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(NewsNation) —The families of four Idaho college students fatally stabbed by Bryan Kohberger got a chance to face him in court during his sentencing hearing on Wednesday.
Family members gave emotional statements about the loss of their loved ones and the grief and pain they have dealt with since the murders.
Kohberger declined to speak when given the opportunity, before a judge handed down four consecutive life sentences for murder and an additional ten-year sentence for burglary.
The former criminology student took a plea deal, agreeing to serve four life sentences for the 2022 murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
He confessed to killing them in court, avoiding a trial where prosecutors intended to seek the death penalty. The guilty plea marked an unexpected halt to a yearslong legal process for the victims’ families, who now have their only opportunity to make impact statements at the sentencing hearing.
The families have been divided on the plea, with one family calling it "hurried" and another saying it would help bring them closure.
Without a trial, they may never get an answer to the question of why Kohberger committed the crime. A judge lifted the gag order in the criminal case against Kohberger earlier this month.
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