Executive Summary
- Mel Kohberger gave her first interview to The New York Times three years after the Idaho murders.
- Bryan Kohberger is serving four life sentences after pleading guilty in July 2025.
- The family maintains contact with Bryan but expressed deep sorrow for the victims.
- Mel Kohberger reported losing employment opportunities due to her familial connection.
Breaking a three-year silence, the sister of convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger has spoken publicly for the first time regarding the 2022 University of Idaho slayings, describing her family’s struggle to reconcile their love for him with the brutality of his crimes.
In an interview with The New York Times published this weekend, Mel Kohberger revealed that her family had refrained from public comment largely out of respect for the families of the four victims: Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. She stated that the horror of her brother’s actions has eclipsed the fallout experienced by her own family, though she noted the emotional and social toll has been significant.
Bryan Kohberger, a former criminology doctoral student at Washington State University, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the fatal stabbings, accepting four life sentences without the possibility of parole to avoid the death penalty. According to Mel Kohberger, the family continues to support him and maintains contact, yet they remain acutely aware of the devastation he caused. She told the Times that her mother prays daily for the victims’ families and that she personally marks their birthdays in her calendar.
The interview highlighted the collateral damage faced by the Kohberger family since the arrest in December 2022. Mel Kohberger reported that a prospective job in mental health counseling was rescinded after the employer was overwhelmed by inquiries regarding her connection to the case. She also described instances of online harassment and individuals impersonating her on the internet. Despite their continued support for Bryan, she emphasized to the newspaper that had she known of his plans, she "would have turned him in."
Social and Familial Implications
The public statements from Mel Kohberger underscore the complex, often overlooked impact of high-profile capital crimes on the relatives of perpetrators. While the judicial process concluded with Kohberger’s guilty plea and subsequent life sentencing—providing a measure of finality for the state and the victims’ families—the social stigma and psychological burden persist for those associated with the convict. This case highlights the tension between familial loyalty and societal accountability, as well as the enduring nature of digital harassment in the aftermath of widely publicized criminal investigations.
