BOISE, Idaho — The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of four University of Idaho students killed in an off-campus home in 2022, continued their criticism of Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thomspon in a press conference outside the courthouse on Wednesday.
Steven Goncalves, Kaylee’s brother, accused Thompson of having a tendency to avoid winnable trials with unnecessary plea agreements.
“After reviewing Bill Thompson’s history, it’s clear our family was never given a fair chance at justice,” Goncalves said.
Kaylee’s father Steve Goncalves said prosecutors reached out to the families with more information about what happened on the day of the murders after to post about the plea agreement.
With the gag order now lifted, Steve shared that Kaylee had been “stabbed over thirty plus times.”
He said that indicated Kohberger is an “absolute monster.”
Thompson acknowledged during the sentencing that not all of the families agreed with the plea agreement, something he attributed to the number of victims and the uniquneness of each family.
The family of Madison Mogen took to the podium outside the courthouse to voice their support of the plea agreement.
“The sentence will ensure this evil will never again terrorize a family as he did ours and three others,” Mogen’s stepfather Scott Laramie said. “Had he been convicted and given the death penalty, we would have had to deal with years leading to decades of appeals. This way, his fate is sealed.”
