Bryan Kohberger Claims He Shouldn’t Have to Pay Victims’ Families, Cites GoFundMe Campaigns

Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers are quibbling over the restitution money he owes his stabbing victims’ loved ones, according to a new filing obtained by Fox News on Tuesday, October 21.

When the former criminology grad student, 30, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the brutal 2022 murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20 — in exchange for being spared the death penalty — he agreed to pay $250,000 in fines, $20,000 to each of the families, plus “funeral expenses and funds reimbursed through Idaho’s Crime Victim Compensation Fund.”

The filing argues that prosecutors submitted receipts requesting an additional $20,409.32 for Kristi and Steve Goncalves, and $6,920.32 for Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, that does not fall under the original agreement.

Kohberger’s lawyers acknowledge that part of those expenses — for the good friends’ urns — should be billed to him.

But the rest was for travel and accommodations to travel to his hearing, which doesn’t count as “economic loss,” they argue, and is therefore not covered by the Crime Victim Compensation Fund.

The Goncalves and Laramie “received extensive funds through multiple GoFundMe campaigns that specifically asked for and covered the expenses sought,” the filing argues.

Kohberger is currently serving four life sentences in Idaho Maximum Security Institution.

Because of this, the filing notes, the murderer “has no ability now or in the future to pay” his financial debts.