Judge Steven Hippler called Bryan Kohberger a “coward” who “slithered through the sliding glass door at 1122 King Road” and “now stands unmasked.”
This “unfathomable and senseless act of evil has caused immeasurable pain and loss,” Hippler said. “No parent should ever have to bury their child. This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted upon a person.”
“We are now certain who committed these unspeakable acts of evil, but what we don’t know, and what we may never know, is why,” he said.
Hipper said he wants to know the motive, but that “by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr. Kohberger relevance,” and the “spotlight, attention and power he appears to crave.”
Bryan Kohberger, 30, appears for his sentencing hearing after he was convicted in the 2022 stabbing deaths of four Idaho college students, at the Ada County Courthouse, in Boise, Idaho, July 23, 2025.
Kyle Green/via Reuters
Hipper said he cannot legally force Kohberger to speak, and said even if he did speak, there’s no way to know if he would tell the truth.
“Even in pleading guilty, he’s giving nothing hinting of remorse or redemption,” Hippler said, and said he will not speak of him further beyond sentencing him.
Hippler sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences and 10 years for burglary.
Kohberger appeared to try to speak to his mom before he was escorted from the courtroom.
