The youngest sister of Kaylee Goncalves has publicly addressed her sister’s death for the first time following a legal development in the case. The man who admitted to killing Goncalves and three other University of Idaho students has requested to withdraw his guilty plea and have a trial.
Aubrie Goncalves, 20, discussed her decision to speak publicly on TODAY. Nearly four years have passed since her 21-year-old sister, Kaylee, was killed along with Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Madison Mogen in an off-campus house. Aubrie described all three as ‘family.’
“I was a sophomore in high school when it happened, only 16 years old,” Aubrie said. “At that time, I felt no words would bring back my sisters, so I chose not to speak. But now, four years later, I want to keep their memories alive, even though no words can bring them back.”
Kaylee Goncalves was one of four students found stabbed to death in 2022. Aubrie wrote a statement on Facebook when Bryan Kohberger, the man who confessed to the murders, filed a petition in Idaho’s Ada County District Court to withdraw his plea and seek a trial.
Kohberger pleaded guilty in 2025 after admitting to killing the four students in November 2022. His plea deal included waiving his right to appeal and a trial, avoiding a potential death penalty, and resulted in four life sentences.
Aubrie responded to his petition: “I wasn’t going to say anything today,” she wrote, “but seeing the man who admitted in court to these murders wants to withdraw his plea, I couldn’t stay silent. For him, it might be a legal move. For me, it’s another day without my sister.”
Kohberger’s request came just before the release of a Netflix documentary about the murders. Aubrie criticized the attention: “This isn’t entertainment or a theory. This is my life. These were real people. With every new development, we relive the worst day of our lives.”
Accompanied by her parents, Steve and Kristi, Aubrie urged the focus to remain on the victims. On TODAY, she shared fond memories of her sister: “Kaylee was always positive, bubbly, and hardworking. Her spirit inspires me to keep going. I try to live up to what I know she would achieve.”
Aubrie’s eldest sibling, Alivea Goncalves, also addressed the situation in an interview. “Someone locked up still having the chance to hurt us again is hard to accept,” she said. “It won’t be over until the defendant is gone from this earth.”
Represented by a public defender now, Kohberger filed his petition by hand, claiming he was advised to lie for a ‘legal victory.’ He maintained his innocence and said, “My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, based on false promises and disinformation, must be withdrawn.”
NBC News contacted Kohberger’s legal team and the other victims’ families but received no response.