Father of Kaylee Goncalves Fires Back at Bryan Kohberger’s Innocence Claim: ‘The Mosquito You Just Can’t Seem to Swat’

Steve Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee Goncalves was among the four University of Idaho students murdered in 2022, says he is prepared for another legal battle if Bryan Kohberger succeeds in securing a new trial.

The father of Kaylee Goncalves is speaking out after Bryan Kohberger claimed he was innocent of murdering four University of Idaho students — despite previously pleading guilty to all four killings.

Steve Goncalves, Kaylee’s father, said Monday, July 27, that Kohberger’s latest claim did not surprise him. In a statement, he compared the convicted killer to “the mosquito you can’t seem to swat,” expressing frustration that the case could potentially return to court.

 

But Goncalves also made clear that he and his family would be ready if Kohberger’s request to withdraw his guilty pleas ultimately leads to a new trial.

“Regardless of how this turns out, our family is 100% ready,” Steve said. “An actual trial this time? Let’s go.”

He added that the family remains confident that Kohberger could face the death penalty if the case goes back to trial and he is convicted.

“We are confident he will get the death penalty that he escaped by pleading guilty the first time around,” Goncalves said.

Kohberger, 31, is currently serving four life sentences without the possibility of parole after admitting responsibility for the murders of Kaylee, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

The four students were killed inside a home near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho, during the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

Kohberger’s guilty plea in 2025 spared him from potentially receiving a death sentence. But in a handwritten petition for post-conviction relief filed July 27, he now claims that he was improperly persuaded to plead guilty and that his constitutional rights were violated.

According to his petition, Kohberger alleges that he received ineffective assistance from his defense attorneys and that his guilty pleas were not made knowingly or voluntarily. He claims he was “convinced to falsely confess” to the murders and burglary because of alleged coercion, misinformation and promises that were not kept.

 

Goncalves sharply disputed the suggestion that Kohberger had been pressured into admitting guilt.

“He did this after deciding not to leave his fate and the facts of the case up to a jury to decide his guilt,” Steve said.

He also pointed to Kohberger’s conduct when he entered his guilty pleas, arguing that the former criminology student appeared to understand exactly what he was doing.

“He never cried wolf or claimed he was uninformed [or] pressured,” Goncalves said. “He admitted to guilt and asked whether he actually was guilty he said ‘yes.’”

The possibility of another trial is particularly painful for the victims’ families, who have already endured years of court proceedings surrounding the killings.

Goncalves said he believed allowing Kohberger to reopen the case would be a waste of time and public resources.

“It would be a disgrace and an absolute waste of time and taxpayers money,” he said of the possibility of a new trial.

He also argued that more attention should be focused on remembering the four students who died rather than on efforts to overturn Kohberger’s conviction.

“I wish as much energy was put into honoring the victims in this case as trying to set a guilty man free,” Goncalves said.

He imagined a different kind of public response to the tragedy — one centered on the lives and legacies of Kaylee, Madison, Xana and Ethan.

“If this was the case, there would be statues of the victims on every corner with parks and days honoring their ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

The Goncalves family has remained outspoken about the case, particularly regarding the circumstances surrounding Kaylee’s death.

According to an unsealed supplemental filing concerning expert testimony, Kaylee and the other three victims suffered a combined total of at least 150 stab wounds.

Kaylee and Madison were found together in Madison’s bedroom after the attack. According to Kaylee’s autopsy findings, she suffered numerous sharp-force injuries, along with blunt-force injuries to her head and injuries associated with asphyxia.

The filing detailed dozens of injuries to Kaylee’s scalp, face, neck, chest and upper extremities. It also described injuries involving her skull, teeth and tongue, as well as bleeding into the chest cavities.

 

Kaylee’s sister, Alivea Goncalves, spoke about the attack during Kohberger’s July 2025 sentencing hearing. She emphasized that Kaylee had been asleep when she was attacked.

During that hearing, Alivea directly confronted Kohberger and told him that if he had not attacked the victims while they were sleeping in the middle of the night, Kaylee would have fought back.

Kohberger ultimately received four consecutive life sentences without parole for the murders, along with an additional 10-year sentence for burglary and financial penalties.

The sentence came after he agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors that removed the possibility of a death sentence.

Now, however, Kohberger is attempting to undo that agreement.

His post-conviction petition argues that his guilty pleas should be withdrawn and that he should be given the opportunity to defend himself at trial.

For Steve Goncalves, the possibility of returning to court does not appear to change his position.

If another trial happens, he says, his family will be there.