Victims' families take aim: 'you're pathetic'

Some, like Goncalves’ sister Alivea, took aim at Kohberger directly. “Sit up straight,” she demanded. “You’re a textbook case of insecurity. You are not profound, you’re pathetic.”

Xana Kernodle’s stepfather, Randy Davis, added: “You’re going to go to hell.”

But there were also words of forgiveness. One of Kernodle’s aunts told Kohberger she forgave him and urged him to speak out: “Any time you want to talk, I’m here for you.”

Survivor's testimonies

The court also heard from two of the surviving roommates. Dylan Mortensen, who saw the masked attacker in the hallway that night, wept as she described the lasting trauma: “People call me strong, they call me a survivor, but don’t see what my new reality looks like.”

“He didn’t just take their lives,” she said, “he took the light they carried into every room.”

Kohberger’s silence at sentencing left many questions unanswered — including his motive. Investigators said they had found no connection between Kohberger and the victims or surviving roommates, and no evidence he had followed them online.

Judge Hippler acknowledged that uncertainty: “There is no reason for these crimes that could approach anything resembling rationality. By continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr Kohberger relevance. It is time to end Mr Kohberger’s 15 minutes of fame.”