Family of victim in Bryan Kohberger case say they were sent into 'panic mode' after plea deal

The family of Kaylee Goncalves one of the casualties of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger declared Monday they were sent scrambling and jumped into panic mode after Kohberger accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty Kohberger is accused of killing Goncalves Madison Mogen Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in a a m home invasion attack on Nov Goncalves' -year-old sister Aubrie explained she refuses to stay silent and reaffirmed her family advocacy for the death penalty in this situation She mentioned she was unable to attend the family's meeting with prosecutors in person to make her episode She explained what the victims' families have endured since the murders is beyond comprehension pointing to delays and the relocation of proceedings that made it harder for loved ones to attend She argued that the justice system has placed heavy burdens on people already carrying unimaginable grief but that they have attempted to hold on to hope BRYAN KOHBERGER ACCEPTS PLEA DEAL IN IDAHO APPRENTICE MURDERS EVENT We ve supposed in the process We ve had faith in the system But at this point it is impossible not to acknowledge the truth the system has failed these four innocent casualties and their families Aubrie wrote on the family's Facebook page These are not just names or headlines Ethan Chapin Kaylee Goncalves Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle were beautiful human beings who touched countless lives she continued They are not just 'The Idaho Four ' They were sons daughters siblings and friends real people with real dreams They deserve to be remembered for who they were in life not only for the tragedy of their deaths But before that can truly happen they deserve justice Nothing less The introduction of the plea deal weeks before the scheduled trial is both shocking and cruel she revealed adding that the families could have had time to process discuss and potentially come to terms with the idea of a life sentence if it had come sooner BRYAN KOHBERGER RETURNS TO COURT FOR HEARING ON PILE OF EVIDENCE HE WANTS THROWN OUT BEFORE TRIAL Bryan Kohberger facing a life in prison means he would still get to speak form relationships and engage with the world she explained Meanwhile our loved ones have been silenced forever That reality stings more deeply when it feels like the system is protecting his future more than honoring the casualties pasts She announced the justice system was created to serve and protect not to retraumatize grieving families adding time and time again we find ourselves blindsided unheard and unsupported This last-minute plea deal feels less like an act of justice and more like an afterthought she mentioned We are not asking for vengeance We are asking for accountability We are asking for dignity for our loved ones And we are asking pleading for a justice system that truly lives up to its name The family explained in another post that they vaguely spoke to prosecutors Friday about the possibility of a plea deal but that it was a hard no for them They noted the majority of the conversation was about the upcoming trial and nothing prepared them for the next attempts They explained they received an email Sunday night that sent them scrambling and they forthwith jumped into panic mode and started making phone calls and sending emails The family met with the prosecution again on Monday to reiterate their backing for Kohberger receiving the death penalty Unfortunately all of our efforts did not matter the family explained We DID OUR BEST We fought harder than anyone could EVER imagine The four casualties had all been stabbed multiple times with a large knife according to prosecutors Police recovered a Ka-Bar sheath that they allege had Kohberger's DNA on it near Mogen's body Fox News' Michael Ruiz contributed to this statement