Today had to have been painful for the families of the four students killed by Kohberger, even more painful for the two survivors. The families are going through a constant hell, get togethers with empty seats, personalities missing from parties, weddings/birthdays/milestones never to be celebrated. Sure, they got their day in court today, to face the monster who killed their loved ones/friends. He sat there stone faced, not a care in the world. Sure, the speakers could beat him up verbally and call him all the names they wanted, but it doesn’t and won’t matter. Kohberger got exactly what he wanted out of this whole ordeal.
He will die famous in the small town of Moscow, Idaho.
Sure, he will be spending his remaining years in a supermax outside of Moscow, but still, everyone in the US knows who Bryan Kohberger is. Similar to Charles Manson, The East Area Rapist, the Unabomber, Whitey Bulger; these folks get/got to die famous.
What’s my point? No one will remember who I am outside of close family and friends when I leave this earthly plane. The entire USA knows who Bryan Kohberger is.
From the day of the quadruple murders to the media circus that followed, to the day of his arrest, he got what he wanted. Everyone was glued to the TV, who done it? Why? How come? Who could be so evil? Was there a serial killer on the loose? Believe me when I say this Kohberger may have been on the run, but he was likely watching the coverage of his murders. It was calculated and planned out, he was studying criminology or something at Washington State University, I say or something because I do not care about him. He wanted attention because he is a sociopath; he knew after committing this heinous crime that he would be featured on; Nancy Grace, Greta Van Susteren, and Ashleigh Banfield (newsnation) nightly for weeks on end. Even though those news hosts claim not to care about him, they covered him extensively for the last 3 years. (This the old news axiom, if it bleeds, it leads.)
His pretrial hearing was insane, the motions to dismiss or disregard evidence that was damning was just a pivot. He had made up several conspiracies about how a friend of the deceased actually killed them not him. It was all a ruse, just a way to keep him in the news. He loved this, he was likely watching from his jail holding cell in county lock up each night. Oh yeah, they get cable tv and access to the internet via iPad type devices…. Paid for by Wiliam’s tax dollars! (Idaho taxpayers) .
If he wanted fame and notoriety, why did he take the plea deal?
Isn’t it obvious? Idaho has the death penalty, oh and by the way they actually use it, unlike the Peoples Republic of California. Oh, and Idaho has the firing squad, good luck saying that’s cruel and unusual punishment like lethal injection. Also, unlike lethal injection, with the firing squad you won’t see a botched execution, they will just shoot you again! So, Kohberger needed to take the plea, no one wants to exhaust their appeals and know death is around the corner. Plus, it was unlikely Kohberger had any appeals that would be heard.
But taking a plea means no appeals, so what was the point in sparing his own life?
Correct, he cannot appeal his sentence, he spared his own life so he can continue to use the media while in jail. Look for Kohberger to run a drill by writing letters to local papers/journalists throughout the area to tell his story. You have large markets like Boise, smaller markets like, Spokane and Pullman, and very small markets like Moscow or Nampa. He only needs one to write back to him. Remember he never spoke at his sentencing hearing nor during the trial, it’s a total mystery as to; how, when, why and what for. He can and will attempt to spill the “tea” by promising to tell all about his murders and the motive in exchange for something. Likely to have his commissary account (food) loaded with money etc. You have to remember jail is no fun, but he gets 3 warm meals a day, a bed, and access to cable and internet in his room. All that is missing is better food, and the attention that will come from the media!
But he cannot get out? Right?
Well yes and no. Sure, life without parole is the sentence (X4 actually, plus ten years) but things can change. They never found the murder weapon, and they have no motive for the killings…. Think the Innocence Project could take this one up at some point? Look in my home state, convicted double murderer Scott Petersen might get a new trial because the Innocence Project took up his case. Political risk is a thing as well; Idaho might be dark red right now but who knows what could happen in 15-20 years? Get a little bluer? Look at the Menendez brothers in California, it’s looking more and more like they will walk free here someday under some sort of “compassionate release program.” (Blogger note: it appears one brother’s health took a fatal turn so that might be driving the release of him.) The Menendez brothers got life without parole, as did quite a few others who are having their sentences re-visited. Kohberger could one day walk free. Likely? Maybe not, but it could happen. Far better chance than being on death row.
The plea deal was a joke, brought by a weak-kneed prosecutor.
While I will admit most of this evidence was circumstantial, they did have DNA and lots of cell phone pings around the scene of the murder in the weeks leading up to it. In a small town like Moscow, you need to pursue the death penalty. The “we didn’t want to put the families through a trial and years of appeals” is BS. If you believe this plea deal was about saving money for the state, you are gullible. This was a Scott Adams (aka Dilbert creator) special…. The prosecutor took the weasel way out. His crying during his statement during the sentencing hearing was for the camera folks, he could and should have gone for the jugular but he refused. He never even let the families of the deceased know.
The judge didn’t have to accept the plea deal either
This is a little-known fact, judges can; accept, deny, or enhance any plea deal. He chose not to. Then he, like the prosecutor, choked up for the camera to put on a show during the sentencing hearing.
In closing Kohberger got what he wanted. He got life in prison, hopefully a fellow prisoner will “Epstein” him. But we have not heard the end from him yet. He will make attempts to tell his story to local reporters, or national ones for that matter. He will try to get his case looked at by the Innocence Project, anything to keep his name in the news. He will torment the families of the deceased for decades. In a just world Kohberger would have been sentenced to death, and the deed done within a decade. The scum wiped from this earth. A deterrent for all who seek to be like him. Commit this crime in Idaho, we will remove you from earth, quickly. But no. He got what he wanted. The families, friends, and people of Idaho now get to pay for this man’s food, shelter, and healthcare for life, oh, include cable and internet as well. Oh, and perhaps most ironically, they will be paying the prison guards to keep him safe from other prisoners who will be trying to kill him.
Even worse, he got to sit in on hours of victim impact statements from families trying to make him cry. Kohberger is evil. He wanted this. He loved every minute of it. He sat there stoic, emotionless, and with no emotion. He loved every minute of it. He knew Van Susteren, Grace, and Banfield would be showing it on tv nightly. He got what he wanted. The lawyer from the local firm Dewey, Screwem, and Howe told me the best thing to have done would have been to not show up. An empty courtroom would have sunk Kohberger. He wanted folks to cry and pour out statements about the folks he killed. The people that he snuffed-out were going to do big things, but for him. Kohberger got his rocks off on the pain that he caused. He loved every minute of it. He uttered 3 whole words during the entire hearing. When the judge asked if he wanted to speak, he said “I respectfully decline.” It was a charade for him; he got what he wanted.
He gets to die famous… doesn’t seem very just to me.
By The Chief