Idaho Victims' Families Split on Kohberger Plea, Chapins Will Appear in Court
Idaho Murders Families Split on Kohberger Plea Deal ... Chapin Family to Appear in Court
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Two of the families of the Idaho college student murder victims are furious over the Bryan Kohberger plea deal ... but the other two families are fully behind the move.
Jim Chapin, father of Ethan Chapin -- who was murdered along with three other college students -- tells TMZ the family will appear in court Wednesday to support the plea deal.
Jim Chapin is not alone. Ben Mogen, father of Madison Mogen -- who was also stabbed to death -- says he supports the plea deal, which takes the death penalty off the table ... because Kohberger will have to think about what he did for the rest of his life behind bars.
The families of Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle strongly oppose the deal. Kaylee's mother, Kristi, tells TMZ, she spoke with prosecutors late last week and they were preparing her family for the trial, and made a "vague" mention that Kohberger had not yet asked for a plea deal. She said she got no advance warning of the agreement.
Ditto for Kim Kernodle ... Xana's aunt says the family was shocked by the plea deal.
Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee, also says he's appalled by the deal.
Prosecutors have not said why they agreed to a deal, rather than taking the case to trial next month.
Lawyers for both sides presumably will ask the judge at Wednesday's hearing to sign off on the deal. If that happens, Kohberger will plead guilty to four counts of murder and receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.
