Brian Coberger pleaded guilty to the murder of four University of Idaho students
The plea deal ensures that Coberger avoids the possibility of a trial and death sentence for the murder of four University of Idaho students.
An Idaho judge paved the way for more information to be released in the murder case against Brian Coberger, who pleaded guilty to the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students.
Judge Stephen Hippler lifted the long-standing gag order on Thursday, July 17th, clearing up the path involved in prominent cases for lawyers, prosecutors, law enforcement and others to speak to the media.
Hippler said the order is no longer necessary as Coberger’s guilty plea means the case will not go to trial. The drastic order has been in place since 2023 and has been challenged by dozens of press outlets claiming it violated the first right to amend the free press.
At the beginning of July, 30-year-old Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murder and accepted a plea deal consisting of four consecutive life sentences. The judicial agreement that divided the victims’ families allowed Coberger to avoid the death penalty and a highly publicized trial.
Prosecutors said Coberger, a criminal justice student at the time of the murder, had long planned the attack that killed Madison Morgen. Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; Ethan Chapin, 20. The student was found dead on November 13, 2022 in a rental house near the University of Idaho campus.
Investigators said DNA evidence, cell phone records and surveillance footage stabbed Coberger and tied it to wounds, shocking the campus community and terrified residents of Moscow, a quiet university town in northern Idaho.
The verdict hearing is scheduled for late July.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
