The family of Kaylee Gonsalves expressed harsh words in court
24 july 2025 в 18:37
The family of Kaylee Gonzales made a heart-wrenching statement about the impact of the victims before Brian Kohberger during his sentencing on Thursday, July 23, for the murder of Kaylee and her friends Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at the University of Idaho in November 2022. One of the Gonzales family members did not hold back, standing before 30-year-old Kohberger in court: Alieva Gonzales, the victim’s sister.
Read the Gonzales family’s statements below.
Today I am not here to talk about grief. I am here to speak the truth, because the truth is that my sister Kaylee and her best friend Maddy were not yours to take. They were not yours to study, pursue, or silence. They were two parts of a whole, perfect yin and yang. They were everything you could never be: loved, accepted, bright, successful, brave, and powerful. Because the truth about Kaylee and Maddy is that they would have been kind to you. If you had approached them in their everyday lives, they would have given you directions, thanked you for a compliment, or awkwardly laughed to make your words less awkward for you.
In a world that rejected you, they would have shown mercy. Because the truth is, I am angry. Every day I am angry. I remain screaming inside my head everything I wanted to say to you. The truth about me is that when I heard the news, I did not cry. I listened. I promised them that I would fight for them, that I would come, no matter what it cost me. I swore that I would never let them feel alone.
Because, you see, I was always their support. I was always the one to fight battles they didn’t feel ready to fight themselves. All it took was one call, and they knew I would stand up for them, no matter the time, no matter the cost. They could raise their white flag, because they knew I would never back down. Not for them, not even death could change that. Somewhere along the way, I started thinking about what I would say to them if I were given one last chance. If I could gather enough broken hearts, love, sacrifice, or anything to convey at least one message.
What would I say? Throughout this process, I wrote down my feelings in every moment, my desires, my love, my denial, my anger. And as a final act of love, I planned to read these thoughts, even if they were stuttering and nonsensical. Because for me, it was true love, naked and bare, not adorned with beautiful words or dressed up for the occasion, but written through teary eyes at 2 a.m. with clenched fists, angry at this reality.
My true final act of love was to continue living without them for them. The dream of reading my love out loud to them, giving meaning through pain, was the final blow in understanding that you do not deserve this, and Kaylee and Maddy do not need this.
Kaylee and Maddy always knew my love, and they never asked me to prove it, sacrificing myself further before a defendant who showed no hint of guilt, remorse, or concern. They would tell me, «Why give in to vulnerability now? You promised you would never back down». And for that clarity, I am grateful.
I will not give you what you want here. I will not offer you tears. I will not offer you trembling. Disappointments like you thrive on pain, fear, and the illusion of power. And I will not feed your monster. Instead, I will call you what you are: a sociopath, a psychopath, a killer. I will ask questions that haunt my mind so strongly that I cannot think clearly, almost every day. Some of them may be familiar. So sit up straight when I speak to you.
What was your life like right before you killed my sisters? Were you preparing for the crime, leaving your apartment? Please describe in detail what you were thinking and feeling at that time. Why did you choose my sisters? Before making your move
Read the Gonzales family’s statements below.
Today I am not here to talk about grief. I am here to speak the truth, because the truth is that my sister Kaylee and her best friend Maddy were not yours to take. They were not yours to study, pursue, or silence. They were two parts of a whole, perfect yin and yang. They were everything you could never be: loved, accepted, bright, successful, brave, and powerful. Because the truth about Kaylee and Maddy is that they would have been kind to you. If you had approached them in their everyday lives, they would have given you directions, thanked you for a compliment, or awkwardly laughed to make your words less awkward for you.
In a world that rejected you, they would have shown mercy. Because the truth is, I am angry. Every day I am angry. I remain screaming inside my head everything I wanted to say to you. The truth about me is that when I heard the news, I did not cry. I listened. I promised them that I would fight for them, that I would come, no matter what it cost me. I swore that I would never let them feel alone.
Because, you see, I was always their support. I was always the one to fight battles they didn’t feel ready to fight themselves. All it took was one call, and they knew I would stand up for them, no matter the time, no matter the cost. They could raise their white flag, because they knew I would never back down. Not for them, not even death could change that. Somewhere along the way, I started thinking about what I would say to them if I were given one last chance. If I could gather enough broken hearts, love, sacrifice, or anything to convey at least one message.
What would I say? Throughout this process, I wrote down my feelings in every moment, my desires, my love, my denial, my anger. And as a final act of love, I planned to read these thoughts, even if they were stuttering and nonsensical. Because for me, it was true love, naked and bare, not adorned with beautiful words or dressed up for the occasion, but written through teary eyes at 2 a.m. with clenched fists, angry at this reality.
My true final act of love was to continue living without them for them. The dream of reading my love out loud to them, giving meaning through pain, was the final blow in understanding that you do not deserve this, and Kaylee and Maddy do not need this.
Kaylee and Maddy always knew my love, and they never asked me to prove it, sacrificing myself further before a defendant who showed no hint of guilt, remorse, or concern. They would tell me, «Why give in to vulnerability now? You promised you would never back down». And for that clarity, I am grateful.
I will not give you what you want here. I will not offer you tears. I will not offer you trembling. Disappointments like you thrive on pain, fear, and the illusion of power. And I will not feed your monster. Instead, I will call you what you are: a sociopath, a psychopath, a killer. I will ask questions that haunt my mind so strongly that I cannot think clearly, almost every day. Some of them may be familiar. So sit up straight when I speak to you.
What was your life like right before you killed my sisters? Were you preparing for the crime, leaving your apartment? Please describe in detail what you were thinking and feeling at that time. Why did you choose my sisters? Before making your move
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
