(NewsNation) — The family of Ethan Chapin will be appearing in court on Wednesday to support the plea deal offered to Bryan Kohberger, NewsNation has learned.
Kohberger, 30, a former graduate student in criminal justice at Washington State University, faces murder charges for the deaths of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Chapin, who were killed at an off-campus house near the University of Idaho on Nov. 13, 2022. He had originally pleaded not guilty.
Kohberger has accepted the prosecution’s proposed plea deal, which would drop the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea to the murders and a burglary charge.
“When I think you look at both sides, there’s no appeals,” said Jennifer Coffindaffer, retired FBI special agent. “He will be convicted of four first-degree plus that burglary conviction. He’s done. And that will be the end of it.”
Kohberger must also agree to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole and must waive his right to appeal, under the deal.
“You look at the fact that some of the family members don’t believe justice is served,” added Coffindaffer. “I think this was something that was really slow-played. If you look, prosecutor Bill Thompson had a track record of never having the death penalty on the table, in fact, only bringing three murders to trial. I think this was something he put on the table for this very purpose, as being a bargaining chip for this very day.”
The case is now in a judge’s hands, who will decide whether to accept or deny the deal. A change of plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
The family of Kaylee Gonclaves acknowledged that it is furious with the plea deal for Kohberger.
“This is the opposite of our will,” Steve Goncalves said on NewsNation’s “Banfield”. “There was no majority (of victims’ families) believing that this was acceptable.”