Brian Koberger enters plea deal to avoid death penalty
Expected to receive life sentence for killing four University of Idaho students
Brian Koberger, a 30-year-old criminology doctoral student who was charged with the murder of four university students in Idaho, USA, in 2022, has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in an attempt to avoid the death penalty.
According to major foreign media outlets on the 2nd (local time), Koberger negotiated with prosecutors to plead guilty to first-degree murder charges in exchange for being spared the death penalty.
As a result, Koberger is expected to receive a life sentence. He has also waived his right to appeal the verdict or request a retrial.
Brian Koberger, who has been charged with the murder of four students at the University of Idaho, appeared at the Ada County Court in Idaho, USA, on the 2nd (local time). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Koberger was indicted on four counts of first-degree murder for breaking into an off-campus house near the University of Idaho in November 2022, where several students lived, and killing four people. The victims were three women and one man, all aged either 20 or 21. It is believed that they were attacked and killed while they were asleep. Koberger was arrested in his hometown in Pennsylvania 47 days after the crime. It was later revealed that he was a doctoral student specializing in criminal law and criminology at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, Washington, which shocked the public. Koberger had started his doctoral program in August of that year and was also working as a teaching assistant (TA). There were also indications that he was preparing research materials on criminal profiling and psychology around the time of the crime.
WSU and the University of Idaho are located less than a 10-minute drive apart, so students from both schools frequently interact. However, there is no record of Koberger having taken any classes at the University of Idaho.
Prosecutors believe that Koberger committed a premeditated crime, noting that he purchased a weapon eight months before the murders and cleaned the interior of the car he used to flee the scene after the crime. However, his motive remains unknown. Foreign media pointed out that, due to the plea agreement, questions about his motive and other details remain unanswered.
The sentencing for Koberger is scheduled for the 23rd.
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