been the sheath to the KBAR knife. One like this was found on the bed next to Mattie Mogan. It would lead
investigators to the door of a man studying for a career in criminology. Brian Cobberger, the alleged killer.
To see a timeline of the case, go to 48our.com. [Music] [Music] Day after day and week after week pass
and there is no suspect that is arrested. What was that time like for you? >> That was the worst. For 47 days after
the murders, the families of Kaye, Maddie, Zana, and Ethan, and the country waited. We do not have a suspect at this
time and wept and weighed in. The people of Idaho and those throughout our nation who provided
information has been very impressive. We've received over 19,000 tips. Then on December 30th, 2022, Brian
Cobberger was arrested in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. At the time, his attorney said Coberger
looked forward to being exonerated. >> What goes through your mind when you see the face of the alleged killer?
>> Oh, I wonder why. Who? Who is this? Why? You know, never heard of the person before. It still is confusing. Why? At
this point, the families knew as much about Coberger as the public did. A PhD candidate studying criminology just 10
miles away at Washington State University in Pullman. >> I remember thinking, I only have a few
minutes to look up this individual and to try to get any credible information before things start getting wonky. Some
of Olivia Gonzalez's online discoveries of Coberger made her uneasy. >> He had made a few posts on Reddit in
which he was conducting seems like a questionnaire to uh people in prison or jail who had committed crimes. How did
you pick your victim or your target? >> For 7 weeks, the families and the country were left wondering.
I think for this type of an investigation, 47 days is actually quick. >> Criminologist and CBS News consultant
Brianna Fox says the Moscow police kept things moving. Starting with a video canvas which
produced footage from those early morning hours showing a white car making three passes by the girl's house
starting around 3:30 a.m. Less than an hour later. Investigators say the killer struck.
They noticed that this car approached King Road, left, came back, uh, almost did a U-turn, finally went there around
4:06 in the morning, and that car then departed in about 25 minutes and sped off.
Multiple surveillance cameras then captured that white car as it traveled what appeared to be a less direct route
back to Pullman, Washington, arriving around 5:30 a.m. That information helped investigators
identify the make and model of the vehicle. >> And we're looking for a 2011 to a 2013
Hyundai Elantre. Washington State Police find the car parked outside graduate housing. Uh they get the license plate
and they get Brian Coberger's name. They then get the driver's license and they see the bushy eyebrows that in the eyes
of one of the Moscow detectives must be the eyebrows of the killer. Now armed with a warrant, investigators retrieved
cell tower data from that morning, which captured Coberger's phone around 2:47 a.m. in Pullman when it suddenly stopped
connecting to the network. According to the affidavit, this was also around the time cameras caught a white Alantra
leaving his apartment complex. There was indication that he turned off his cell phone, which is something that a lot of
people do when they want to avoid law enforcement knowing their whereabouts. >> His cell phone signal was picked up
again 2 hours later south of Moscow as it traveled back toward his apartment building. The affidavit described a
deeper dive into Coberger's phone history that revealed this was a familiar neighborhood to him, going back
several months. Cell phone records indicated that he has traveled past and was very near the vicinity of this crime
scene on 12 separate occasions. >> And towers actually captured a 13th trip just hours after the murders.
>> Anecdotally, a lot of killers, they like revisiting the memory of the crime. You
know, I won. I was able to get away with this and you guys won't catch me. >> But they had one secret weapon to make
their case. They had the knife sheath and there was a microscopic spot of DNA on this. Could they tie this DNA to
Coberg? >> According to the affidavit, the DNA was found on the button snap of the sheath,
but when investigators ran it through the national database, there were no matches.
It's unclear if Brian Coberger knew law enforcement was watching when he left Washington in mid December. Coberger and
his father, who had flown in from Pennsylvania, drove back home together in his white Elantra.
>> Coberger, from what I've heard, tells the father that he's in trouble with his
his job. He's concerned enough about his son to want to make the drive back with
him. >> On the 2500 mile journey from Washington, they are stopped twice for traffic violations.
>> Hello. What's also interesting is Coberger's reaction to the police. >> Is this your car?
>> Okay, cool. >> He's pretty calm and cool. >> Father and son made it home to Alrightesville, Pennsylvania, where
Bloom says investigators initiated a stealth operation. >> What they did is they sent a team of
Pennsylvania state troopers to Coberger's family's house. Law enforcement recovered Coberger's
father's DNA from the trash outside their home, which tested as a high probability it was the biological father
of whoever left DNA on the knife sheath. >> So that was the Eureka moment which they
decided they could get an arrest warrant. >> At that point, they made the arrest of
Brian Cobberger and they got a separate essentially search warrant for his DNA. And when investigators compared his DNA
to the DNA on the knife sheath, they say it was a statistical match. At least 5.37 octillion times more likely to be
Coberers than anyone else. [Music] [Music] Where you sit today, are you certain that Brian Coberger is the killer? It
>> was what you know. >> I don't trust anybody or anything. So, I have to see it myself. I have to see
everything. >> As the months pass, Steve and Christy Gonzalez remain a united front in
wanting justice. But their weight has brought different perspectives. >> Your mind is still open to the potential
course >> that it could have been someone else. >> Of course. Yep. I go into that 100%.
Yep. Of course. >> That's not where you are. >> No. >> No, that's fine. >> I don't think there's any slam dunk.
>> Criminologist Brianna Fox says with the gag order in place, any hint of Coberger's defense has come from court
documents. >> It seems that the defense is alleging there was a rush to judgement. Law
enforcement made an arrest too fast and they focused on their client too quickly.
>> A defense filing did reveal Coberger's alibi for the night of the murders. It
simply stated Mr. Coberger was out driving alone. >> The defense is not necessarily having to
prove that he's innocent. They just have to raise doubt. Both Fox and Howard Bloom think the defense can find ways to
poke holes in the prosecution's case, challenging some of the key evidence presented in the affidavit, including
the cell phone location data and the white Elantra. >> There's other concerns such as whether
Brian Cobberger's car was accurately identified at the onset or if that was revised after knowing what Brian Kberger
drove. The cell phone data makes one suspicious of Coberger, but it's not convincing.
It's not putting someone at someone's doorstep. It's putting someone in someone's neighborhood.
If you can raise doubts about the validity and the accuracy of the cell phone data, I think you're half way
there to getting the case against Coberger. either a hung jury or a not-uilty verdict.
>> And there's more. According to the defense, >> that there was no DNA or forensic
evidence found from the crime scene at the apartment, car, office, or on Brian Coberger's person. So, they were
basically alleging how could he have committed such a brutal murder and yet have no evidence found on him of that.
After consulting their own investigators, Christy and Steve theorize that Coberger likely brought
what they call a kill kit with him. >> What do you mean by a kill kit? I think he had a backpack,
>> change of clothes. We don't know if it was coveralls, pants, hoodie, we don't
know. >> A defense filing also claimed the presence of other unidentified male DNA
was found on the premises. Three separate and distinct male DNA profiles were found from the crime scene. Two
were inside the house. One was outside on a glove. >> The defense wants to know who are these
people and what role could they have played in this whole story. So what the defense is doing now is trying to look
for other narratives that make sense. Howard Bloom has written extensively about this case, including a piece on a
possible alternative defense theory involving drugs. >> Maybe someone had renegged on a drug
payment, and this was a retribution of vengeance for people not paying for drugs they had ordered. I want you guys
to respond to one thing that's out there because the speculation that somehow drugs were involved in this attack.
That's just Hollywood nonsense. I I just dismiss that because I I understand our
society wants to believe in some of these movies that they watch. They don't have these crazy lives where they're
crossing paths with people like that. That storyline of it being drugs gives people a reason to think why it happened
because nobody knows why. And the reason I think it happened is because he wanted
to. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to commit a murder. >> Brian Coberger's defense attorneys argue
there's a lack of evidence linking their client to the students. >> The defense is claiming that the
defendant, Brian Coberger, and the victims have absolutely no connection. There's no motive. In the minutes after
Brian Coberger was publicly named, the Gonzalez family went online. >> They just told us the name and we
immediately started googling. >> They believe they had found a possible connection through Instagram and
immediately took these screenshots. >> From our investigation of the account, it appeared to be the real Brian
Cobberger account. Among the people this account was following were Mattie Mogan and Kaye
Gonzalez in addition to several people with the name Coberger. But when we looked through those it appeared to have
other family members that were related to him. >> At first, Steve, who works in it, was
skeptical, thinking someone created a fake account immediately following Coberger's arrest. But according to the
family, they uncovered more possible connections. >> You would go to Mattie's Instagram
account and look at her pictures and he liked them. Brian's name was under a lot
of Maddiey's pictures. Like that picture and that picture and that picture and that picture. So he was actively
looking at the Instagram accounts >> and the importance of that is what? >> Just digital evidence that this
particular account had some type of connection with the with the victims. 48 hours has not confirmed the
authenticity of this account, which has since been deleted, and the gag order prevents investigators from commenting.
After dedicating months looking for their own answers, the Gonzalez say they are mentally prepared for trial, no
matter when it begins. >> I think he's done. He's going to feel all of us just staring at the back of
his head. And he's going to know that we are the consol family. And he knows what
he did to our daughter. [Music] How could this happen to a group of kids that are doing everything the way
they're supposed to do? To not known is what keeps you awake at night. And it's every day, all day. It never
stops. Why? Why? Why? There is no why. It is as unexplainable today as it was the day Kaylee Gonzalez, Maddie Mogan,
Zana Kernodal, and Ethan Chapen were murdered. >> I wish I wish we knew. >> They were all four of them were just
such great people and made such an impact on the lives around them. For now, the families are left with
thoughts of what might have been. >> Kaylee Jade Gonzalez has been recommended to receive aostumous
bachelor's degree. >> Her family will receive the diploma of the University of Idaho.
On May 13th, 2023, exactly 6 months from the day of the murders, an occasion that
would have been a cause for celebration. Graduation was instead another reminder
of what was lost. >> Seeing all those graduation photos, it just they should be here.
>> Graduation is just one of many milestones that will be missed. She would have been my maid of honor and
I probably would have been hers and it's like sad to have to go through those life moments without her.
>> Jasmine Kernodal planned to work side by side with her sister Zana creating their
own marketing business. >> It's just not the same without her because she just brought like such a
crazy different energy than anybody else I've ever met. Kaylee Gonzalezeves's future was in
sight. She had accepted a job in Austin working for an IT firm. Kaye not only pushed herself, say her parents, but
pushed them. >> We lost that person that would force us to make new memories and force us to go
and take on something that seems a little daunting at first. >> One of you guys,
>> guys. For the Gonzalezes, amid all the loss, there was an addition to the family when in February, Olivia gave
birth to a baby girl. >> So, her name is Theodora Mattie K. Obviously, Mattie Kay is after Maddie
and Kaye. >> And if one were to believe in signs, there were, says Olivia, several with
Theodora Matt Kay's arrival in the hospital. Her room number 1113 was the same as the date of the murders,
November 13th. And eerily, the time of birth, 4:21 a.m., is in the time frame that Kaye and
Maddie are believed to have been killed. >> To have birth and life and firsts, first
giggles, first walks, that they would be there somehow, you know, even if it's just a namesake.
This is the Gonzalez family. >> Maddie has truly been a blessing in our lives. >> I'm Zana's sister. The families of Kaye,
Maddie, Zana, and Ethan have all searched for ways, sometimes together, to cope with a horrible new normal. And
>> we all are always going to be there for each other. And it's just difficult. We
all We're all going through it in our own ways. For Ethan's parents, Stacy and Jim
Chapen, one way of coping involves creating a foundation. Ethan's smile. >> Ethan just had a great smile and he
smiled all the time. >> Raising money for scholarships by selling tulips planted in honor of Ethan
who had worked at a tulip farm. >> So Ethan will live on through the foundation. That's what motivates us to
to do this. How do you live with this, Jeff? >> It's not easy. [Music] >> Just got to keep going, you know?
>> I think just like living our lives like Zana would want us to, I know that she
would want us to talk about the life that she lived and to be her voice right now.
>> She had a beautiful smile. her and Maddie. >> The memories that we shared, we don't do
it lightly because they are very private memories and sometimes it feels like I'm
giving away a part of them. But I do it for the importance to realize how great of a loss it is
because nothing's going to bring them back. [Music] CBS next Saturday. 48 Hours brings you
backtoback episodes all summer long. Next week, Beachside Homicide. >> How could a single mom be executed in
Cape Cod? >> I was knocked unconscious. I couldn't protect her. >> 48 hours crime time. Double feature next
Saturday on CBS and streaming on Paramount Plus. [Music] Welcome to Postmortem, a new companion
podcast to 48 hours. So, I'm your host, CBS News correspondent Ann Marie Green, and each week, we will take you behind
the scenes with correspondents and producers who know these stories best. We go deeper into each episode,
explaining how the reporting came together and their personal experiences with investigating these crimes. Now,
not only do I report for 48 hours, but I am personally a huge fan of the show. So, I'm really excited to take a closer
look at these cases with the 48 Hours team to hear their stories, including, you know, brand new details. And we're
talking about details that never made it into the episodes. We're going to start
though by answering some of your biggest questions about the Idaho student murders. This is a case that captivated
and continues to captivate the country. And joining me now is longtime 48 Hours correspondent Peter Vans and producer
Liza Finley. Welcome guys. So good to have you guys here. >> Thanks Amarie. We're very happy to be
here. >> Yeah, this postmortem is is something we dream about because so we have so much
information particularly on this story that we can't get to in the limited time. So, this is a wonderful
opportunity to expand and and share with our our our viewers and listeners in this case uh some new details.
>> Before we get to our postmortem, let's listen to an overview of this week's episode.
It's been a long and painful journey for the families of Kaylee Gonzalez, Madison
Mogan, Zana Kernodal, and Ethan Chapen, the four University of Idaho students who were stabbed to death in the
pre-dawn hours of November 13th, 2022. >> Do you ever dream of your sister? >> Yeah, I've had some dreams of her.
Just gives me some peace knowing that I know she's okay. Zanna Kernodal's sister Jasmine and
father Jeffrey are speaking out for the first time since Santa's murder. It >> just happened. You know what do you do?
You can't do a damn thing. >> Everybody's going to work and you look out the window and there's kids running
down the street laughing and you're just like, "How can you be out there playing? My
daughter is dead." On the night of the murders, Christy and Steve Gonzalezeves's daughter, Kaye, was
in the same bed as her childhood friend, Maddie Mogan. The Gonzalez say coroner Kathy Mbot told them before a gag order
the killer attacked Maddie first, then moved on to Kaye. >> There's evidence to show that she
awakened and tried to get out of that situation. >> The way the bed was set up is what
>> she was trapped. >> She was trapped. A judge has entered a plea of not guilty on Brian Coberger's
behalf. >> The murders of college students Ethan Chapen, Madison Mogan, Zanna Kernodal,
and Kaylee Gonzalez shocked the country in November of 2022 and really captured the attention of the
country. I think part of it had to do with how that this is a time in your life that is supposed to be one of the
best times in your life and every photo that you saw of them was bursting with life.
So the idea that those lives were cut short I think really shook a lot of people.
>> This is such a deeply personal story. uh perhaps the most that I've ever been
involved with. I'm a father of six, six who have all gone to university. I attended Washington State University,
eight miles from where this murder scene was located. And when I went to school there, the idea of crime might be a kid
stealing a candy bar from a store. It was just simply unheard of. So, it's deeply personal. and and to connect with
with the family, the Gonzales, Christy and Steve, and to speak with Jasmine and Jeffrey Kernodal. Jasmine is
Zana's sister and Jeffrey her dad was the most profound interviews I think I I have ever done and Liza was was in on
this. We were all so moved. >> It was so emotional. >> It really was. >> You know, genuinely had tears in my eyes
at times. And as I watched this hour for the eighth time, I still get tears in my
eyes cuz it's >> the sense of loss is profound and it is felt all over the world. And you're
right, Anmarie, this time of innocence, the adventure of learning, the deep friendships formed at university.
>> And to see it interrupted like this allegedly by a person they still don't have a motive for um just shocked
everyone. The consolidates, they moved to the general area because they wanted a safe place to raise their kids.
>> Yeah. They It's talk about ironic. They lived in California. It was getting kind
of dangerous there. They felt they have five children. So, they went on a road trip and we were going to find America's
best place to live, the safest place to raise our family. And they settle on this beautiful, beautiful little town in
Idaho. And lo and behold, just few hours away by car where where Kaye went to school, the worst crime imaginable
happened. And they regret moving. You know, they go, "If only we hadn't moved." >> There's also something else I wanted to
mention at this point that the Gonzalez shared with us that we weren't able to to get into our broadcast. Their
daughter Kaylee uh Gonzalez uh was a true crime fanatic. She watched all these shows. She loved watching 48
hours and she was she was concerned enough about crime that she would take notes her her mom said during the
broadcast and she came up with a plan of action. Hey, if any of us are ever assaulted, if we're ever in a crime
situation like we've seen on 48 hours in these other shows, this is what we should do. She actually typed it out and
the family had a nickname for her. They called her the protector >> because of this. And I talked to
Christie about it. Can you imagine the horror when the worst possible nightmare, in this case it's not a
cliche, is occurring. her best friend in life, Maddie, killed alongside her and now the asalent is attacking her.
>> You know what? One of the ironies though, which you were talking about her philosophy after being such a true crime
show fanatic was separate. I'll go you right, you go left, so one of us will survive and be able to call
the police and come to your rescue. Well, those two young women were killed in the same bed.
>> They didn't have a chance to separate. She was trapped. Kaylee was trapped. >> There are so many components of this
that sort of give you chills. Um, you focus on the families, which cannot be easy. I can't imagine it was easy to get
them to talk. We have a uh a a great um colleague out in California named Greg Fiser who had uh established a
relationship with the family when we did our first hour uh earlier in in 2023. I
did a a Zoom interview with Steve Gonzalez and I felt as though we had really connected. You know, they said,
"Okay, you've got five minutes." cuz he was going from reporter to reporter and we really connected and we talked for 25
minutes and and when that story ran uh we understood that the family appreciated how respectful we were.
There was no sensationalism. This is 48 hours. This is CBS News. And that connection continued. And so Greg
Fischer was talking with with the family out there and said, "Peter would really
like to sit down and have a longer conversation with you." And because Liza is really strong on on this, they
believe that transparency and getting these words out is important for them to find justice, they agreed to the
interview. Mhm. >> There's a gag order. >> Mhm. >> And that was issued by the judge and it
basically uh prohibits attorneys, law enforcement, officials from speaking. So Steve feels very strongly that that is
not in the best interest of justice because there have been so many rumors, so much false information out there that
he believes that real journalists, real officials should be dispelling these these false falsities.
So he he agreed to this very long interview, >> six, seven hours. >> Yeah, I heard Peter is legendary for his
long interviews. He is famous for that in our shop. >> We're going to go two more hours on
this. Um, >> but it was great. >> It was they were extraordinary. And once you know people families, everyone has
to remember this. >> Families that have gone through this this kind of shocking trauma. They don't
interview one another, right? That's not the way we talk. All of us have lost someone in our families. when that's
happened in in my case, I don't interview my sisters about how you're feeling in things. And so sometimes when
when a person like myself comes into the picture, it's such a catharsis for them.
There's so much they want to say. What I valued about it is their willingness to
pull us into this moment in their life, which is the most painful moment that they will ever experience. And it's
going it's going it's not a moment, it's their life now. Um, but we often, you know, sometimes when we tell these
stories and 48 hours is an excellent job at being compassionate and fair, but it
is an hour and a whole case and we don't sort of get a chance to slow down and be
reminded of the human victims that are still alive. Zanna's sister Jasmine has never spoken before. Um, her father
Jeffrey never spoken before. Um, and in this case, you you didn't pre-in them. You didn't get a chance to talk to them
ahead of time. >> No, not not at all. Not with the Gonzalez's either. But, you know, I
prefer I prefer that. I prefer that we get to know each other in the course of this interview. You always begin very
gently. You talk about the the the sister that she loved, the daughter that he loved,
>> and you work your way into the details. And I find when we both are trying to
sort each other out, if you can make that connection, it becomes a a profound thing and they really open up. Jasmine
Kernodal. Oh, Zanna's sister, >> amazing. >> She's just it gets me talking to right
now about it. She's the power of the grief inside her to be able to express some of that. And Jeffrey in in the
which you saw in the in the hour and and you'll see him in other uh interviews in
the future too. He physically reacts sometimes his body movement is even more powerful than his words. When I you know
when you talk about you know when they heard the words from police that their their his daughter her sister that she
was dead. Oh my god how it hits him. And that was such a genuine >> so genuine >> um when I was getting ready to watch the
hour I was sort of preparing myself for grief. I thought I will be so saddened by this. But instead I found myself
impressed with their strength, their power. There was sort of a weight to that grief. Does that make any sense?
>> Absolutely. Absolutely. it becomes, you know, for for for those of us who work on these stories, uh, we
do so many of them and they're all so horrendous and there are those moments where you're sitting across from
somebody or looking at them in the edit room and you go, how real this is >> and that was so real. These these
families, you know, it's a it's it's heartbreaking. the Gonzalez's, you know, it's as loving a family as you will ever
meet. And right away they they started digging in and as Steve has said, we were not going to sit back and just wait
for justice. >> And when you realize what his daughter Olivia accomplished in her deep dive,
which we'll get into, >> but they they moved ahead instantly. They channeled that grief into action.
So, let's talk about a little bit the incredible amount of investigating that the families did, especially uh Kayle's
sister, Olivia. Uh she found the ride share driver who dropped Kaye off at the home that night, something that she says
even law enforcement had not discovered. I want to play a little sound. >> Olivia got into her sister's call log
and frantically started cold calling recent numbers. She says a friend told her that Kaye had been at the corner
club bar around 1:07 a.m. and later texted a rid share driver who Olivia managed to track down.
>> The ride share driver said around 1:45 Kaye had texted him requesting a ride from the Grub Truck, which is the local
mac and cheese food truck to take her back home to 1122 King. and she had with her another female.
>> Olivia then uncovered one of the most important leads in the case. The ride share driver told her about a camera
mounted on the grub truck. >> So I was able to look it up and um find Kaye on the video and I saw the girl
that she was with was Maddie. So at that point I knew Kaye and Maddie were together. They got into the car to go
home together and alone. The driver told her the exact time Kaye and Maddie were
dropped off at their house on King Road. 1:56 a.m. A timeline she says she confirmed before the police.
>> I immediately took it to the police officers. Here's her phone information. Here's the ride share driver's name. You
know what's interesting about that right there is that a the police had the wrong
time when they returned home. They by 11 minutes. So she was able to put that timeline on track which which is sort of
you know a domino effect. Yeah. They get the right time they get home they get this. They get that they get that. And
she was able to correct that right off the bat which got them mobilized and moving in the right direction. There is
still so much to get into here. So, when we get back, we're going to talk about Brian Coberger's trial, what the defense
might say to poke holes in the case, new evidence the prosecution might present,
and a possible link. Yeah, a link between Coberger and the victims that the Gonzalez think that they've
discovered on Instagram. Stick around. [Music] [Music] All right, welcome back everyone. The
trial of Brian Coberger had been set for October 2nd of 2023, but it was postponed because he waved his right to
a speedy trial. So, the question is, what do we think we can expect once this kicks off? Liza, as we know, there's a
der of information because of this gag order, but the defense has hinted at what its case will be. In a court
filing, they have come out and saying essentially what they're going to challenge in in the prosecution's case.
They're going to challenge one, the collection of the DNA. There were uh three male other DNA
samples found at the scene. two inside the house, one in glove outside. They still don't know who those belong to.
And the defense wants to know why. >> They say there's no connection, none at all, between Cobberger and any of the
four victims in that house. And if there's no connection, there's no motive, why would he have done something
like this? And then to me, one of the most intriguing ones, if it's true, we don't know any of this because we don't
it hasn't been litigated in in in hasn't been argued in in court. They claim that
there's absolutely now, mind you, this is one of the bloodiest crime scenes ever.
>> I mean, four people slaughtered with with a a military. >> We saw the blood on outside of the
house. I know you probably went back and forth as to whether or not you should, but I
think it really sort of gave you an idea of what went on. >> Yeah. And the family told us they want
the world to know the and this is the word they use, the ferocity of these murders. It's important uh the savagery
that went went into this, >> right? And as Peter said, that house was literally bleeding.
>> If the house could talk, what would it say? That's a wonderful question. But so
back to this intriguing uh statement that the defense has put out there. They say there's this bloody crime scene. We
know how easily it is to get a hair or a speck of blood. They say there's absolutely no DNA evidence of anyone
from that house or that house in his apartment, in his car, on his person. And if that's true, that is pretty
intriguing. Mhm. So, let's talk about a receipt from Walmart and a Dickiy's tag that was found at his apartment. Though,
we don't know what items were listed on the receipt. What does the Gonzalez family think this discovery really
means? >> The family has a has a u a theory. They believe that that he brought what what
they call a kill kit. That he had a bag that had a change of clothes in it. >> That's what they're calling it.
>> What what they're calling it. And they said that um and we did do not have this
in did not have time for this in the hour, but that during the the course of the search warrant that was done at
Coberger's house, they have a receipt and that the receipt according to the Gonzalez family is in evidence right
now. And it may suggest that he bought a clothing that perhaps that he wore during the course of this murder is what
they're suggesting. and that that clothing was not found at his apartment after when when the search was done. Um,
but even so, as Liza said, cuz we have done so many of these stories, the notion, you know, when you're using a
knife, for instance, and there's called Casta Away blood, you know, as you raise
it up and then back down, the hair, skin, blood, the notion that nothing at all was found in that car, nothing at
all is is really quite extraordinary. And they will, the defense is going to be playing that up. And remember they
say about his alibi for that night, Brian Coberger's. >> Yeah. >> He admits he was out driving late that
night. He was driving around. >> That's what he says. >> Mhm. >> That would explain the the cell phone in
the vicinity and also seeing that car on the, you know, surveillance cameras. Mhm.
>> And among the things, of course, they're going to talk about in in the prosecution of this case was the 12
visits prior to the murders in that neighborhood, but also there was a 13th visit the day of the murder once it
became publicized because this occurred, you know, in the early early morning hours. Well, later that day, prosecutors
say that Kobberger's according to the affidavit, his car was in that area again. But remember, he's studying
criminology. And I'm sure he their people would argue yes, he was fascinated by this horrible crime and as
a criminologist uh he he drove over as many people did into that area to see what was going on.
>> But then there's always the theory that the criminal returns to the scene of the
crime >> because they want to see what's going on and they want to sort of get the last
laugh. Haha, I got away with this. Look at everybody running around. Look at everybody. Right.
>> Yeah. Well, one theory that is out there that the Gonzalez family has come to
believe is the notion that Brian Coberger may have been inside that house prior to the day of the murders. And
they base that on the fact that the coroner in the case told them that the asalent entered the house and the first
people that were attacked were on the third floor of the house. There were others on the second floor. And that
suggested to the Gonzalez that the killer knew to go to the third floor. How would he know that if he hadn't been
in the house before? >> So this is the family's filling in the blanks though. >> This is some information. They're trying
to explain it, >> right? That is what that we have not had any investigator tell us this. Of
course, there's this gag order and we have not been able to verify that with any investigator because of the gag
order. But the Gonzalez's uh mom and dad, Christy and Steve, believe that he may have been in that house prior to the
murders. >> When you really think about this whole thing, how does this person in this
house that has three floors know where to go and how to do it and kill so so rapidly? As one of our people said, he's
a student. He's not an assassin, >> right? But it seemed like he was so efficient, which is, I think, one of the
reasons why the Consolves believe he had to know where he was going when he got in there.
>> He had to know who he was after and what he planned to do. >> Mhm. >> Now, Christy Gonzalez says
>> she thinks he went in to kill one, >> but he killed four. >> So, that he was caught off guard by the
fact that there were two people in the first bedroom. >> Exactly. And there was also the bit about Kayle's
dog, right? >> Uh Kaylee slept with that dog every night. Uh and uh that was just that was
their routine. And when officials uh got to the house uh discovered the uh that horrible scene, the dog was in a
separate bedroom by its cell. And so that was just that just raised questions with the Gonzalez that um did he know
there was a dog? Had he seen a dog in a visit? Had he actually even maybe given the dog a treat where it wouldn't bark
at him? >> And did he put the dog in that room? It's just something that the Gonzalez uh
have focused on and raised with us. So, we've been talking a lot about the different theories about how Kobberger
may have committed these murders, but what is also new in this hour is the Gonzalez discovered what they think is a
possible connection between him and the victims. >> So, the the the the Gonzalez family
heard the name Brian Coberger. Olivia Googles his name >> and they end up finding this Instagram
account that the family uh believes was a genuine one. I want to play a little sound from the hour about the connection
that the family feels might be there. >> You would go to Mattie's Instagram account and look at her pictures and he
liked them. Brian's name was under a lot of Mattie's pictures like that picture and that picture and that picture and
that picture. So he was actively looking at the Instagram account >> and the importance of that is what
>> just digital evidence that this particular account had some type of connection with the with the victims.
>> And if that's true that's huge because what it does is it establishes a relationship a connection between
Kobberger and the victims at least two of the victims. and the defense is saying there's no
connection. So, which is true. >> That will be a very important point to be made at trial.
>> As has been said by one of our experts in the hour, if there's no connection,
there's no motive. Everyone who watches 48 hours who's listening to this right now knows you don't have to have a
motive. Prosecutors will tell you all the time you don't have to. And serial killers, you know, Ted Bundy didn't have
to have a motive for each of his killings. He just had a satisfaction in in killing someone. And the Gonzalez
believe that that uh Coberger, who again is accused of this, not convicted of anything as as yet of course that he did
this in their opinion simply to kill, to murder, to experience that rush. >> Mhm.
>> They do it for pleasure. That's one one of the theories by our criminologist expert who said that a crime like this
seems to be done by somebody the viciousness of it uh by somebody who takes pleasure in it um or has a sense
of arousal from it. >> Mhm. Did you reach out to the Coberger family? >> Yes, we've done that many times and um
we're still hoping that they will change their mind and and talk about Brian. Um,
and we hope that happens. >> What I'm hearing, uh, is that the Coberger family does not believe he did
it. But there there is something very very interesting that Steve Consalus uh, was very clear about that he's going
into this trial with an open mind that he he thinks they think that it looks like Coberger
did it. However, maybe he didn't. and they have uh an open mind about that. Well, Steve has an open mind about that.
>> I was surprised by that because that is typically not something that you hear.
>> Um is after someone's been arrested, usually families of the victims are convinced usually that you know that's
the right guy. >> Yeah. Yeah. And uh he has an open mind and we as journalists also have to have
an open mind. >> Yeah. uh because the the facts of the case are being held so tightly so closely there's
a lot we don't know and we have to remember that and uh that's another that was another challenge in doing this hour
I think right Peter >> yeah and uh absolutely and Coberger has said through an attorney when he was
arrested in Pennsylvania he looks forward to his exoneration >> there were others though that you
reached out to that also didn't want to talk uh Mattie Mogan's family her parents They did not speak to you for
this episode. >> Mattie Mogan. Um Maddie was a only child of of of her parents and the they have
spoken of course at these memorial uh gettogethers and things. But it is so devastating. Mhm.
>> And you look at her face, you look at Mattiey's face, and you see this this bright and she's intelligent, this
big-hearted woman with everything in front of her. Uh, and they invested everything and all their love and wisdom
in this one child and that child is taken from them under these circumstances. Um, we understand
>> Ethan Chapen's uh family um who obviously are suffering enormous loss. They have chosen to to not do an
interview with uh 48 hours for this. Perhaps one day, you know, they'll want to talk, but we completely understand uh
that they don't want to and and of course we respect that. Well, what a moving episode for the
first one of this season of 48 hours and for the first postmortem podcast. I really want to thank you, Peter and
Liza, for being here. >> Thank you, Anmarie. It's our honor to tell this story. It's so profound.
>> Absolutely. It is. It's touched all of us. Thank you, Amarie. >> Be sure to join us next Tuesday for
another postmortem. Watch 48 hours, Saturdays, 10 9 central on CBS. and also streaming on Paramount Plus. And be sure
to follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcast. You can also listen adree on the Amazon Music or Wonder app.
[Music]

On July 23, 2025, Bryan Kohberger was sentenced to four life sentences without the possibility of parole after he pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. Here's how "48 Hours" covered the case.

00:00 Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty 21:15 The Sentencing of Bryan Kohberger 54:44 Bryan Kohberger Prosecutor Speaks 1:19:31 The Night of the Idaho Student Murders 2:01:31 Post Mortem: The Night of the Idaho Student Murders

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Brian Coberger pleads guilty to murdering four Idaho students, sparking mixed reactions from victims' families and raising questions about justice and motive.

Key points

Coberger's Guilty Plea. Brian Coberger pleads guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students.
The Emotional Impact Statements. Families prepare to deliver emotional statements at Coberger's sentencing.
A Father's Heartbreaking Words. Mattie Mogan's stepfather shares the devastation of losing his daughter.
Zana Kernodal's Family's Grief. Zana's sister reflects on the future they will never share together.
Judge's Sentencing. The judge sentences Coberger to four consecutive life sentences without parole, marking a significant moment in the case.
Plea Deal Controversy. The prosecutor explains the decision not to pursue a plea deal with the defendant.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Imagine living with that for the rest of your life.

14:17WatchAug 29, 2025

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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