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 was sentenced to four life sentences without the possibility of parole on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. 

The and families of the victims delivered emotional statements at the sentencing hearing, held in a courtroom in Boise. When given the opportunity to speak, Kohberger declined to do so. 

Kohberger  of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves as part of a plea deal that spared him . He was in the courtroom Wednesday wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and listened as the families of the victims confronted him with powerful statements. 

The hearing lasted about three hours, with more than a dozen family impact statements read aloud.

Chapin, Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves were killed at a home in Moscow, Idaho, during the . Kohberger was arrested at his  six weeks later. Prosecutors said that if the case had gone to trial they would have used  that linked Kohberger to the crime scene, his , surveillance video of Kohberger's car, and cellphone data that showed him in the vicinity of the killings. His motive is still unknown.

Judge Steven Hippler spoke emotionally for several minutes before sentencing Kohberger. He called Kohberger a "faceless coward" and said he was in "great awe" of the family members who had given statements. He also criticized Kohberger for failing to show remorse or regret about the slayings. He said he could not legally force Kohberger to explain why he had committed the slayings, and said he did not believe Kohberger would answer the question truthfully either way. 

"There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality," Hippler said. "No conceivable reason could make any sense, and in the end, the more we struggle to seek explanation for the unexplainable, the more we try to extract a reason, the more power and control we give to him. In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger's 15 minutes of fame." 

After speaking, Hippler sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was also sentenced to 10 years in prison on the burglary charge. Kohberger did not react after the sentence was read out. 

For each charge, Kohberger was also charged $50,000. He also owes a civil penalty of $5,000, payable to the family of the victim, for each murder charge. 

Kohberger will be required to submit DNA as part of the plea deal, Hippler said. Kohberger has waived his right to an appeal, but can file a notice of appeal, Hippler said, though that notice might violate the plea agreement. 

About two hours of the hearing were dedicated to statements read by the loved ones of the victims. The first victim impact statement was read on behalf of , who had and called 911 after finding their bodies. 

"That was the worst day of my life, and I know it always will be," Funke said in the statement, which was read by friend Emily Alant. Funke added that she checks her room every night to ensure there is no one hiding in the space, and said she has struggled to sleep since the slayings. Alant cried as she read the statement, while Kohberger showed no emotion. 

, the other surviving roommate, was the next to speak. She was visibly distraught and took several moments to collect herself before beginning to read her statement through tears. She said she has struggled with panic attacks since the killings. 

"I was barely 19 when he did this," Mortensen said. "We had just celebrated my birthday at the end of September. I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable."

Scott Laramie, Madison Mogen's stepfather, then read a victim impact statement on behalf of himself and Mogen's mother, Karen Laramie. He remembered Mogen as someone who "always brought us joy" and who prioritized spending time with her family before she was "taken senselessly and brutally in a sudden act of evil." 

"This world was a better place with her in it," Laramie said.  

Karen Laramie had a second statement read on her behalf by her lawyer, Leander James. Mogen's paternal grandmother Kim Cheeley also spoke, thanking prosecutors and law enforcement officials for "bringing this case to closure." 

Mogen's father, Ben Mogen, said that his daughter had already earned all of the credits necessary for her degree at the time of the slayings, and wiped his eyes as he spoke. 

"Maddie was my only child that I ever had. She's the only great thing I ever did and the only thing I was ever proud of," Ben Mogen said. He recounted taking her to concerts with friends, and shared a Father's Day card that he said was the last thing his daughter ever wrote to him, where she'd written "I can't wait till we can hang out again soon." 

Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, turned the podium to address Kohberger directly. Kohberger continued to not react, though he made eye contact with Steve Goncalves as he spoke. 

"Today, we're here to finish what you started," Steve Goncalves said. He called Kohberger a "complete joke" and said the families of the victims "took this disaster" and kept it focused on their loved ones. 

"All anyone talked about when they talked about this case was Kaylee Jade, Maddie May, Xana and Ethan," Steve Goncalves said. 

He was followed by Alivea Goncalves, Kaylee Goncalves' older sister, who had also been close to Mogen. She again directly spoke to Kohberger, and he maintained eye contact with her, as she called him a sociopath.

"No one is scared of you today. No one is impressed by you. No one thinks you're important," Alivea Goncalves said. There was applause in the courtroom after she finished speaking. She was followed by her and Kaylee Goncalves' mother, Kristi, who again directly addressed Kohberger. Goncalves family attorney Shannon Grey read statements from Kaylee Goncalves' aunt and grandmothers. 

Jazzmin Kernodle, the older sister of Xana Kernodle, was the first member of her family to speak. She remembered her younger sister as a "kind, funny" woman who "was everyone's best friend." Her father Jeff Kernodle spoke next. He said that the night of the murders, he had been just seven miles from the house and wanted to drive over — but decided against it because he had been drinking. 

"I wish I would have drunk and drove. They would have had a chance, all four of them," Jeff Kernodle said. 

Next to speak was Kim Kernodle, Xana's aunt. She told Kohberger that she had "forgiven" him for the slayings. 

"I no longer could live with that hate in my heart, and for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you. Any time you want to talk and tell me what happened, find my number. I'm here. … I'll be that one that will listen to you." 

Kernodle's uncle Stratton Kernodle and stepfather Randy Davis also spoke briefly, with Davis receiving applause after telling Kohberger to "Go to hell." Karen Worthington, Xana Kernodle's mother, then addressed Kohberger directly, facing in his direction as she read a prepared statement. She also said she had forgiven Kohberger. 

"I do not fear you or even let you rent space in my head anymore. This forgiveness has released me from any and all evil you have released on me and my family," she said.  

After the families finished speaking, prosecutor Bill Thompson took the podium. He walked through the past few weeks of the case, and said the families of the victims had only been interested in a plea agreement that saw Kohberger plead guilty on all counts and waive appeal on all of his motions, which would have "consumed years or decades in the future." 

The families of the victims were . Mogen's father told TheNews he was relieved to learn of the deal, saying it will allow his family to "actually put this behind us." The Goncalves family has bitterly criticized the agreement, and  after a  that they believe the plea deal gives Kohberger a chance to live a "better and more rewarding life inside" prison. 

Thompson said the deal was kept confidential until the last minute because officials did not want to taint a prospective jury pool if the case did proceed to trial.  

"Now, it is time for the judicial system to impose final judgement and close the door on this chapter of these tragedies," Thompson said. 

He asked that the judge sentence Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences in prison, one for each murder, and 10 years in prison on the burglary charge. As Thompson named each victim, their photo was shown in the courtroom. He also shared a group photo of the foursome. Crying could be heard in the courtroom as Thompson spoke. 

After Thompson spoke, Hippler asked the defense if they had evidence or an argument to present. The team said no. 

Hippler asked Kohberger if he would like to make a statement. 

"I respectfully decline," Kohberger said. It was the first time he spoke all day. 

Family members could be heard murmuring, "Surprise, surprise," and, "Coward."