Who is Kristi Goncalves? Idaho murder victim's mom calls for death penalty for suspect
MOSCOW, IDAHO: In a poignant plea for justice, Kristi Goncalves, the grieving mother of Idaho murder victim Kaylee Goncalves, couldn't hold back tears as she called for the death penalty for suspect Bryan Kohberger, as per The Sun.
Nearly a year after the horrifying discovery of four lifeless bodies in a Moscow, Idaho home, Kristi and her family is still haunted by the brutal loss they endured.
The University of Idaho killings in 2022
On November 13, 2022, the local police made a discovery in an off-campus house in Moscow. The dead bodies of 22-year-old Kaylee Goncalves and her best friend Madison Mogen, along with 21-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, were found.
All four victims were University of Idaho students who were stabbed to death with a military-grade knife by an intruder late at night.
Six weeks later, a breakthrough occurred when authorities arrested 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, a criminology graduate student from Washington State University.
Although DNA evidence from a knife sheath at the crime scene appeared to be a near-perfect match to Kohberger's DNA, he pleaded not guilty.
Now, he faces four counts of murder, with the possibility of the death penalty hanging over him.
Kaylee Goncalves' mother makes heartfelt plea for justice
In an interview with NewsNation, Kristi Goncalves, the mother of Kaylee, made a plea for justice. She expressed her deep anguish and called on the prosecutors to pursue the maximum penalty against the man accused of taking her daughter's life.
Kristi, along with her husband, fears that, if found guilty, Kohberger might gain notoriety for his intelligence, an outcome they desperately wish to avoid.
The pain of losing her daughter has left Kristi unable to enter Kaylee's old room. She confessed that she had only ventured inside twice, and briefly at that. The slow court process and the trial's indefinite postponement have taken a toll on the family's patience.
Prosecutors cited the need to create 3D models of the crime scene, prompting the delay, and the FBI revisited the Moscow house for further investigations.
The Goncalves family played a crucial role in preventing the university from bulldozing the home where the tragedy occurred. They believed it might serve as evidence in the future, a belief that was validated when the modeling process began.
Bryan Kohberger's defense expressed doubts about methods linked to crime
The university confirmed that the house would not be demolished this semester, even though both the defense and prosecution had voted in favor of its removal. Bryan Kohberger's legal team recently scored a significant victory when the judge ordered the prosecution to submit DNA evidence linking him to the crime by December 1.
The prosecution identified Kohberger through genetic genealogy, using databases like Ancestry.com and 23andMe to obtain genetic information. The defense, however, has expressed doubts about these methods and intends to challenge them during the trial.
Investigations revealed that Kohberger had visited the house 12 times leading up to the murders and had attempted to contact some of the victims through social media. Notably, his phone was turned off during the hours when the crime was believed to have taken place.
In May, a not-guilty plea was entered on Kohberger's behalf.