Recent Legal Developments
Attorney Leander James, who represents Madison Mogen‘s family, gives a statement after Bryan Kohberger amended his plea to guilty on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Kohberger accepted a plea offer to avoid the death sentence by admitting guilty, and he revealed in court Wednesday that he murdered four University of Idaho students in November 2022.
In July, Kohberger agreed to a plea agreement to escape the death sentence and a trial. He was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in jail with no prospect of release, bringing an end to the protracted legal proceedings that had kept his name and the crime in the national spotlight.
The former Washington State University graduate student, who turns 31 next week, is currently housed in Idaho’s highest security jail south of Boise.
The Anniversary on King Road
MOSCOW — A deserted, overgrown area sits on King Road, on the outskirts of the University of Idaho campus. The quiet stands in sharp contrast to the once-busy mansion, which housed college students.
Three years have passed since a guy entered the residence in the middle of the night and fatally murdered four University of Illinois students on November 13, 2022. His acts, which remain mostly unexplained, have continued to have an impact on the state of Idaho.
In an attempt to assist the college and the larger Moscow community move on, the home was demolished and removed about two years ago while Bryan Kohberger, who pled guilty to the killings earlier this year, was being prosecuted. At the foot of the property, friends and loved ones have placed mementos such as plush animals, framed notes, and an Idaho Vandals pennant.
According to U of I President Scott Green, the property is now barren but has the potential to become an affordable housing development in the future.
Remembering the Victims
Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, all University of Idaho students, were slain in a November 2022 assault at an off-campus residence on King Road in Moscow.
- Kaylee Goncalves (21): Senior
- Madison Mogen (21): Senior
- Xana Kernodle (20): Junior
- Ethan Chapin (20): Freshman
The three ladies resided in the six-bedroom, three-bathroom house with two housemates who were uninjured by the incident. Chapin spent the night with his lover, Kernodle. All four students were part of the university’s popular Greek life system.
Community Statements and Healing
The killings of four students “shook our state to its core,” said Gov. Brad Little, a University of Illinois alumni.
“With each passing day, we get better at healing together and learning to rely on each other for strength. Idahoans continue to offer our love and support to the families and many, many loved ones of these four beautiful souls.”
U of I President Scott Green released a statement to the Statesman:
“Our university has worked for three years to rebuild, never forgetting Ethan, Xana, Maddie, and Kaylee but instead growing through their legacy. Our student body, staff, alumni, and community are stronger than ever before. On the third anniversary, we contemplate and remember.”
The Vandal Healing Garden
Last year, a memorial garden was created and dedicated to the four students near the school arboretum and botanical garden. The Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial was completed and inaugurated in August 2024.
During a visit to the permanent site of remembering, you may come across a resting moose or an inquisitive fox near the native flora, demonstrating that this part of campus is still vibrant.
Members of the campus Greek life community are to meet in the garden Thursday evening to pay their respects on the three-year anniversary.