Aubrie Goncalves, the younger sister of Kaylee Goncalves, recently shared her thoughts publicly regarding the tragic loss of her sibling. This comes after the man who confessed to killing Kaylee and three other University of Idaho students filed a petition to change his guilty plea and seek a trial.
On August 4, Aubrie explained her decision to speak out during an interview on TODAY. Nearly four years have passed since her sister was killed off-campus alongside Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Madison Mogen. Aubrie, now 20, looked back on the time when she was just a sophomore in high school.
“When everything happened, I was only 16 years old,” she recalled. “At the time, I decided no words would bring back either of my sisters, so I stayed silent. Now that I’m older, I realize words can keep their memories alive. I want to ensure Maddie and Kaylee’s names are remembered, and this is why I’m speaking today.”
Kaylee was among the four students found stabbed in 2022. On July 27, Aubrie released a Facebook statement responding to Bryan Kohberger’s petition filed in Idaho’s Ada County District Court. Kohberger intends to retract his guilty plea and request a trial.
Kohberger had previously confessed in 2025, admitting to the November 2022 murders, and received four life sentences as part of a plea deal that included waiving rights to appeal and a trial. In her statement, Aubrie reacted to Kohberger’s petition.
“I hadn’t planned to say anything today,” she wrote. “But upon seeing the man who confessed in court trying to withdraw his guilty plea, I felt compelled to speak up. For me, it signifies yet another day without my sister.”
Coinciding with Kohberger’s petition, Netflix released a three-part documentary titled “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,” featuring the Goncalves family.
“Why should the person convicted of silencing these voices have a voice?” Aubrie argued. “This is not Netflix entertainment or a conspiracy theory; this is my life, and these were real people. Every moment the case resurfaces, due to new filings or theories, forces families like mine to relive the trauma.”
Alongside her parents, Steve and Kristi, Aubrie emphasized the importance of remembering those who passed. She shared cherished memories of her sister Kaylee during the TODAY segment.
“Kaylee’s personality was evident in her photos,” she fondly recounted. “She was the most cheerful person, had a love for fun, and saw the positives in life. Her strong work ethic inspires me to persevere today, striving to achieve what she would have if she were still here.”
Alivea Goncalves, the oldest sibling, also voiced her concerns in a video interview on August 4. She discussed Kohberger’s pursuit of a trial.
“The idea that someone imprisoned can continue to victimize families is something we cannot simply move past,” she expressed. “We will endure this until the day the defendant no longer lives.”
Kohberger filed his petition without an attorney, claiming he was misled into entering a plea for a “legal victory” and stated his “truth of actual innocence.”
NBC News attempted to contact Kohberger’s legal representatives and the families of the other victims but received no responses.
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