Cold-Blooded Coward Bryan Kohberger Finally Confesses to Idaho Slaughter

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Cold-Blooded Coward Bryan Kohberger Finally Confesses to Idaho Slaughter"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
• Host: Ashleigh Banfield
• Episode Title: Cold-Blooded Coward Bryan Kohberger Finally Confesses to Idaho Slaughter
• Release Date: July 3, 2025
• Description: Ashleigh Banfield, a seasoned true crime reporter with 36 years of experience, takes listeners on a deep dive into mysteries and injustices. Offering personal insights and connections to various stories, Banfield presents a candid and irreverent perspective not typically shared on television.

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1. Introduction to the Case

Ashleigh Banfield opens the episode with a poignant update on Bryan Kohberger's legal proceedings. She emphasizes the gravity of his guilty plea to the murders of four University of Idaho students, highlighting the courtroom's resemblance to that of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell's trial.

• Key Points:
  • Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to murdering Madison Mogan, Kaylee Gonzalez, Zanna Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
  • The plea was entered in the same Ada County courtroom as Vallow and Daybell.
  • The plea deal ensures Kohberger will remain incarcerated for life without parole or the possibility to appeal.

2. Courtroom Dynamics and Reactions

Banfield describes the emotional landscape of the courtroom during Kohberger's confession, focusing on the reactions of both the victim families and Kohberger's parents.

• Notable Observations:

  • Kohberger remained unemotional, responding with a simple "yes" to each question without hesitation or remorse.
  • His parents, who traveled from Pennsylvania, sat quietly and were visibly distressed.
  • The victim families were divided on the plea deal; some saw it as a closure, while others felt justice was compromised.

• Quotes:

  • Banfield: "Kohberger didn't even look at them. His parents came all the way from Pennsylvania... he didn't even look at them." [00:02]
  • Steve Gonzalves (Kaylee Gonzalez's father): "We feel like they took Kaylee's name and they used it as a weapon." [05:15]

3. Victim Families' Perspectives

Steve Gonzalves, father of Kaylee Gonzalez, shares his profound disappointment with the plea deal on Banfield's show, expressing feelings of betrayal and a loss of faith in the judicial system.

• Key Points:

  • Gonzalves believes the plea deal was predetermined and did not represent the community's or victims' wishes.
  • He criticizes the justice system for not adequately pursuing what he deems a fitting punishment for Kohberger.
  • Gonzalves contemplates not submitting a victim impact statement, feeling it would be a "pointless exercise."

• Quotes:

  • Gonzalves: "We believe in the system... But I'd rather be a fool than to believe in the system that I see before me." [05:15]
  • Gonzalves: "You're a complete loser. You're an absolute loser." [12:43]

4. Court Hearing Details

Banfield provides a minute-by-minute breakdown of the courtroom proceedings, including the judge's remarks and the prosecution's presentation of evidence.

• Judge Stephen Hippler's Statements:

  • Addressed attempts to influence his decision through public calls and messages, deeming them inappropriate and disruptive.
  • Clarified that the court will not consider public sentiment in legal decisions.
  • Apologized to both victim and defendant families for the short notice of the plea hearing.

• Prosecutor Bill Thompson's Testimony:

  • Detailed the timeline and evidence linking Kohberger to the murders, including his purchase of a knife and subsequent movements.
  • Explained the lack of physical evidence found in Kohberger's apartment and vehicle, suggesting meticulous attempts to erase traces.
  • Emphasized Kohberger's guilty plea as confirmation of his actions.

• Quotes:

  • Judge Hippler: "The court does not and will not take public sentiment into account." [16:43]
  • Bill Thompson: "There was nothing of evidentiary value in that apartment." [22:14]

5. Kohberger's Plea and Lack of Remorse

Throughout the hearing, Kohberger consistently pled guilty without providing any statements or showing remorse, leaving a chilling impression on observers.

• Key Points:

  • Kohberger's unwavering "yes" answers underscored his lack of emotional response.
  • Observers, including reporters and courtroom attendees, noted his blank demeanor and absence of empathy.

• Quotes:

  • Banfield: "He was just stone-faced, looking forward with a vacant stare." [27:40]
  • Prosecutor Thompson: "Bryan Kohberger knew exactly what to do after murdering four kids." [18:26]

6. Aftermath and Future Proceedings

Banfield discusses the impending lifting of the gag order post-sentencing and its implications for public transparency and understanding of the case.

• Key Points:

  • The gag order, lasting over two and a half years, is set to be lifted after the sentencing on July 23rd or 24th.
  • This will allow the public to access investigative details previously withheld, potentially answering lingering questions about the case.
  • Banfield expresses hope that increased transparency will enhance public safety and awareness.

• Quotes:

  • Banfield: "Lifting this gag order will help to do... give us the transparency and justice so critical to the transparency of our process." [26:45]
  • Banfield: "You will never again see Bryan Kohberger wearing civilian clothing." [27:40]

7. Personal Reflections and Closing Thoughts

Ashleigh Banfield shares her personal reflections on the case's impact, emphasizing the broader societal implications and the importance of public awareness in preventing future crimes.

• Key Points:

  • Banfield highlights how true crime reporting influences personal and societal behaviors, advocating for vigilance and safety.
  • She underscores the significance of understanding and identifying potential threats within communities.
  • Banfield reiterates the necessity of transparency in the justice system for collective safety and informed public.

• Quotes:

  • Banfield: "This is our process. We the people, own the justice system. It's the government. We own it. We are the government." [26:45]
  • Banfield: "The truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious." [Conclusion]

8. Conclusion

The episode concludes with Banfield reiterating the severity of Kohberger's crimes and the lasting impact on the victims' families and the community. She emphasizes the importance of continued awareness and transparency to foster a safer society.

• Key Takeaways:
  • Bryan Kohberger's guilty plea marks a significant closure to a harrowing case, yet it leaves unresolved emotions among the victim families.
  • The impending lifting of the gag order promises to unveil more details, potentially reshaping public perception and understanding of the case.
  • Banfield calls for sustained vigilance and community engagement to prevent future tragedies.

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Final Thoughts: Ashleigh Banfield's detailed recounting of Bryan Kohberger's confession offers listeners an in-depth look into the emotional and procedural facets of a high-profile criminal case. Through firsthand accounts, courtroom observations, and personal reflections, Banfield paints a comprehensive picture of justice, loss, and the enduring quest for truth.

Transcript

[Ashley Banfield]

Hey, everyone, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is Drop Dead Serious. And God, has it been a day? It has been a day. But it is done. Bryan Kohberger has officially pleaded guilty to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students. And he did it in the very same Ada county courtroom where both Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were convicted. Practically in the same chair, with the same setup, the same rows of families and journalists, and even some of the same marshals in the courtroom. Except unlike the Day Bell murderers, Coburger was in the hot seat, admitting his guilt out loud to the courtroom, to the world. One by one, the judge asked him, did you kill Madison Mogan? Did you kill Kaylee Gonzalez? Did you kill Zanna Kernodle? Did you kill Ethan Chapin? And each time, Bryan Kohberger looked forward and answered with the same word in the same tone. Yes. No hesitation, no apology, no explanation, just yes. Coburger's parents were there in court, just feet away from him, seated quietly as their son admitted to one of the most horrific and brutal crimes in. In recent memory. I mean, this is in cold blood stuff. Crimes like this do not come around often. And there were Mr. And Mrs. Coburger having to face the reality, that's my kid and he's admitting it. Imagine what it was like being them. Kohberger didn't even look at them. His parents came all the way from Pennsylvania. They don't have a lot of money. They haven't been able to visit him in jail. They came all the way from Pennsylvania to be in this courtroom with such short notice, and he didn't even look at them. The families of the victims were in that courtroom too, on the opposite side. And not all of them agreed with the deal that was going down in that room today. A plea deal sparing Coburger's life, but guaranteeing that he will be locked up until he dies with no chance of parole and no chance to appeal. It's a plea deal that has split the victims families right down the middle. Some support it, saying it spares them the trauma of reliving the details at trial and it offers some sense of, I don't know, finality. Others believe that Co Burger should have faced the firing squad after being convicted by his peers, and the details should have been aired out in court, while prosecutors insisted that this was the best outcome for everyone. Kaylee Gonzalez's father, Steve Gonzalez, didn't even go into the courtroom in protest. The rest of your family went inside. Is it important for them to be in their Stay.

[Steve Gonzalves]

Where are you going? Are you not able to get. You're not staying in.

[Ashley Banfield]

News Nation's senior national correspondent Brian Enten was inside the courtroom today. And here's what he said about the hearing.

[Brian Enten]

It was a lot. You know, it started with us lining up outside the hallway. Some people were here five or six hours early. We were all silent inside while the victims families walked by and took their seats. First we went in. The first thing I noticed when Bryan Coburger came in is what you noticed. His eyebrows were a lot less bushy. He had a fresh haircut. His hair was much shorter. He was skinnier than I remembered seeing him last time. And then it all started. And I think I was waiting for some kind of emotion finally. I mean, some kind of remorse. And it just never came. I mean, when he would say yes or guilty, I was just staring at him, just, is there a little something on his face that shows that he feels bad? And it never came. It never came. Ashley. It reminded me of when you're on the phone with an automated system trying to get someone and you either say yes or no, and you just want to get the person on the phone, the operator. That's the way he was answering the questions. Like, this wasn't about four innocent people murdered. And he never showed any emotion, just sat there. Ashley.

[Ashley Banfield]

And Steve Gonzalves was a guest on my News Nation primetime show, fresh from a wrenching day where Kohberger finally fessed up, right? Finally stopped winding everybody up and lying to everyone and confessed to murdering those four kids and to murdering Steve's daughter. Kaylee. And Steve talked about what he expects to happen come sentencing day. Steve, I watched you earlier today. My heart was breaking as you, in protest left court because it's no secret you were not on board with this plea bargain. You're not the only family member not on board. I just wanted to touch base with you and just see how you are tonight. How are you processing and what your thoughts are after this momentous day?

[Steve Gonzalves]

My family feels used. We feel like they took Kaylee's name and they used it as a weapon. They used it for a reason to commit whatever decision that they had. But it wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't a share. It wasn't. It wasn't something that the community agreed on. It wasn't something that we agreed on as the victims of the families. It was just. It was a script. It was just a script that they had, and we just were just another name on a spreadsheet. And they Just went through the system and it was business as usual. But this isn't a family as usual. We're not a normal family. We're gonna fight back. You're not gonna play us. You're not gonna use my daughter's name and literally pretend like we believed in your plea deal. We didn't. We believe in our community. We believe in our peers. We believe in a jury. We believe in the process. And maybe we're fools. Maybe we are complete fools for believing you should have a trial to put somebody in prison for life or kill them. But I'd rather be a fool than to believe in the system that I see before me.

[Ashley Banfield]

Steve, you made the trip to Boise with your family. Did any prosecutors or anyone from the prosecutor's office reach out to you or anyone with your family either before the hearing, at any point, outside the court, or after the hearing?

[Steve Gonzalves]

The only people who reach out to me are agents that aren't part of this court system, that have warned me to be careful with this court system. And shame on me for not listening. Shame on me for letting Kaylee down. It's my mistake. I'm sorry, Kaylee. I'm truly sorry that I didn't get you a prosecutor who really believed what happened to you could only be fixed with life. Fixed. You know, you killed four people. And to take one life or four, seems like pretty simple math. But these guys describe this as a win, even though they don't ask us what a win looks like. So I'm sorry. I apologize to my daughter. I let her down. And it's been a terrible day. It's been terrible.

[Ashley Banfield]

You know, Steve, I'll go on the record saying there's been no stronger advocate for your daughter than you. I get it. It's been a terrible day. But I really don't want you going forward thinking you haven't done everything. You have done everything and more for Kayleigh. Look, I see the system. I know the system, Shannon. Weigh in. You know the system. You're a lawyer. You're in Idaho. I haven't seen an advocate like Steve has been for his daughter. In any case, I've covered.

[Shannon]

You know, Steve is. He's a rock, right? He's a rock for the family. He's a rock for this prosecution moving forward and gathering evidence and facts. And. I mean, we've had dozens of meetings where we basically sat in and told them what they should be doing and. And then them sitting down and taking notes about things and. But we all the time just trying to keep confident in the prosecution. And, you know, it was not what the victims wanted. It wasn't what the Gonzalez family wanted. And the way the process was for notifying them, and it just puts a bad taste in your mouth about all of it. And, you know, and even talking with Steven Christie today, the tone of the judge today was, I think they felt was completely improper. And so there was a lot of things that you walk away after two and a half years of just being completely demonized and hassled and trolled and you name it, on the Internet and everybody else, and for it to end this way, not only the outcome of it, but also the way that it happened, just seems really unfair and completely uncalled for.

[Ashley Banfield]

Steve, you've got a month to prepare a victim's impact statement. You can say anything to this court. I know you haven't prepared it yet, but do you have a preview of what you want to say to this court when you get to stand up and what you want to say to. Bryan Coburger.

[Steve Gonzalves]

Was kind of proud of my kids today because I didn't go into the courtroom. And then when it was all said and done, after Hitler tried to turn it into his secretary being busy and his lines being flooded with phone calls was more pressing than four dead souls that were killed in their bed, My kids came out of them and said they don't think they ever want to go back in the courtroom again. So I don't even think we're actually going to even do a victim statement. There's no point in it. It's pointless exercise. I respect that some family was in my position years ago, and they probably felt a lot like how I feel right now and thought that they should be able to speak and address the courtroom and try to fix the courtroom. That's probably what these victim statements were supposed to be, but they're not that anymore. And we're G's. We're Gonzalez's. We don't participate in pointless exercise that are a waste of our time. What we do is we speak to the media. We speak to people like you. We make change happen from inside out. And that's probably why they get mad at us and they push back at us and they say that, you know, we're combative and this and that, you know what we are. When somebody says they're 100% for their daughter and they're a G, they're 100%, and that means some little plea deal that you made in the back alley isn't good enough. It's not Good enough. Four souls were lost for one Brian. Brian's not worth one of these people, let alone four. And I'll never accept a deal where one freaking Brian gets locked up in daycare for frickin adults. And that's supposed to be equivalent to four souls? Four Idahoans, four of us guys, four of us in college doing everything to the best of our ability. One loser from Pennsylvania is in his life, in our system taking care of him. That's equivalent. That's equivalent. You need to keep calling. You need to keep calling people like Hitler and maybe he doesn't get reelected. Maybe, maybe he needs to pick up that phone and hear those calls and understand who he represents. Because this is Idaho and we hold you accountable.

[Ashley Banfield]

Steve, if you, you may, depending on how the next month goes, you may change your mind. You may decide to give an impact statement. If you don't, it is fully within your right. Do you have a message for Bryan Coburger Tonight?

[Steve Gonzalves]

You're a complete loser. You're an absolute loser. I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed that we couldn't ended you. We didn't find the leadership to end you. That's your victory, bro. That's the best it's going to be. You beat me on that. My bad. I believed in the wrong people, I believed in the wrong leadership. But we'll fix that.

[Ashley Banfield]

What do you hope for him? What do you hope will happen in the future that is now inevitable for Brian Kohberger?

[Steve Gonzalves]

You know, they say there's such thing as a prison justice. And some of those people have reached out to me. Maybe they have a welcome gift for him. Maybe they can, you know, maybe this Pennsylvania city kid can go to Idaho. Some of those guys in there have kids just like mine. Look just like my same age as all these other kids that were here. And you, you worked your, you know, you made a couple choices, made a couple wrong turns and you're in there. But you want the best for your kid. You want your kids college, you want everything for them to go in there and win and you don't want them to die. You don't want them to die. So maybe, maybe you should talk to Dr. Brian, have a little welcome package for him and welcome Dido.

[Ashley Banfield]

In this episode, we're going to break down what really happened in that courtroom beyond the lens of the three narrow camera angles that the judge actually allowed. At the start of the hearing, Judge Stephen Hippler addressed something unusual. He revealed that people had been calling his chambers and emailing and messaging him in an attempt to sway his decision in the case. He said, quote, I want to point out that there have been calls by some for the public to contact me and my office in an attempt to influence my decision making in this case, end quote. And he made it crystal clear, not only is that highly inappropriate, it's been extraordinarily disruptive, not just to the Coburger case, but to every other case being handled by this staff in Idaho. He said these calls were interfering with victims rights to have their cases processed and with other defendants rights to get fair proceedings in Idaho. And he emphasized this, quote, the court does not and will not take public sentiment into account, end quote. He even apologized to the families on both sides, the victim's family members and Brian Coburger's family. He apologized for the short notice of Wednesday's hearing, saying that he himself only learned of this plea agreement on Monday. That surprised me. Monday afternoon is the first time Judge Stephen Hippler says he learned of this just like the rest of us. He believed that this case, he said, was going to trial. But once he got the word that Brian Coburger was ready to change his plea to guilty, he said it became urgent to move forward and enter this plea change into the record before the county, you know, continued preparing for potentially a thousand, excuse me, ten thousand. Ten. Ten thousand citizens of ADA county to come into the courthouse in mid July to start filling out jury questionnaires. Judge Hippler also made something else very clear. The decision not to pursue the death penalty. That was the state's call. The court had no power to force prosecutors to seek it or to drop it. And then Judge Hippler addressed Brian Kohberger and asked him a series of questions before asking him, one by one, if he'd committed each murder. Coburger responded with the same word each time. Yes. No details, no elaboration, and no emotion. He was just stone cold.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

Did you on November 13, 2022, enter the residence at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho, with the intent to commit the felony crime of murder?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

Did you, on November 13, 2022, in Lato county, state of Idaho, kill and murder Madison Mogan, a human being?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

And did you do that willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, and with premeditation and malice aforethought?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

Did you honor about that same date in Moscow, Idaho, kill and murder Kaylee Gonsalves, a human being?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

And did you do that willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, and with premeditation and malice aforethought?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

And did you, on that same date in Moscow, Idaho, kill and murder Zana Kernodle? Pardon me, a human being?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

And did you do that willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and malice aforethought?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

And then on or about November 13, 2022, again in Lato County, Idaho, did you kill and murder Ethan Chapin, a human being?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

Did you do that willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and malice of porthot?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Yes.

[Ashley Banfield]

But while Coburger didn't say much, the prosecution did. Lato County Prosecutor Bill Thompson read out some of the state's findings in this case, some of the investigative findings, and for the first time we heard confirmation of a whole lot of new information, some of which had been rumored.

[Bill Thompson]

The state's evidence as an overview would show that back In March of 2022, when the defendant was residing in his parents residence or was residing back in Pennsylvania, his home state, he purchased online a K bar knife and sheath with an Amazon gift card that he had purchased shortly prior to the purchase of the knife, sheath and sharpener. Jumping ahead the end of June of that year, the defendant, Mr. Kohberger, moved from Pennsylvania to Pullman, Washington, which is right across the state line from Moscow, Idaho for the purpose of pursuing a PhD in criminal justice at Washington State University. The State's evidence would indicate the beginning July 9th of 2022, Mr. Coburger's phone began connecting to a cell tower that serves the area of the 1122 King Road residence in Moscow, Idaho. Now I will acknowledge for the court and all present that there are many residences in that area. It's a dense population of mostly college related occupants. Between July 9th of 2022 and November 7th, the defendant's phone connected to that particular tower. During late night early morning hours, 10pm to 4am on approximately 23 times. Now I will acknowledge also we do not have evidence that the defendant had direct contact with 1122 or with residents of 1122, but we can put his phone in that area on those times.

[Ashley Banfield]

Prosecutors confirmed that Coburger drove up the side of the house at 1122 King Road and parked just above the hill where he could scramble down to the back door, the sliding glass door in the kitchen at the back of the house. That's how he entered. They confirmed that he made his way up to the third floor first and killed Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogan first. Then they surprised me. They said as Coburger was coming downstairs to the second floor, somewhere between that staircase and Zanna Kernodle's room. He encountered Zanna and then he killed her. There's been some reporting that he may have chased her, but we didn't get that confirmation in court. What was confirmed is that he killed her after he encountered her outside her room somewhere after the staircase. And then he had turned his attention to Ethan Chapin, who was sleeping in the bed nearby in Zanna's room and stabbed Ethan to death in that bed. Prosecutors said that Ethan was killed in that bed with barely a chance to defend himself.

[Bill Thompson]

There were two other roommates in the house, and they were already asleep. During the course of this, one of those roommates awoke, looked out her door, not knowing what was going on, and saw the defendant, who was dressed in black with black bag on, holding some sort of container in his hand. And she saw him leave the house through the direction of the kitchen, where that sliding door is that I mentioned before.

[Ashley Banfield]

Then Kohberger fled. At 4:20am he was seen leaving in that now infamous white Hyundai Elantra. He drove away so fast, the prosecutors say he nearly lost control of the vehicle as he exited the neighborhood. And he wasn't picked up again on surveillance, likely because he took the back roads to avoid detection.

[Bill Thompson]

The defendant's phone then went to the Lewiston Clarkston Valley, approximately 30 miles south of Moscow and Pullman. And the defendant is actually seen with his car at various businesses down there. This area is the confluence of the Clearwater river and the Snake River. Lewiston is Idaho's seaport. Large bodies of moving water down there.

[Ashley Banfield]

There's also this. The car seen on surveillance videos had no front license plate. And in Pennsylvania, where Coburger's car was originally registered, cars don't need front plates. But just after the murders, and this is critical, Kohberger went to the DMV and re registered his car in Washington State where front plates are required. So that shift may have helped his white Elantra blend in a little better, or at least not stand out. The prosecutors described how investigators pulled trash from the Coburger family home and that inside that trash they found a Q tip. And on that Q tip was DNA from Coburger's father. And the DNA proved to be a close relative of whomever left the knife sheath at the crime scene. That was the connection they needed. It was a Q tip. As for the murder weapon, it still has not been found. That was confirmed in court. They never got their hands on it. But here is one of the most important revelations. When the investigators searched Bryan Kohberger's apartment, the one in Pullman, Washington, on campus. They found nothing. Like nothing, nada, zip, zilch, not a trace of evidence. Remember, we saw them taking things out of that apartment. News Nation was there as they were pulling things out of that apartment. Right. They got the warrant and there were the investigators pulling all these things, bags. And. But we'd heard that there were brown stains, blood like stains on the mattress and on some bedding, et cetera. And we thought, oh, that's got to be something. Nothing, nothing that they found in that apartment had anything to do with what happened at 1122 King Road. That was. That was new. Not a single item from that apartment linked him to that crime scene. There was, quote, nothing of evidentiary value, prosecutors said today. Nothing of evidentiary value. They described that apartment of Brian Coburger's as spartan, meticulously cleaned, even called it spotless. There had been reports that Kaylee's dog had hair that was apparently found inside Coburger's apartment. And prosecutor Bill Thompson basically refuted that today. There was nothing of evidentiary value in that apartment. And there wasn't anything found in his white Elantra either. That Hyundai Elantra. The prosecutors believe that that car was almost dismantled to meticulously clean it. Like, you know how even if you have a really clean car, there's always something in between, sort of the cracks and the crevices that you can't get to. There's always something. Not in this car. No, no, not in this car. It was so cleaned that the normal stuff that the rest of us have in our cars. Wasn't there an effort to erase evidence? Now sounds so much more sinister, right? And in light of his plea, what he did to get rid of everything in that car, which in a way, it tells its own story, because if you're that clean, if your apartment is stripped of any forensic trace, if your car has nothing in it, you know exactly what you're doing. Bryan Kohberger knew exactly what to do after murdering four kids. How to clean up after himself. He was trying to use his little scant knowledge of criminology, right? Even though he was in a PhD program. Boy, was he an idiot. But he was trying to use his scant knowledge to one up the rest of us. But he didn't. Today we know it. Today I can say it. He's guilty. He did it. He killed those kids. Prosecutor Bill Thompson said as much when he told the court that Bryan Kohberger had studied in depth about crime scenes and forensic evidence towards the End of his statement, Bill Thompson's voice actually broke. Almost sounded like he was about to cry. And it broke on the names of all four of these precious innocent lives, these murder victims. Maddie Mogan, Kaylee Gonzalez, Zana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

All right, based on the state's proffer, and importantly, based upon defendants explicit admission to committing these crimes, the court finds there is a factual basis. Therefore, with respect to count one, burglary felony, how do you plead, Mr. Kohlberger, guilty or not guilty?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Guilty.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

As to count two, murder in the first degree, as it relates to the murder of Madison Mogan, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Guilty.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

As to count three, as it relates to murder in the first degree, for the murder of Kaylee Gonsalves, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Guilty.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

As to count four, the first degree murder of Zanna Kernodle, pardon me, a human being, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Guilty.

[Judge Stephen Hippler]

As to count five, the first degree murder of Ethan Chapin, a human being, how do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?

[Steve Gonzalves]

Guilty.

[Ashley Banfield]

And can I just break for a minute here? I am loathe to criticize judges, right? I think they do the best with the circumstance they're in. They are elected. We put that trust and faith in them. And so I don't like criticizing judges, but I cannot tell you that I wasn't very disappointed and sad when Judge Stephen Hippler got Zanna Kernodle's name wrong twice in that hearing today. This is not my case. I don't live in Idaho. I cover other crimes. I do a show every night, not just on Idaho, but I sure as hell know Zanna Kernodle's name. And it. It bothered me just to hear that. It was difficult for him to pronounce it twice. I just. If I were her family member, I would be crushed. I'm not her family member, and I was crushed. For his part, speaking of family members, Kohberger didn't even look at his parents. They came all the way from Pennsylvania. They don't have a lot of money. They haven't been able to visit him. They had to make a trip within two days. They did that trip to be there for him. He did not look at his parents once. Every court reporter that I've spoken with said the same thing. They didn't see him look at them once while he was pleading guilty to these hideous crimes. And they didn't see him look at his parents. When he came in, he just sat there, stone faced, looking forward with a vacant stare, barely Blinking and occasionally looking over at the prosecutor as the prosecutor spoke. And if you know, Angenette Levy from Law and Crime Network, Angenette was in the courtroom and she decided she was going to focus on Bryan Coburger's face while the prosecutor, Bill Thompson, outlined all of those elements of the crime. Right. All the things in the investigation that at least he was going to proffer today in court. We'll hear more, you know, after sentencing, when the gag order is lifted, we will hear more. But just for today, just to satisfy the base elements of what was needed in this change of plea hearing. Angenette Levy stared at Bryan Kohberger's face to see if there was anything there while this prosecutor was outlining the most horrific acts that humans can commit. And she said there was nothing, Just a blank stare. Nothing. For their part, Mr. And Mrs. Kohberger, Michael and Marianne Kohberger looked very sad. They did not cry, but they just looked sad through the whole hearing, according to anybody who has given that report. In court and throughout the hearing, Kohberger's father had his arm around his wife and Kohberger's mother was wearing headphones so that she could hear the court more clearly. The victims families, I mean, they were completely distraught. Some were crying in court. Understandably, one family member even had what looked like a barf bag with them. So now, Brian Coburger, the man who was accused and is now absolutely guilty of one of the most senseless and terrifying crimes in recent history, he has confessed. There is no question about it. He did it. He did it. He did it. He did it four times. There will be no trial. There will be no testimony. But even with the plea, the victim's families remain divided. Some believe justice was served. Others felt it was cut short. And that question of whether this was the right outcome may linger for far longer than the sentencing date, which, by the way, is now set for July 23rd, and if they need it, July 24th. The next day, the victims will get their chance to speak to Brian Coburger directly. They will get their chance to say their piece to the court, to the public, and to him. On my show on News Nation earlier, I was so surprised when Steve Gonzalva said he may not even give a victim's impact statement now because he feels that he has no faith in the system anymore. Who knows if the next three and a half weeks will make the difference, if he'll change his mind, if he'll want to confront his daughter's murderer. It's within his right to do whatever the hell he wants. As for Kohberger, yeah, he gets to speak too, if he wants. Maybe he'll offer more details. Who is this guy? Is he a Dennis Raider? Delighting in the foul degradation of the victims as he relived it in court and offered so much more than anybody needed? He loved it. He loved his moment in court when he was talking about the sadistic killings, plural. Will Brian Kohberger do that? Or will he enjoy the mystery until maybe he decides he wants to write a book or give an interview, whatever, who knows? The prosecution also may just fill in some more gaps, right? Like today, we didn't know what we'd get, but we did get some details, details I had not heard before. But if they want to describe aggravators in this crime, to really nail down this harsh sentence, if they want to describe the aggravators, they may go into more detail, they may reveal more. They may do the same thing they did today with different details. Who knows? But one thing we can say now almost for certain is that this oppressive two and a half year long gag order is. It is going away after sentencing. They're going to keep it in place another three weeks until this process plays out. And then there is always the. The purview of the. The judge to rescind that. But so far it did not seem contentious. It seemed that all parties were okay with the gag order being lifted and every bit of this investigative product finally belonging to us, the public who paid for it. Right, us, the flock. I always say, you and I, we're in the flock. We're within the circle and we do our thing within the circle and we always bump into each other, sure. But there are people who are so far outside of that flock, they are so far out the circle, they don't even share our DNA. And Bryan Kohberger is one of them. He will go down in history, in infamous history as a beast. A beast who was among us, though, outside the flock, right? Who knows what the judge will do on this one. I sure as hell hope that the judge keeps to his word, releases that gag order, because what it does for me is it tells me I at least can be more informed about the world around me and about the evil around me. I feel like all these processes that have led up to my life now, you know, as my. I approach, you know, four decades in journalism as a crime reporter and a war correspondent and a politics reporter and a news reporter, I feel like all of these, you know, packages of details about the beasts among Us. They have let me become more informed about what's out there. They have changed me. How I live, how I walk outside in the dark, how I walk in parking lots, how I lock my doors at night, how I teach my children safety, how I look after my mom. It has informed my behavior. I have gotten better at not becoming a victim. That's what lifting this gag order will help to do. Not just satisfy the prurient, you know, nature of those who are curious about the case. Yes, it's a true crime story, but it's also the story of us. Who are we, you know, bumping into each other in this little circle that we call the flock? How can the good ones among us spot the red flags and spot the beast before the beast gets us? That's what I think lifting this gag order will do. It will also give us the transparency and justice so critical the. The transparency of our process. This is our process. We the people, own the justice system. It's the government. We own it. We are the government. It's us. So keeping this from us is nuts. So, yeah, I can't imagine that they won't rescind this gag order. And I do believe we will become better people because of it. And I do believe we will see things. People may become more angry that the prosecutors made a deal because they may see, dear God, you had more than we even thought and we thought you had him dead to rights. Or they will see when the gag order lifts that maybe they didn't have as much as we thought. I was shocked just today that there was nothing of evidentiary value in Bryan Coburger's apartment in Pullman, Washington. Oh, my God, that shocked me. Maybe there'll be more shocks like that whereby we will start to understand perhaps why the prosecutors made a deal. I don't know. It'll be little solace to the families who are angry about this. I can tell you one other detail. You will never again see Bryan Kohberger wearing civilian clothing. Never again. Today he will take off that tan shirt and tie and he will never again wear civilian clothing. Because anytime he walks into a courtroom from now, there is no presumption of innocence. There is no reason to show him not as an inmate. He's an inmate. He's a convict. Right? He's a felon. He's a murderer. So doesn't matter to the judge. He's dispassionate about that. He knows better than needing to see him in a suit. He will never again wear civilian clothing. He will show up in the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit. And then he will wear prison clothing for the rest of his life. And he has no appeals. So he won't be coming back into a courtroom and wearing fancy clothes again. He will wear prison clothing for the rest of his life. He will sleep on a metal mattress with a met. On a metal bed with a thin mattress. He may not get a pillow. And one prison warden told me just tonight, he may not get a toothbrush. He may not get a toothbrush because he could fashion it into a weapon and maybe kill himself, maybe kill others. He will wear shackles every time he comes out of his cell, and he will likely have two guards with him every time they transport him. He will be shackled to go to the shower, and he may shower in a cage. That's what a warden told me tonight. He may shower in a cage. How about that? He will be in protective custody. And here's an interesting piece. The state of Idaho may ship him out. He may not even serve in Idaho. There is a school of thought. The warden who spoke with me told me Idaho may not be able to provide the kind of safety and security that they have to. To this inmate, not just to him, because he could kill himself. Others could try to kill him. Right, but he could try to kill others. He's a quadruple murderer. And there's no. There's no incentive for him not to commit crimes in prison. Nothing's going to change. He's already in protective custody, likely for the rest of his natural life. He's already going out with a toe tag. That's the only way he's getting out of a prison building. A toe tag. I hope he enjoys the drive from the courthouse to wherever he's headed, because these drives are dwindling. He will likely have only one or two of these, and he will not see trees and the outside world and. And other faces of the flock, because wherever he's going, he's staying. They may transfer him here and again, but that will be his only field trip in a prison van, shackled, and very few of them. Shitty life. Shitty life. As he deserved, right? He deserved the worst. Families who were upset believe that he deserved to have a target pinned to his heart and face down five to seven marksmen with rifles who fired until his heart was pierced and he stopped breathing. Short of that, I just described a pretty shitty life. I don't know if that'll be solace to those among you who feel like I do, who certainly feel like the families, and who feel like the people of Idaho. Students of University of Idaho, students everywhere. People everywhere. People all around the world. I mean this, this was a global sensation. Until sentencing, Cobra's going to sit behind bars, right? He's no longer presumed innocent. Now he's legally guilty. But he is still surrounded by unanswered questions. And the haunting weight of what he did that will never go away. The haunting, haunting, cold blooded nature of this crime. I, for one, hope the why is satisfied. Why those four? Or why those two upstairs? Or why maybe even one upstairs? Why the targeting? Why the cruelty? Why the evil? Maybe we'll get it, maybe we won't. But I'm so thankful that you've been here to share this with me. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Ashley Banfield. And remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.