Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the four University of Idaho students murdered in November 2022, has stated he would welcome a retrial for Bryan Kohberger. Goncalves described a potential new trial as a "second shot at the accused murderer."

Kohberger, 31, confessed to the killings and was sentenced in July 2025 to life in prison without parole after accepting a plea deal that allowed him to avoid the death penalty. However, he has since filed a petition to challenge his conviction. According to The New York Times, Kohberger claims he was misled into accepting the plea agreement due to "false promises and blatant disinformation."

He asserted that his lawyers presented him with grim descriptions of death row conditions, suggesting his life would be better if he took the plea. Kohberger also claimed that "exculpatory discovery" evidence existed in his case prior to his admission.

Steve Goncalves told NewsNation that Kohberger's claims were "to be expected." While he expressed a desire to see Kohberger held accountable to the "full extent of what he's done," Goncalves also acknowledged the potential impact on the state of Idaho. He noted that Kohberger was not a member of their community and that the case had already caused significant distress.

Family members of the victims have referred to Kohberger as "the mosquito you can't seem to swat" and stated they would be "100% ready" for a trial. They expressed confidence that he would ultimately receive the death penalty, a sentence he avoided by pleading guilty.

Kohberger's defense attorneys allegedly did not raise concerns about being uninformed, pressured, or issues with discovery during the initial proceedings. The Goncalves family, however, labeled the idea of a second trial an "absolute waste of time and taxpayers money" and "a disgrace." Kaylee's mother, Kristi Goncalves, accused Kohberger of engaging in "judicial games" and stated that the family does not believe his claims have any merit.

By pleading guilty, Kohberger, who was a criminology Ph.D. student, avoided a trial where he would have had to explain his motives for the murders. Autopsy reports indicated that all four victims, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, died from multiple sharp-force injuries. Kaylee Goncalves also sustained blunt-force injuries to her face and showed signs of asphyxia.