
Bryan Kohberger’s family supported him after he was accused of murdering four students
Bryan Kohberger, who confessed to the brutal killings of four University of Idaho students, was raised by his parents in Pennsylvania.
In late December 2022, Bryan was arrested at his parents’ — Maryann and Michael’s — Pennsylvania home in connection with the murders of four University of Idaho students who were killed the previous month. Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were stabbed to death in the middle of the night at their off-campus residence.
In January 2023, Bryan’s family spoke out for the first time since his arrest, saying in a statement that they were cooperating with law enforcement to “promote his presumption of innocence.”
They also expressed their condolences to the victims’ relatives, saying, “First and foremost we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them.”
After confessing to the murders and pleading guilty on July 2, Bryan’s sentencing hearing took place on July 23. With his mom and sister Amanda in attendance, Bryan was sentenced to four lifetimes in prison without parole, as well as 10 additional years for burglary.
Here’s everything to know about Bryan Kohberger’s family, including his parents and two sisters.
His parents raised him in Pennsylvania
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Bryan’s parents, Maryann and Michael, raised him in eastern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, per CBS News.
According to the outlet, his mom worked in the school system, while his father was a maintenance employee.
Per The New York Times, Bryan earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology at a local community college near his hometown.
He has 2 sisters
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Bryan was raised alongside his two sisters, Melissa and Amanda.
According to CBS News, Amanda worked as a school counselor. While she and Melissa have stayed out of the spotlight, in 2011, Amanda appeared in the low-budget slasher film Two Days Back, which was about a group of young students who were murdered by a serial killer, per the outlet.
Bryan was arrested at his parents’ home
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In December 2022, Bryan was arrested at his family’s Pennsylvania home.
According to the probable cause affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE in January 2023, authorities identified him after matching DNA on trash taken from Bryan’s parents’ home to that of the sheath of the knife used in the stabbings that was left at the crime scene.
Nearly two months after his arrest, a new search warrant was unsealed that showed a variety of items taken from Bryan’s parents’ home in Albrightsville, Pa.
According to the warrant, authorities found a Smith and Wesson pocket knife, another knife of unidentified make, a Glock handgun with three empty magazines, black face masks, black gloves, one black hat, a “green leafy substance in plastic bag,” a “book with underlining on page 118” and Bryan’s AT&T bill.
His family pledged to “love and support” Bryan ahead of his trial
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In their January 2023 statement, Bryan’s family pledged to “let the legal process unfold,” adding that they would “love and support our son and brother,” per NBC News.
“We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions,” their statement continued.
Bryan ignored Maryann and Amanda during his sentencing hearing
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On July 23, Bryan was sentenced to serve four lifetimes in prison. While his mother and Amanda were present at the hearing, Bryan ignored them both after learning of his fate, per The New York Times.
According to the outlet, Maryann was seen “shuddering” at times and in one instance putting her “head in her hands” during the sentencing hearing.
During the victim impact statements, Mogen’s grandmother, Kim Cheeley, also had a message for Bryan’s family.
“My heart aches for the kids’ roommates, and the families of the other victims and also the family of the perpetrator,” Cheeley said.