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Perez Hilton reacted to the latest “bombshell twist” in the Bryan Kohberger case. Kohberger was the suspect in the 2022 University of Idaho killings and had taken a plea deal earlier this year
In an October 15 article published on his website, Hilton discussed reports suggesting why Kohberger took the deal.
According to the podcaster, the plea was a “shocking development” because both Kohberger and his mother had previously vowed to “fight the charges.” Hilton noted that Kohberger ultimately “admitted to the crime in exchange for no death penalty.”
He elaborated that Kohberger’s sudden decision left many observers puzzled, as they questioned why he hadn’t accepted the plea deal earlier when given the chance.
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“At the time, sources claimed to Howard Blum, author of When the Night Comes Falling: A Requiem for the Idaho Student Murders, that the public defenders warned Kohberger his family likely would be called to testify if they went to trial, so he chose to give up. And it looks like that theory is not wrong!” Hilton explained.
Hilton then cited a TMZ report dated October 14, 2025, which appeared to confirm that theory.
Newly obtained court documents revealed that Kohberger’s sister, Amanda, had been added to the prosecution’s witness list and was, notably, the only immediate family member included.
Reacting to the revelation, Hilton expressed disbelief that neither of Kohberger’s parents was named.
Considering that Kohberger had allegedly spoken to his mother about the murders and taken a road trip with his father shortly afterward, Hilton noted that “they’d be the first names on the witness list.” Instead, he emphasized, “it was only Amanda.”
The inclusion of Amanda Kohberger raised further questions about what she might have known.
“What did she know? We may never find out, because days after Bryan took the plea deal, he apparently did not want to face off against her in court,” Hilton added.
Everything We Know About Bryan Kohberger’s Case
Bryan Kohberger was the primary suspect in the brutal killings of four University of Idaho students in November 2022. His victims were Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20.
As per NBC News, their bodies were discovered on November 13, 2022, in an off-campus home near the university. The killings shattered the calm of Moscow, a rural college town of about 26,000 residents, and marked the beginning of what the city’s police chief later described as one of the most “complex” cases the department had ever faced.
At a press conference on November 16, Moscow Police Chief James Fry acknowledged the ongoing fear and uncertainty.
“Investigators are working to follow up on all the leads and identify a person of interest. We do not have a suspect at this time, and that individual is still out there. We cannot say that there is no threat to the community...We need to be aware of our surroundings” Police Chief James Fry deatiled.
He further confirmed that more than 25 investigators from the Idaho State Police and the FBI were assisting in the case.
During the press conference, Fry detailed that four victims were stabbed with some kind of larger knife. But there was no sign of forced entry on the door. Two other students were found alive and unhurt in the same room as the deceased's home.
"I'm not going to go into what they shared...We're focusing on everyone. We're still following up with everyone that could have been in that area," the Police Chief said
The preliminary autopsy results by Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt revealed chilling results. It stated that all four victims had died from multiple stab wounds inflicted with a large knife. However, the murder weapon was never found. Two surviving housemates, who had been asleep during the attack, were ruled out as suspects.
As investigators worked to reconstruct the events of that night, police stated that “the target was the residence or its occupants.”
The investigators also received thousands of tips from across the country. As per the latest update from the Moscow Police Department (mentioned in a BBC report), they received more than 2,600 emails with tips. There were also 1,000 "digital media submissions", and over 2,700 calls from the public regarding the case.
Nearly seven weeks later, on December 30, 2022, investigators finally had a suspect. It was the 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger. He was a doctoral student studying criminal justice at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington. Authorities revealed that DNA evidence played a crucial role in linking him to the murders.
Following the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, Chief Fry assured residents that "the individual in custody" was believed to be solely responsible for committing the "horrible crimes", and that the "community is safe.”
Bryan Kohberger was arrested on a fugitive from justice warrant at his parents' home in Pennsylvania, police announced on Dec. 30, 2022. He was extradited to Idaho, where he was formally charged on Jan. 5, 2023, with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
Over the next two years, the case progressed slowly. Then, on July 2, 2025, Bryan Kohberger reached a plea agreement that spared him from the death penalty.
In court, he pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. While he admitted to intentionally killing the four students, he did not offer a motive.
Judge John Hippler scheduled sentencing for July 23, giving the victims’ families the chance to address the court. The emotional hearing concluded with Bryan Kohberger receiving four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus ten additional years for burglary.
During the sentencing of Bryan Kohberger, Judge Hippler reflected on the devastation the crime had caused and the enduring pain of the victims’ families.
“The loss this killer inflicted was not just the death of these people’s children, siblings, and grandchildren, as we’ve heard today. It has ripped a hole in their soul, destroying a special part of their very essence,” Hippler said (as per NBC).
At present, Bryan Kohberger is serving his four consecutive life sentences without parole at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho
