GUILTY PLEA DEAL ACCEPTED - 4 Univ of Idaho Students Murdered, Bryan Kohberger Arrested, Moscow, Nov 2022 #111

[PunishThenForgive]

The brybrows look bleached to me... Mia Goff style ha

Doubt the lock up barber has a bottle of peroxide though. There's a stark brow difference imo so he's consciously done something to alter their appearance. Maybe bic'd them to the stumps. I hardly doubt he's built enough cred inside for the barber to give him any extras on top (think Mangiones stylish taper fade and eyebrow threading prior to his first appearance) beside the typical cut given.

Scrawny creep looks like he's crawled off the trailer of 28yrs later

Don’t get me started on superstar Luigi Mangione.

Perhaps BK is having a Lady MacBeth moment. Did those bushy brows get a speck of two of blood on them during his senseless rampage?

Sorry, BK, no matter how much you try to rub out your eyebrows, we know who you are, and so do you.

 

[Kudzuu]

It's a "fixed" sentence, which is life without parole. He has 4 of these and a 10 years for burglary on top of that. And of course, no appeals.

Can he be pardoned?

 

[teeby]

I'm still getting over the fact that SteveP is old enough to remember Wooly Willy. I've always pictured him as a handsome, brilliant fellow around 30.

I'm 33 and I have played with Wooly Willy at my grandparents' house!

 

[10ofRods]

I think she's written at least ten. Trust me, she can make a book from it.

MOO

Not 10 books about specific killers. Her books are typically more general than that (histories of serial killers based on secondary sources; theories on the minds of serial killers based on the same sources, etc). She has only written two books that I can find on individual murderers (Rader and Elmer Wayne Henry, Jr - that one is entitled the "Serial Killer's Apprentice" - one of the most chilling true crime books ever).

I'm sure she can make a book already, just from claiming that she had Kohberger in her class. However, I agree with her attorney that she needs to be quite careful or she could find herself on the wrong side of a civil suit. At any rate, I can't see her trying to write about Kohberger if she doesn't make a deal to give all proceeds to the families, to curb her own liability. It's a weird situation that Kohberger has put her into.

IMO.

 

[10ofRods]

Can he be pardoned?

Of course. But who in Idaho would pardon him? Federal pardons apply only to federal crimes. I can't imagine a Governor of Idaho taking that kind of risk!

And why? Why would anyone do it?

 

[Dotta]

Not 10 books about specific killers. Her books are typically more general than that (histories of serial killers based on secondary sources; theories on the minds of serial killers based on the same sources, etc). She has only written two books that I can find on individual murderers (Rader and Elmer Wayne Henry, Jr - that one is entitled the "Serial Killer's Apprentice" - one of the most chilling true crime books ever).

I'm sure she can make a book already, just from claiming that she had Kohberger in her class. However, I agree with her attorney that she needs to be quite careful or she could find herself on the wrong side of a civil suit. At any rate, I can't see her trying to write about Kohberger if she doesn't make a deal to give all proceeds to the families, to curb her own liability. It's a weird situation that Kohberger has put her into.

IMO.

Sorry to be blunt.

But if someone misses red flags in one's own field of career,
then.... ummm....
whatever book on this particular subject/perp would not interest me at all.

Only MY Opinion

 

[bestill]

Sorry to be blunt.

But if someone misses red flags in one's own field of career,
then.... ummm....
whatever book on this particular subject/perp would not interest me at all.

Only MY Opinion

This!!!

 

[Herat]

I honestly don't see other violent offenders opening up to some pseudo-academic inmate with their emotions, motives and feelings, pertaining to their crimes. I believe they are largely likely to find BK as a wannabe know-it-all who may have had far more opportunities than many of them did, and still ended up where they did. I do not think they will be impressed with his crimes, with getting caught, nor with his book knowledge, and do not see any benefit for them in discussing their crimes with him. He could not help himself, and cannot help them. He is not a psychologist. If anything, I almost expect them to hone in on him, right away, letting him know that he is nobody in the hierarchy of power inside the walls, and he will do well to play nice with those who are.

Aside from all of that, I really do not see him as the kind to easily make friends inside, if he even attempts to, which I kind of doubt. JMO

Agree

I envision him being seen as a complete loner, an outsider, too socially inept to ever be able to manipulate the hard cases he is going to come up against. He will be shunned, mocked, and eventually ignored.

 

[mickey2942]

People don't understand that as a victim's family, they really don't have any right to demand a trial for the accused or demand specific punishment. It is the "state" that has the case against the accused.

There are many cases on WS where the family of victims were not happy with the plea deals.

At least in this case, the maximum amount of time has been imposed on BK. He will never leave prison.

 

[PunishThenForgive]

I feel that not giving BK life without parole is what minimized this for her Father. He will be eligible for parole in future years!

PunishThenForgive said:
Luckily, all five sentences are consecutive. Given the nature of his crimes and the shortened life span of prisoners, I wager he’ll die in prison.

IMO

I think there is 100% chance that he'll die in prison. While some states consider "life" to be 20 years or so, in Idaho, life in prison is literally life in prison until you die. I approve.

I totally agree, @maskedwoman. I wrote the post you quoted in response to another poster who was worried that BK might get out on parole.

I had heard BK got life without parole for each murder and was surprised there was no mention of that in the plea agreement. So I was as worried as @Bree1950 about BK eventually getting out on parole.

So I researched and found that a life sentence in Idaho has a minimum incarceration period of ten years, and that there is no minimum incarceration period for burglary (IIRC).

BK’s four life sentences were consecutive, so that meant he would be in prison for a minimum of 40 years.

I then looked up the effect of imprisonment on the average life span of a convict, and I was surprised to find out that each year of incarceration shaves off, on average, two years of the expected life span of a convict (or ex-con).

So the odds didn’t look good for BK to get out of prison alive.

After this post, I re-read the plea agreement yet again and finally noticed that it said BK would receive four fixed life sentences. After doing a deep dive, I followed up the post you quoted with another later the same afternoon in which I tried to explain the source of people’s confusion: in Idaho, a fixed life sentence means life without parole.

I also pointed out that the five sentences BK agreed to were maximum ones, so Hippler can give BK lesser ones during the sentencing hearing, as long as they are allowed by law.

Since Idaho law requires a fixed life sentence for any first degree murder with a statutory aggravating circumstance that occurs beyond a reasonable doubt, Kohberger will assuredly receive at least one fixed life sentence (without parole). That, combined with the fact that BK has forfeited his right to appeal the sentence handed down by Judge Hippler, means he will, indeed, die in prison.

For reference, here’s the follow-up post to the one you quoted:

I think people are confused by the term “fixed life sentence” used in the Plea Agreement. Here’s a screenshot of the agreement, with the relevant statement highlighted:
View attachment 599539It is clear from this document that “fixed” means without parole. Here’s a screenshot (like me, the state of Idaho seems to be a fan of Dostoyevsky):

View attachment 599537

During the plea hearing, Judge Hippler read the penalties listed in the plea agreement, but he also stated that these are maximum penalties.

The Court (that is, Hippler himself) can instead impose lesser penalties, but not because the Defendant asks him to do so.

You can read Hippler’s description of these lesser penalties in this screenshot of the hearing’s transcript:

View attachment 599541
View attachment 599542

I doubt Hippler will lesson the sentences for each murder since Idaho law requires a fixed life sentence for a first degree murder with a statutory aggravating circumstance beyond a reasonable doubt. I assume a confession of the crime erases any doubt.

I suppose Hippler could forego sentencing the murderer for burglary, and he could even allow all four fixed life sentences to be served concurrently. But one fixed life sentence is equivalent to life without parole. So the murderer will spend the rest of his life in prison.

IMO

 

[Sundog]

Not 10 books about specific killers. Her books are typically more general than that (histories of serial killers based on secondary sources; theories on the minds of serial killers based on the same sources, etc). She has only written two books that I can find on individual murderers (Rader and Elmer Wayne Henry, Jr - that one is entitled the "Serial Killer's Apprentice" - one of the most chilling true crime books ever).

I'm sure she can make a book already, just from claiming that she had Kohberger in her class. However, I agree with her attorney that she needs to be quite careful or she could find herself on the wrong side of a civil suit. At any rate, I can't see her trying to write about Kohberger if she doesn't make a deal to give all proceeds to the families, to curb her own liability. It's a weird situation that Kohberger has put her into.

IMO.

Bringing this post over from a discussion we had in 2023 regarding Ramsland's book on BTK and discussion of how she might structure a book with BK.
---------------------------------------------------

This is what I have been able to find so far. It sounds to me like the lawyer for the families has developed a contract where Ramsland would get about 25% of any profit/royalties and the victims' families would get about 75% of profits, and that the families of the victims would have final say in the approval of any media portrayals of BTK and his victims. At least that's how I interpret this section of the article, below.

One question people often ask about this unusual collaboration is whether Rader profits from it. He doesn’t, Ramsland explained. In the past 40 years, so-called Son of Sam laws — named after David Berkowitz, who considered selling his story to great outrage in 1977 — have prevented a number of murderers from making money from their stories. In 2005, Thompson worried that Son of Sam laws did not go far enough: They varied from state to state, and a 1991 court ruling had found them to be too broad and possibly unconstitutional. So Thompson and his then co-counsel, Mark Hutton, drew up a contract that gave the families of the victims 75 percent of the profits of all media rights. The current contract, though slightly different, is similarly generous. (Sony has already optioned a TV series.)
ETA link

The Serial Killer’s Co-Author (Published 2016)

Katherine Ramsland has written many books on macabre subjects, but her latest volume takes a startling new form: a collaboration that lets a notorious murderer — Dennis Rader, a.k.a. the ‘B.T.K. Killer’ — tell his own story.

www.nytimes.com

 

[SteveP]

Of course. But who in Idaho would pardon him? Federal pardons apply only to federal crimes. I can't imagine a Governor of Idaho taking that kind of risk!

And why? Why would anyone do it?

Exactly. Pardons of convicted multiple murderers are extremely rare, and when they do occur, they are usually tied to new evidence perhaps pointing to innocence of the prisoner, or extreme rehabilitation of the criminal. In this case, BK admitted to the especailly heinous killing of four sleeping/intoxicated college students, in their home, plus one count of burglary. No future evidence of his innocence is going to be forthcoming. He accepted the terms of the plea arrangement, which while maybe not specifically addressing the possibility of pardon, did forbid him to ever seek appeals, and made clear that the intention was that he would remain in prison for the rest of his life, four FIXED sentences.

I cannot fathom any governor or parole and corrections board ever recommending a pardon for this killer. JMO

 

[LAborn]

I am curious about this. Has there ever been a book written or a crime series from the perspective of a criminal psychologist unknowingly actively involved with a serial killer before and after the murders? She has a unique perspective in that she was his instructor prior to the murders and could very well be the one he reaches out to now that he's caught, pled guilty and going to serve time. This could be the crown jewel of her career, sad to say but it's all there for it to happen. I suspect she has something in the works. All JMO

I'm unaware she had contact with him after the murders. She also can't divulge many things about their interaction because of student privacy policies. Frankly, I don't think she'd be interested in writing a book about him, but I've been wrong about people before. If I were in her place, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole for professional reasons and moral ones.

 

[Sundog]

I am curious about this. Has there ever been a book written or a crime series from the perspective of a criminal psychologist unknowingly actively involved with a serial killer before and after the murders? She has a unique perspective in that she was his instructor prior to the murders and could very well be the one he reaches out to now that he's caught, pled guilty and going to serve time. This could be the crown jewel of her career, sad to say but it's all there for it to happen. I suspect she has something in the works. All JMO

Agree, she has already been in contact with BK's family awhile back, it was reported on this forum. Also, IIRC, she met Ethan's mother at some kind of true crime conference where she was a speaker. I'll look for the link about the conference.

 

[MassGuy]

Here comes the media, specifically the Associated Press, pushing to vacate the gag order.

https://s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/isc.coi/CR01-24-31665/Summary/Current-Case-Summary.pdf

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Can he be pardoned?

I doubt anyone would be that stupid.

 

[Sundog]

Here comes the media, specifically the Associated Press, pushing to vacate the gag order.

https://s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/isc.coi/CR01-24-31665/Summary/Current-Case-Summary.pdf

View attachment 600425

It will, no doubt, be harder for the judge to keep the gag order in place now that the public release of the evidence doesn't threaten a fair trial. But I do hope that the families will have a chance to make their victim impact statements before all the court documents are released. It will take some time for the court to redact the materials and it's already July 7th, so perhaps they will get started on the process and the release will come right after the sentencing hearing at the end of July.

 

[SteveP]

I doubt anyone would be that stupid.

Cerrtainly no one that had any future political ambitions.

 

[RatFace]

I'm unaware she had contact with him after the murders. She also can't divulge many things about their interaction because of student privacy policies. Frankly, I don't think she'd be interested in writing a book about him, but I've been wrong about people before. If I were in her place, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole for professional reasons and moral ones.

What would privacy policies restrict her from discussing? His grades? Seems like she would be free to discuss most everything but I'm no expert. She also stands to make a boatload of money on this book - more so than any previous. Might be hard to resist.

 

[mickey2942]

Exactly. Pardons of convicted multiple murderers are extremely rare, and when they do occur, they are usually tied to new evidence perhaps pointing to innocence of the prisoner, or extreme rehabilitation of the criminal. In this case, BK admitted to the especailly heinous killing of four sleeping/intoxicated college students, in their home, plus one count of burglary. No future evidence of his innocence is going to be forthcoming. He accepted the terms of the plea arrangement, which while maybe not specifically addressing the possibility of pardon, did forbid him to ever seek appeals, and made clear that the intention was that he would remain in prison for the rest of his life, four FIXED sentences.

I cannot fathom any governor or parole and corrections board ever recommending a pardon for this killer. JMO

And yet California let Leslie Van Houten out. Hopefully, Idaho is not as lenient.