A member of Bryan Kohberger’s immediate family has spoken publicly for the first time since the man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students was arrested nearly three years ago.
In an interview with The New York Times published Saturday, Mel Kohberger — one of Bryan Kohberger’s two elder sisters — described the anguish her family has endured throughout her brother’s high-profile criminal case, while carefully acknowledging the pain suffered by the victims’ families.
“It’s confusing. It’s painful,” Mel Kohberger said. “It’s like being victimized but not truly being a victim.”
Struggling to Reconcile the Crimes With the Brother She Knew
A trained mental health therapist, Mel Kohberger said she has struggled to reconcile the brutal November 2022 killings with the brother her family believed they knew.
Bryan Kohberger is now serving life in prison in Idaho, more than 2,500 miles from his family’s home in Pennsylvania. Mel said her family continues to honor the memory of the victims, including placing annual reminders on her calendar for each of their birthdays.
Her mother, she added, regularly prays for the victims’ families.
The four victims were:
- Kaylee Goncalves, 21
- Madison Mogen, 21
- Xana Kernodle, 20
- Ethan Chapin, 20
The three women lived together in an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, along with two roommates who survived the early-morning attack. Chapin, Kernodle’s boyfriend, had stayed there overnight.
Guilty Plea and Life Sentences
In July, Bryan Kohberger accepted a plea deal on four counts of first-degree murder. The agreement eliminated the possibility of parole and required him to waive all appellate rights.
In exchange, the former Ph.D. student avoided the death penalty and received four consecutive life sentences. He was 31 at the time of sentencing.
Despite the plea, Mel Kohberger said her family does not wish to discuss the stabbings in detail.
‘I Would Have Turned Him In’
Before his arrest in late December 2022, Kohberger briefly mentioned the Moscow murders while visiting his family in Pennsylvania for Christmas. He reportedly noted that authorities were still searching for a suspect.
“I have always been a person who has spoken up for what was right,” Mel said. “If I ever had a reason to believe my brother did anything, I would have turned him in.”
Mel Kohberger did not respond to requests for comment from the Idaho Statesman on Saturday. Emails to the family’s attorney also went unanswered. Representatives for the victims’ families likewise did not immediately reply.
Kohberger’s Pennsylvania Upbringing
Bryan Kohberger and his sisters, Mel and Amanda, grew up in eastern Pennsylvania and attended public schools in the Pleasant Valley School District, where both parents worked.
- His father was a maintenance worker
- His mother worked as school support staff
Donna Yozwiak, Kohberger’s former high school guidance counselor, said the family was deeply invested in his future.
“They truly cared about their kid and were interested in his life,” Yozwiak said.
Kohberger once aspired to work in law enforcement and enrolled in a technical program during high school but was later removed for an unspecified infraction. He graduated in 2013.
Addiction, Recovery, and Academic Path
The family helped Kohberger overcome a heroin addiction during his teenage years, a struggle later revealed in court filings and interviews with former friends.
“We were all so proud of him because he had overcome so much,” Mel told the Times.
From 2016 to 2021, Kohberger worked part-time as a school district security guard. He earned:
- An associate degree from Northampton Community College (2018)
- A bachelor’s degree in psychology from DeSales University (2020)
- A master’s degree in criminal justice from DeSales (2022)
That same year, he moved to Pullman, Washington, to pursue a Ph.D. at Washington State University.
Jail Calls: ‘Nothing Like You Would Expect’
While awaiting trial, Kohberger had hundreds of monitored jail calls with his family, Idaho State Police Lt. Darren Gilbertson previously told the Statesman.
“Always about just completely trivial stuff,” Gilbertson said.
“Baseball games, cooking plans, how the dog was doing — nothing like you would anticipate.”
Mel confirmed that the family maintained contact while avoiding discussion of the case.
Sentencing and Victim Impact Statements
Mel Kohberger did not attend court proceedings in Idaho, remaining in Pennsylvania to care for her father, who was experiencing heart problems.
Her parents and sister Amanda attended Kohberger’s sentencing, where victims’ family members delivered emotional impact statements.
Xana Kernodle’s uncle, Stratton Kernodle, acknowledged the pain inflicted on both families.
“His parents, his siblings, his friends — his universe,” Kernodle said.
“He has contaminated, tainted their family name.”
‘I’m With the FBI. Bryan’s Been Arrested’
Mel recalled the moment she learned of her brother’s arrest.
“She was like, ‘I’m with the FBI. Bryan’s been arrested,’” Mel said.
“I was like, ‘For what?’”
The answer, she said, changed her family’s life forever.