President Donald Trump would have “forced” Bryan Kohberger to “publicly explain” why he killed four Idaho college students, the White House has said, after the convicted murderer declined to share his motive during his sentencing hearing.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that if it had been up to Mr Trump, more would have been done to deliver justice. “If it were up to the President, he would have forced this monster to publicly explain why he chose to steal these innocent souls,” she said, despite there being no legal obligation for Kohberger to disclose his motive.
Kohberger pleaded guilty in July to the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed to death in a home near the University of Idaho in November 2022. He was sentenced on Wednesday to four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus ten years for burglary.
During the hearing, Kohberger spoke only to “respectfully decline” the opportunity to address the court. Judge Steven Hippler acknowledged the families' desire for an explanation but said the public may never learn the reasoning, adding that focusing on why gives the defendant “relevance” and “power”.
Mr Trump had previously written on Truth Social after the plea deal: “While Life Imprisonment is tough, it's certainly better than receiving the Death Penalty but, before Sentencing, I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders.”
