Family of Daughter Slain In Idaho Murders Slams Brian Kohberger Plea: 'Deal with the Devil'

Judge Steven Hippler approved the plea agreement, which will spare Kohberger from the death penalty. In exchange, he will serve four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Just hours before Bryan Kohberger is set to appear in court to enter a guilty plea, the family of one of his alleged victims made a fiery public statement about the latest twist in the case.

Kohberger, who is accused of brutally murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, is expected to plead guilty to all charges during a Wednesday court appearance -- a move reportedly made in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table, after earlier attempts to have it removed were unsuccessful.

But the family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the victims who lived at the off-campus home where the killings occurred, is pushing back at the decision -- attacking it hard on social media.

In a scathing statement shared on Facebook, the Goncalves family demanded Judge Steven Hippler step in and stop the deal, claiming there was no input from the victims' families in the plea negotiation.

"Right here, right now, we dig our heels into the earth and carve a line deep in the dirt," the family wrote. "This ain't justice, no judge presided, no jury weighed the truth. [Judge] Thompson robbed us of our day in court. No negotiations, no jury of our peers, not even the pretense of cooperation and fairness."

"Cowardly men, gutless men, they scatter like roaches when the battle closes in. He's retiring on this deal, his shadow slithering toward the exit, leaving only the stench of his betrayal," the post continued. In addition to Kohberger, the post also points the finger at Thompson, who previously presided over the case before it was moved to Ada County, calling him spineless and lacking "basic decency" and "plain human courage."

"No spine, no shred of honor. He didn't have the basic decency, the plain human courage, to face the families, to meet our eyes and ask, 'How do we make an offer that works?'" the family wrote.

"Instead, Thompson cut his deal with the devil, his negotiations didn't require anything other than a simple guilty plea. Allowing him the leeway to blame the same people you are paid to protect. You betrayed us, Thompson," the family continued, as they slammed Thompson for failing their family and the families of the other victims. "Your deal fails to shield the innocent. You could've stood tall and made damn sure the blame stayed where it belongs not on us, not on the broken survivors still carrying the weight of your repeated failures."

The Gonclaves family also made an attempt to own the narrative and take back their power, in a moment that otherwise has left them feeling powerless.

"This is our courtroom now. This moment. This stand. Our voices rise to every American who'll listen," the family noted in their impassioned plea. "We would've provided protection for the roommates, the best friends, the fallen vet—God rest his soul, and every soul in effected in our shattered community. We would've carved our terms like sacred commandments, etched deep into unyielding granite, a testament to those we've lost and the justice they're owed," they wrote, before spelling out what their terms would have been.

"First: Truth—spill it, BK [Brian Kohberger] Every sickening detail only the killer could know, the kind that twists your guts just to hear but turns even a simpleton proberger against you," the statement explained. "Second: You bear the guilt, all of it alone. You don't get to smear the survivors, the ones still waking to nightmares born of your reckless choices. Third: No cashing in on our grief no books, no private interviews with your ex-professor. No one is allowed to study you, because you're not special. You don't get to spit on our kids' graves by making this all about you."

They then turned their attention to the new judge in charge, Steven Hippler, the only one they say can "step into this void, mend the wreckage Thompson left in Latah so-called justice system."

"This is what murder victims' families' negotiation looks like," they wrote. "It's ugly. It's raw. It wild, It's anything but easy. Yet you, Mr. Thompson, didn't even bother to negotiate with us, so this is all we have left there is no more time for us to wait for you to make a stand so we stand in your place!"

The Gonclaves family also directed the statement at their late daughter, who they said deserves better than what the justice system has offered their family.

"Kaylee Jade Goncalves, we love you, baby. You deserved better than this justice system! Your soul is not Thompson bargaining chip, we do not except his plea deals signed in your name. We're screaming for you as loud as we can! Kaylee Jade is better than this," they wrote.

"This is our last shot," the family continued before concluding the statement with another message to Hippler. "Judge Hippler, you are our only hope that our child murder isn't granted control over his destiny in our children's names. You take control of this deal and make it right because now you OWN IT!"

The Facebook post follows another outcry from the Gonclaves family, who said they will fight the plea deal offered by prosecutors.

"Idaho has failed. They failed me. They failed my whole family," Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee, told NBC's Today show.

Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 and was initially slated to go to trial in August after a legal back-and-forth delayed proceedings.

The hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Wednesday.