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The parents of one of the four University of Idaho students stabbed to death in November have called for the death penalty for Bryan Kohberger, the suspect charged with their murder.
When asked about capital punishment in a NewsNation interview on Thursday, Kaylee Goncalves' mother, Kristi, responded: "We're glad that we live in Idaho," one of 27 states where the death penalty stands.
Kohberger, a 28-year-old Ph.D. student in criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University, was arrested by authorities in Monroe County, Pennsylvania on December 30.
His arrest came more than a month after Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves were found dead in an off-campus residence they shared on November 13. Law enforcement said they had been stabbed multiple times.
Kohberger agreed on Tuesday to be extradited from his home state of Pennsylvania to face charges in Idaho. He appeared in Magistrates' court in Latah County on Thursday morning.
His public defender in Pennsylvania has previously said Kohberger maintains his innocence and is "eager to be exonerated."
During their NewsNation interview on Thursday, Kristi and Steve Goncalves were asked by host Ashleigh Banfield about the death penalty.
"Do you both have a feeling as to how you would respond to that question once the prosecutors put it to you?" Banfield asked.
"Absolutely," Kristi responded. "We know," Steve said.
"I assume you're in favor of the death penalty," Banfield probed, to which the two parents of the slain Idaho student agreed.
"If our daughters could switch places with him—and I'm saying Maddie [Mogen, Kaylee's friend since sixth grade] as my daughter—we'd do it in a heartbeat," Steve elaborated.
"If they could sit there and have three squares [a reference to prison meals], a place to live, we could call them, we could write them letters, they could watch TV, they could get educated."
"I would love if Maddie and Kaylee were doing life in prison right now. At least we could talk to them," Kristi added.
If found guilty, Kohberger faces life in prison or the death penalty for each count of murder.
Referencing the former option, Steve Goncalves commented: "That's not a punishment equivalent to being killed. That's God's role, and if you want to play God's role, then you're going to have to go answer to him."
Kaylee's father previously told the channel that he did not believe Kohberger could have killed his daughter if he had known her. NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin also reported that the family was actively looking for connections between their daughter and Kohberger.
Kohberger is set to appear in court again on Thursday, January 12.
Newsweek hascontacted Kohberger's public defender in Idaho and the prosecuting attorney in Latah County for comment.
About the writer
Aleks Phillips is a Newsweek U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. ... Read more