Bryan Kohberger’s Bold Move Welcomed By Victim’s Dad As New Trial Puts ‘Death Penalty’ Back On The Table: ‘I Would Love It’

Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee, one of the four University of Idaho students allegedly murdered by Bryan Kohberger, is speaking out on the shocking development in the murder case.

The accused killer had initially taken a plea deal that ensured he evaded the death penalty, but required he admit to the murders of the four students. This led him to receive four life sentences, which he is now trying to undo by declaring his innocence and demanding a trial.

Reacting to the move by Bryan Kohberger, Steve Goncalves shared that he would love to have a “second shot” at the accused killer, especially if it means he gets the death penalty.

Kohberger, the man who admitted in court to killing University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, has made a stunning 180, as he plans to undo his plea deal while maintaining his innocence.

In his first-ever prison interview, he told the New York Times that he was duped into accepting the deal after being allegedly fed lies.

The accused killer has also taken steps to legally reverse his plea deal, while requesting a trial, a move that has been surprisingly welcomed by one of the victims’ fathers, Steve Goncalves.

In a chat with NewsNation’s Jesse Weber Live, Goncalves hinted that he was in support of Kohberger’s request to have his day in court, as it would give him the chance to hold Kohberger “accountable.”

“I’d love to have the second shot at the accused murderer. I would love for us to be able to reline him up and hold him accountable to the full extent of what he’s done. … I would love it,” the father of late Kaylee stated.

He, however, noted that Kohberger’s move would mean more sadness for his community and family, who were severely impacted by the alleged killer’s actions.

“I feel for my community,” Goncalves continued. “This guy wasn’t even a member of our society. He wasn’t even a member of our state, and we’ve really just been totally put through the wringer having to defend this loser.”

Steve Goncalves Family Labels The Alleged Idaho Students Killer A ‘Mosquito’ They Just Can’t ‘Seem To Swat’

When Kohberger’s shocking demands made headlines, Goncalves and his family quickly released a statement expressing how drained they were by the alleged killer’s continued presence in their lives.

“‘The mosquito you just can’t seem to swat’ — that is what Kohberger and his following have become to this family,” the statement read, per Us Weekly.

They then labeled Kohberger a “guilty man once again claiming he is innocent,” noting that he initially pleaded guilty to the murders, choosing “not to leave his fate — or the facts of the case — to a jury.”

“He never cried foul, never claimed he was uninformed or pressured, and never suggested there were problems with the discovery materials he and his counsel had reviewed for two years that should have been challenged,” the Goncalves family continued. “He admitted his guilt. When asked whether he was actually guilty, he answered, ‘Yes.’”

They added in their message: “He would have preferred a death-penalty trial; we believe fully in the evidence. Instead, BK received exactly what he asked for: a deal that spared his life. Know this — he hates that life. He wants another chance to roll the dice.”

The Bereaved Father Says The ‘Death Penalty’ Is Exactly What They’ll Go For If Bryan Kohberger Is Granted Trial

Steve Goncalves is furious @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/3Ae72s9uIT

— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) July 2, 2025

In another statement, Goncalves revealed he was not worried about Kohberger standing trial.

According to the bereaved father, he has always had faith in the process and trusted the police and investigators to nail the accused killer for his crimes.

Goncalves and his family were the first to express serious disapproval after Kohberger took his plea deal, stressing that the state of Idaho had “failed” them as it meant the former PhD student would avoid the death penalty.

At the time, they said that the “very unexpected” move left them “beyond furious.” Now, Goncalves seemingly feels he has the chance to get his daughter the justice she deserves.

Speaking to the Idaho Statesman, he noted, “We’re not scared of it. I always stood by the work of the FBI agents and other people. If he wants to fight for the death penalty, that’s exactly what we’ll go for, and that’s what he’s facing.”

“There’s so much evidence against him in this case. So we’re not scared of a trial, not one bit,” Goncalved added.

What The Accused Idaho Killer Said About His Plea Deal

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In his chat with a New York Times reporter on Sunday, Kohberger delivered a series of shocking remarks, boldly asserting an “absolute claim of innocence.”

The four-time life sentence recipient claims he was completely blindsided by his previous legal team, particularly the plea deal he feels he was duped into accepting.

Blasting the paperwork that saved him from death row, Kohberger declared, “My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn.”

He then called out the prosecution’s evidence, writing off the state’s official timeline of the murders as a highly narrow and “myopic narrative” that plays out like a mere “work of fiction.”

Bryan Kohberger Says ‘Justice Will Remain’ Miscarried If His Guilty Plea Is Not ‘Withdrawn’

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The core of Kohberger’s argument rests on the idea that the prosecution’s evidence was never properly picked apart.

In his statement to the NYT, he complained that the foundation of the state’s case went completely untested, claiming its “faulty premises were never challenged at trial.”

The former criminology student is doubling down on the narrative that a bypassed trial ruined any chance at uncovering the real story of the quadruple murders.

Kohberger argued that since the legal process was “circumnavigated by a broken plea, the trial never provided the public the clarity conducive to closure.”

In his statement, the accused killer warned that “justice shall remain abjectly miscarried unless that plea is withdrawn,” insisting that true closure cannot exist under the current verdict.