Idaho murders: Victim’s family fundraise to attend Bryan Kohberger trial

The family of one of the four University of Idaho students who was fatally stabbed in 2022 have set up a fundraiser so relatives can attend the murder trial next year.

Bryan Kohberger, 29, is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. They were killed in the early morning of November 13, 2022, at a rental home near the university’s campus in Moscow.

Kohberger, who was a graduate student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, at the time, was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania about six weeks after the killings.

Investigators said they had linked him to the crime using DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene, surveillance videos and cellphone data. Kohberger’s lawyers have provided details about his alibi in court documents, saying he was out driving alone the night of the killings. A judge entered not-guilty pleas on Kohberger’s behalf last year. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted.

Kohberger’s case was moved to Ada County last month. His trial is currently set to begin in Boise in June 2025—though that could change—and expected to last between three and four months.

Last month, a GoFundMe page was set up to collect donations to help Goncalves’ relatives attend the trial in Boise. The page has collected almost $50,000 in donations since it was set up on September 22.

According to a post on the page, the money raised will help pay for accommodation, meals, transportation as well as loss of income for the duration of the trial.

“Kaylee’s family has not missed one hearing or any court appointment since this has started and they would like to continue to attend all of them, even though it is now in Boise,” the post says.

“Now that the trial is looking like it will be in June of next year, the estimates are that it will last about three months. We are looking to find an Airbnb or a house for rent that will house all 10 Goncalves family members as well as their small pets for at least those three months. Since this will be a huge disruption to their work and life, we also would love to raise enough money for meals, loss of work, transportation, etc. Thank you so much for considering, many of you have been such a wonderful support for their family.”

The Goncalves family thanked donors in a message posted on the page on Sunday.

“We are in complete awe of all the love and support from everyone,” it said. “You all mean the World to us and I wish I could hug each and everyone of you. God bless you all. We will never forget what you all have done for us and we hope we can pay you back one day… Much love from the entire Goncalves Family.”

Newsweek has contacted the fundraiser’s organizer via a contact form on GoFundMe.

Kohberger’s trial was moved to a new venue after his lawyers successfully argued that the extensive media coverage in Moscow would make it difficult to find an impartial jury.

During a status conference on Thursday, the judge who is now overseeing the case expressed concerns that having the trial span the entire summer vacation could be challenging for jurors.

Judge Steven Hippler suggested either starting the trial earlier, in May, or pushing the start date to September, The Associated Press reported. After Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson said he preferred May, and Kohberger’s defense attorney Ann Taylor said she preferred September, Hippler decided to hold a closed hearing so the two sides could present their arguments. He has yet to issue a decision on a new trial date.