Bryan Kohberger trial: Parents of slain Idaho victim Kaylee Goncalves reveal she was 'trapped' in corner of room during murder

By Jenny Anna Mathew
Published on : 05:50 PST, Jan 27, 2024

Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the brutal slayings of four University of Idaho students, including Kaylee Goncalves (Instagram/FoxFlash)

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

MOSCOW, IDAHO: Steve and Kristi Goncalves, parents of Kaylee Goncalves, shared chilling insights into their daughter's final moments and revealed she was "completely, totally trapped" in the bedroom she and her best friend Madison Mogen were found in.

Bryan Kohberger is the sole suspect in the November 13, 2022, stabbings that claimed the lives of Ethan Chapin, 20, Kaylee, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Madison Mogen, 21, in their off-campus home in Moscow.

The University of Idaho to hold vigil for Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves (Instagram) — Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle were stabbed on November 13, 2022 (Instagram)

Kaylee Goncalves's parents reveal her chilling final moments

In a revelation that sends shivers down the spine, Kristi described how Kaylee was found "completely, totally trapped" in the bedroom she shared with her best friend, Madison Mogen. The distraught mother added that when their daughter was discovered, she was positioned up against the wall, "in an upright sort of position, up in the corner, slumped."

(EDITORS NOTE: Best quality available) In this handout provided by Monroe County Correctional Facility, 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger is seen in a booking photo after he was arrested on December 30, 2022 in Pennsylvania. Kohberger has been accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students - Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 - in an off-campus house on November 13, 2022 in Moscow, Idaho. — In this handout provided by Monroe County Correctional Facility, 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger is seen in a booking photo after he was arrested on December 30, 2022, in Pennsylvania

The bed, where the bodies of Goncalves and Mogen were found, dominated "the entire room — [you] could barely open up the door without swiping the foot of the bed."

Bryan Kohberger's DNA was found on the stabbing knife

The suspect, Kohberger, was arrested at his parents' Pennsylvania home almost seven weeks after the murders. DNA evidence, including a sheath of the knife allegedly used in the stabbings, and cell phone pings have tied Kohberger to the crime scene.

Prosecutors announced their intent to seek the death penalty against Kohberger in June. "Justice is such a hard word for me, because there is no justice," Kristi said. "Him dying is not going to bring her back," People reported.

Victim's family eagerly awaits Bryan Kohberger's trial

The family is anxiously awaiting a new trial date for Kohberger, the 29-year-old suspect charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary. The trial, previously postponed indefinitely in late August, has left the Goncalves family frustrated with delay tactics.

"We've got to get this case over," Steve urged and added, "Let's do it. Let's stop playing these delay tactics, let's just get it done."

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