Alivea Goncalves left the Ada County Courthouse with her head held high after delivering a powerful and scathing victim impact statement directed at her sister’s murderer.
Alivea, the older sister of Kaylee Goncalves, spoke directly to Bryan Kohberger on Wednesday, July 23, during his sentencing hearing. Many of the victims’ family members attended the hearing and were able to address him directly on behalf of their loved ones, but Alivea’s was one that stood out.
When she got up to that podium, she looked Kohberger directly in the eyes and began her statement. She began with a truthful and powerful statement: “My sister Kaylee and her best friend Maddie were not yours to take.”
One user shared a video on TikTok with the caption, “Today, Alivea was the big sister we all need,” with a clip of Alivea gushing about her sister and telling Kohberger, 30, “Sit up straight when I talk to you.”
She then proceeded to hit Kohberger where she knew it would hurt the most — his ego. She asked him a series of questions, like, “How does it feel to know the only thing you failed more miserably at than being a murderer is trying to be a rapper?” and, “If you were really smart, do you think you’d be here right now?”
She continued in her statement, “You just exposed yourself as the coward you are. You’re a delusional, pathetic, hypochondriac loser.”
People began uploading their responses and reactions to her statement, showing full support for her comments. One user uploaded a video and said, “I have no words. So powerful, so strong, so amazing.”
Finally, Alivea ended her statement with the most powerful ego blow of all. She says, “You want the truth. Here’s the one you’ll hate the most, if you hadn’t attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night, like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f***ing a**.” You can hear the courtroom applaud her as she walks off.
A judge sentenced Kohberger to four consecutive life sentences for the University of Idaho roommates, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20.
Both of Kaylee’s parents provided statements to the courtroom, and her two grandmothers did as well through an attorney. Additionally, loved ones of Mogen and Kernodle delivered statements, as well as surviving roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke. Chapin's family was not present.
