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By Jenna Sundel, Gabe Whisnant, and Joshua Rhett Miller
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Alivea Goncalves delivered powerful testimony about the loss of her sister, Kaylee, during the sentencing hearing for Bryan Kohberger, who is set to serve four life sentences without parole for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.
She recalled staying composed when first learning of Kaylee's death, focusing instead on absorbing the painful details of her final night.
"I'm angry every day," she said, her voice unwavering.
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Alivea spoke of the deep bond between Kaylee and Maddie Mogen, one of the other victims, saying they always knew her love and would never expect her to expose her pain to someone like Bryan Kohberger.
"I won't offer you tears, I won't offer you trembling," she said. "Disappointments like you feed on fear."
The Context
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary as part of a plea agreement earlier this month. Under the agreement, prosecutors decided not to seek the death penalty for Kohberger.
The charges related to the killings of Goncalves, Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022.
What To Know
Kaylee's mother, in her testimony, relayed another message to Kohberger from another of Kaylee's sisters, Aubrey: "You may have received As in high school and college, but you are going to be getting 'big Ds' in prison."
Alivea Goncalves addressed Kohberger directly in court, her voice steady as she demanded answers about the night her sister, Kaylee, was killed, including the haunting question of what Kaylee's final words might have been. The Goncalves family has been outspoken in criticizing the plea deal, arguing it denied them the truth that a full trial could have revealed.
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Alivea said Kaylee and Mogen would have treated Kohberger with kindness had he approached them in their everyday lives.
"They would have given you directions, thanked you for the compliment or awkwardly giggled to make your own words less uncomfortable for you. In a world that rejected you, they would have shown mercy," Alivea said.
Alivea challenged his self-image. "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?" she said, as Kohberger sat motionless.
"You didn't win, you just exposed yourself as the coward you are. You're a delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac loser," she said.
The courtroom erupted in applause after her closing remark: had Kohberger not ambushed his victims in the middle of the night, she said, Kaylee would have beaten him up.
Family members of Mogen and Kernodle also spoke during the proceedings.
Xana Kernodle's Parents: How They Addressed Kohberger in Court
Cara Northington, Kernodle's mother, said she forgives Kohberger.
"Jesus has allowed me to forgive you for murdering my daughter without you even being sorry," Northington said.
She also told Kohberger, "I do not fear you or even let you rent space in my head anymore."
She said Kohberger does not deserve to hear her memories of Kernodle.
"I'm not going to share memories of Xana or any more of the goodness of her with you, because I do not want that to be in your head," Northington said.
Jeff Kernodle, Xana's father, said he misses his daughter.
"When she was gone, I realized how important she was and what she really did for me influenced me," Jeff said.
Jeff said he almost went over to the home on the night of the killings, and he wishes he did, "because they would have had a chance, all four of them."
"She just wants us to make more memories and not be sad or upset," Jeff said of his daughter.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Update 7/23/25, 4 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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