The parents of University of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves are grappling with the emotional toll of forgiving their daughter's killer, Bryan Kohberger, as he attempts to withdraw his guilty plea.
Kohberger pleaded guilty in 2025 to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, a decision that spared him the death penalty. He was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole, plus a decade for burglary. However, Kohberger is now asking a judge to set aside the plea.
"According to the Bible, we need to forgive him," Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee's mother, stated in an interview on "Hang Out with Sean Hannity." "But Steve said he's never asked for forgiveness. He's never showed an ounce of remorse. He's claiming that he didn't do this. So, what, do we forgive him?"
Kohberger, 31, was convicted of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in November 2022. Investigators found Kohberger's DNA on a knife sheath discovered at the crime scene. Kristi Goncalves described her struggle with forgiveness, saying, "I envision what took place in that house that night, and I feel like he is a demon. I feel like he is… the devil himself."
Steve and Kristi Goncalves expressed frustration with Kohberger's efforts to withdraw his plea after years of trauma for the victims' families. "If anybody wants to entertain this appeal… I will blast this case through the roof," Steve Goncalves said.
Kristi Goncalves spoke about her ongoing internal conflict regarding forgiveness. "I say, ‘God, I know I'm supposed to forgive him, but how? How do I forgive him? He did such horrible things,'" she recounted. She questioned her obligation to forgive someone she perceives as a "demon" or "the devil."
Kristi Goncalves also noted her daughter suffered severe facial injuries, making her unrecognizable. Steve Goncalves characterized the killings as the culmination of Kohberger's "sick fantasy."
"There is something very non-human about him," Kristi Goncalves said, recalling her experience seeing Kohberger in court. "And I know that from my impact statement, looking at him, the way he looked at me… I don't know if he's human at all."
The parents have established a foundation to assist with cold cases, a mission driven by their experience.
