The father of one of the victims in the Bryan Kohberger case says he’d actually welcome a second trial—calling it a “second shot at the accused murderer” now that the convicted killer is trying to back out of his own guilty plea.
Steve Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee was one of four University of Idaho students murdered in November 2022, told NewsNation he would “love” to see Kohberger held accountable all over again. “Some people want the second bite of the apple, but I would love to have the second shot at the accused murderer,” he said.
Kohberger, 31, shocked the country when he pleaded guilty in July 2025, accepting a life sentence without parole instead of facing the death penalty. But now he’s filed a petition to withdraw that plea, claiming he was tricked by his own lawyers.
According to court documents, Kohberger says his attorneys fed him horror stories about death row, including a false claim that he’d be locked in an “actual 8×8 death row” cell. He insists he’s innocent and that the plea was based on “false promises and blatant disinformation.”
Steve Goncalves isn’t surprised by the move. “This guy wasn’t even a member of our society,” he said, noting the toll the case has taken on Idaho. Still, he admitted that while a retrial sounds good in theory, he worries about dragging his community through more trauma.
Earlier this week, Kaylee’s family called Kohberger “the mosquito you can’t seem to swat” but made it clear they’re “100% ready” for another trial. They believe he’ll get the death penalty if he fights again.
At the same time, the Goncalves family slammed the petition as an “absolute waste of time and taxpayers’ money.” Kaylee’s mom, Kristi, accused Kohberger of playing “judicial games,” telling Newsweek there’s “no merit to it at all.”
Kohberger admitted to killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—all stabbed multiple times. Kaylee also had blunt-force injuries and signs of asphyxia, according to autopsy reports.
Now the big question: will a judge actually give Kohberger that second chance—or will his plea stand for good?
