Brian Koberger, convicted of a brutal quadruple murder, has been mandated to surrender some of the nearly $30,000 he received in donations from supporters, to compensate the families of his victims. This ruling came on the third anniversary of the horrific killings he committed.
Just last week, Koberger argued that he couldn’t pay an additional $27,000 in restitution to the families of two victims from the University of Idaho, whom he murdered in 2023.
However, a judge dismissed this claim on Thursday, pointing out that Koberger had amassed over $28,000 from various donations. The Statesman of Idaho covered the details of the ruling.
The families of two victims, Madison Morgen and Kaylee Gonsalves, were ultimately required to pay just $3,000, specifically for urns for the women.
The overall restitution amount was adjusted because the defense argued that the damages claimed by the state of Idaho did not factor in travel and lodging, which inflated the total.
Koberger had previously been instructed to pay $29,000 to the families of Zana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
Koberger will turn 31 next week. Judge Stephen Hippler stated in his verdict that the donations he received were almost sufficient to cover the ordered restitution.
“Even though these funds might not currently be accessible to him, it’s likely he will continue to receive support, particularly since many donations come from family members,” the judge noted.
Hippler also mentioned that inmates have opportunities to earn money through jobs while incarcerated.
Mr. Koberger has been sentenced to four life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with over $300,000 in fines as part of his guilty plea.
This sentence includes $29,000 in restitution owed to the families of Mr. Kernodle and Mr. Chapin, but does not cover Mr. Gonsalves and Ms. Morgen, as reported by Idaho Statesman.
Koberger, who was a former graduate student at the University of Washington, committed the four murders in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.
He confessed to the crimes in July, right before beginning his trial, sidestepping a potential death penalty if convicted by a jury. He will remain in prison for life.
