Families of Idaho murder victims address suspect's arrest: 'We are on the path to justice'
A 28-year-old man was arrested Friday on four counts of first-degree murder.
The father of one of four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death more than six weeks ago said "we are on the path to justice" after a suspect was arrested Friday in connection with their murders.
Steve Goncalves told ABC News that he was watching a football game when "my whole world got turned upside down." His daughter, Kaylee Goncalves, as well as her roommates Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were killed in the girls' off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13.
A 28-year-old man was arrested Friday morning in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains in connection with the murders. The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, is a graduate student at Washington State University, located less than 10 miles away from the University of Idaho, Moscow Police Chief James Fry said at a Friday news conference. Kohberger was arrested on four counts of first-degree murder and burglary, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said.
When Steve Goncalves first saw the suspect's photo, he said he saw a "broken soul, pitiful human being."
"The little coward that had finally got caught running," he said. "I still think everyone's innocent until proven guilty, so I put that in the back of my mind."
Steve Goncalves said no one in the family knows or recognizes the suspect, but in the hours since they've first learned his name they are starting to see connections between him and Kaylee Goncalves that they aren't ready to discuss yet.
"Now that there's a person and a name that someone can specifically look for and see if there's any connections in any way. So they're just trying to figure it out," the family's attorney, Shanon Grey, told ABC News.
Steve Goncalves said he plans to be in court when the suspect is eventually extradited to Idaho.
"This guy's gonna have to look me in my eyes multiples times, and I'm going to be looking for the truth. That's really what I'm going to be looking for," Steve Goncalves said.
Family members of several of the other victims have also reacted to the suspect's arrest.
"We are relieved this chapter is over because it provides a form of closure. However, it doesn't alter the outcome or alleviate the pain," Chapin's family said in a statement. "We miss Ethan, and our family is forever changed."
Xana Kernodle's cousin, Sheldon Kernodle, urged anyone with information that could help law enforcement or prosecutors to come forward.
"Our work isn't done yet," he tweeted Friday.
ABC News' Kirk Cohall, Timmy Truong and Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.
Related Topics
