The youngest sister of Kaylee Goncalves has spoken publicly for the first time about her loss. This comes after Bryan Kohberger, who confessed to killing Kaylee and three other University of Idaho students, petitioned to revoke his guilty plea and request a trial.
Aubrie Goncalves Speaks Out
Aubrie Goncalves, 20, appeared on TODAY on August 4 to share why she now decided to speak nearly four years after her sister’s death. She explained, “When everything happened, I was a sophomore in high school. I was only 16, and at the time I thought no words would bring back my sisters, so I didn’t say anything.”
As time passed, Aubrie realized that while words cannot bring back her sister, they could preserve her memory. “I’m not one to put myself in such situations, but I have to keep Maddie and Kaylee’s names alive,” she stated.
Post-Conviction Petition
Kaylee was one of four students found stabbed to death in 2022. Kohberger, who pleaded guilty in 2025, admitted to killing the students and received four life sentences. He agreed to the plea deal, avoiding a potential death penalty.
On July 27, the day Kohberger filed his petition for post-conviction relief in Idaho’s Ada County District Court, Aubrie released a Facebook statement. Kohberger aims to withdraw his guilty plea and seeks a trial.
“I wasn’t planning on speaking today,” Aubrie wrote. “But after seeing the man who admitted in court to murdering four people wants to withdraw his guilty plea, I couldn’t stay silent.”
Impact of Media and Legal Actions
Kohberger’s petition preceded the release of the Netflix documentary “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,” with participation from the Goncalves family. Aubrie commented, “Why should the person convicted of taking their voices continue to have one? This isn’t a Netflix documentary. This isn’t entertainment. This is my life. These were real people.”
Each time the case resurfaces due to legal or media attention, the Goncalves family relives their trauma. Aubrie, joined by her parents Steve and Kristi, wants attention on the lives lost. She shared fond memories of her sister Kaylee, describing her as “the bubbliest human ever” and “a hard worker.”
Legal Perspectives
Alivea Goncalves, the eldest sibling, also addressed the TODAY interview about Kohberger’s pursuit of a trial. “Being able to revictimize their victims from behind bars isn’t something you get over easily. This will never be over for us until the defendant is no longer breathing,” she stated.
Kohberger, currently represented by a public defender, claimed he was advised to lie and falsely pled. In his statement to The New York Times, Kohberger asserted, “My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, based on false promises and disinformation, must be withdrawn.”
NBC News reached out to Kohberger’s legal representatives and the victims’ families but received no responses.