Bryan Kohberger’s final insult to Idaho murder victims’ families as he refuses to pay compensation

Convicted killer Bryan Kohberger is now fighting paying compensation to the families of the students he murdered – arguing he shouldn’t have to pay because they received donations through GoFundMe.

The 30-year-old criminology PhD student is serving life in prison for the murders of 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen and 20-year-old Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

Kohberger broke into an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours of November 13, 2022, and stabbed the four University of Idaho students to death.

Now, in a final insult to the families of his victims, he is refusing to pay them additional damages.

In a new court document filed October 7, Kohberger’s defense team argued he should not have to pay the extra money requested by prosecutors on behalf of the families of Mogen and Goncalves because they received money from the public through GoFundMe campaigns.

The defense also argued Kohberger has no way to pay because he is in prison.

‘The additional funds sought do not qualify as an economic loss under Idaho Code 19-5304 because Steve and Kristi Goncalves and Karen Laramie received extensive funds through multiple GoFundMe campaigns that specifically asked for and covered the expenses sought,’ the filing argues.

‘Mr. Kohberger has no ability now or in the future to pay restitution because he is serving four consecutive life sentences plus 10 years.’

Under the terms of the plea deal reached in the case, Kohberger agreed that the prosecution could seek restitution for the families to cover funeral expenses and other expenses paid to them through the Idaho Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

At his sentencing, Judge Steven Hippler ordered Kohberger to pay restitution of: $251,227.50 in criminal fines and fees to the state, $20,000 civil judgment for each of the families and $28,956.88 to reimburse the families for funeral expenses and other expenses through the Idaho Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

On September 22, the state filed a motion seeking an additional $20,409.32 for Goncalves’s parents Kristi and Steve Goncalves and $6,920.32 for Mogen’s mother Karen Laramie.

The state’s motion is currently sealed.

However, the defense filing, which is unsealed, says the requested money related to travel and accommodation, as well as urns for the best friends’ remains.

GoFundMe campaigns were set up for the two families to help them attend court hearings and Kohberger’s trial which was scheduled to begin in August.

The trial had been moved across the state from Latah County – where the murders took place – to Boise, Ada County, at the defense’s request.

This meant the families would have had to travel much further and would have needed accommodation for what was expected to be a three-month trial.

In the defense’s court filing, Kohberger’s attorneys pointed to several GoFundMe campaigns for Goncalves’s and Mogen’s families including one for both families which had raised $73,493.

Another campaign to help Mogen’s family travel to Boise for hearings, including the sentencing, raised $48,815, while one designed to help the Goncalves family attend court raised $85,583.

After Kohberger struck a plea deal on July 2 – sparing him from the death penalty and meaning the trial would not go ahead – the Goncalves family took to their Facebook page to announce plans to return funds to those who had donated to help them attend the trial.

Yet, the defense claims that ‘given the specific funds sought and obtained for expenses to travel to Boise, the request should be denied because neither family suffered an economic loss for that which the State seeks reimbursement.

‘Both families did indicate a desire to refund any donations after the case resolved after sentencing, but whether they were able to accomplish this or donor’s requested funds returned is not included in the State’s motion,’ the filing argues.

The defense writes that Kohberger is waiving his right to appear at a future hearing on the matter. No date has been set for a hearing.

Last week, the Goncalves family shared an update on Facebook that Goncalves and Mogen had been transferred into their urns.

Both families have two urns – one for each of the best friends – so that they never separated.

‘Yesterday, along with Maddie’s family, we had the girls transferred into their beautiful urns. It was an emotional day for us (happy and sad) happy that the girls are finally settled, yet so so sad that we were actually sitting at a crematorium with the girls in our laps,’ the family wrote.

‘The girls will never be apart, and they will forever be at their 2 homes, just like they were growing up.’

The latest legal fight in the case comes as investigative records and court documents continue to be released following Kohberger’s sentencing. 

Among the records are interviews with witnesses and the victims’ friends, tips explored by police before Kohberger was on law enforcement’s radar, and chilling fears that the students at 1122 King Road were being stalked in the weeks leading up to the murders.

Despite the wealth of evidence gathered during the investigation, no motive nor any connection between the killer and his victims has ever been found.

Kohberger himself has offered no explanation.

At his sentencing on July 23, he refused the opportunity to speak, leaving the victims’ families in the dark. 

Now, the killer is serving his sentence inside Idaho’s maximum security prison where he has already filed multiple complaints about his fellow inmates.