Spanish
Despite the arrest and conviction of Bryan Kohberger for the murder of four students from the University of Idaho, the unknown about his motives persists. During the sentencing hearing held on Wednesday, July 23, family members of the victims expressed their frustration at the lack of explanations from the person responsible, whose statement was expected to clarify the events that shocked the university community in November 2022.
The case drew national attention after it was discovered that four students —Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin— were found dead from stabbing in a house off campus.
Authorities reported that there were no prior signs of violence or threats towards the group of friends, which generated an environment of concern and search for answers both in Idaho and in the rest of the country.
According to prosecutors, on the night of the events, Kohberger entered the house, went first to the third floor and attacked Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. Subsequently, he went down to the second floor and murdered Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin.
Police managed to link Kohberger, a university student from a nearby school, to the crime after an investigation that included forensic evidence and cell phone location analysis.
Without defined theory or confession
During the legal process, the prosecutors avoided detailing the possible relationship between Kohberger and the victims. So far, a theory about the motive for the murders has not been presented, nor has a previous link between the accused and the university students been confirmed. The silence was reaffirmed at the sentencing hearing, where Bryan Kohberger chose not to make any statement about the facts. The judge in charge of the case, Steven Hippler, addressed the victims' families showing understanding for their suffering, but was emphatic in pointing out that insisting on obtaining direct answers from the accused would only reinforce his protagonism in the case. “Even if I could force him to speak, which legally I cannot, how could we be sure that what he says is true?”, the judge questioned. According to Hippler, turning the focus towards an explanation from the accused might not provide the closure or honesty that the families seek.Families' Frustration
The lack of explanations has been a source of growing frustration among some family members. They believe that the agreement reached in court, which allowed Kohberger to receive a sentence without having to testify about the case, deprived them of the possibility of obtaining clarity and understanding the why of the tragedy. "We wanted to know why. All of this has been devastating, and the least we deserved was an answer," expressed one of the family members during a public statement after the hearing, according to the report by The New York Times. The uncertainty about the motives is also replicated in the academic field. Katherine Ramsland, professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University and former lecturer of Kohberger, expressed surprise at the news of his arrest and said that she found it difficult to accept that a former student of hers could be behind the murders."I thought: 'They have to be wrong. It's not the Bryan Kohberger I know,'" the expert recounted in an interview with the same media outlet. Despite having studied and written about cases of high-profile killers, Ramsland indicated that she has no elements to explain what happened nor does she understand what could have motivated the actions of her former student.
Although the judicial resolution has concluded with the conviction of Kohberger, the mystery surrounding his intentions remains. The authorities and analysts agree that, until now, no one has been able to offer clarity on whether there was any significant connection between the accused and the victims or if there was any specific reason for the homicides.
