Content warning: This story mentions murder. A chilling case that has gone on for years is finally coming to a close. The November 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison “Maddie” Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — led to months of speculation, online sleuthing, and eventually, the arrest of Bryan Kohberger, a criminology PhD student at nearby Washington State University in late December 2022. The case captured public attention not only because of its horrific nature, but because of the unsettling questions it raised about college students’ safety, the randomness of the violence, and how someone studying the criminal mind could allegedly commit such a brutal act. Now, finally, the loved ones of the victims are getting some closure — and some much-deserved time to speak their truths.
On July 23, a judge handed Kohberger four consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole. But it wasn’t the sentencing itself that left the courtroom (and many at home) applauding; it was the voice of one woman who stood up and shared her side of the story. Alivea Goncalves, the older sister of Kaylee and friend of Maddie, delivered a powerful victim impact statement that gave me chills — not because it highlighted Kohberger’s horrific acts, but because it reminded him, and everyone watching, who really matters in this story. Alivea’s speech was about reclaiming power, giving voice to the victims, and showing everyone that their lives — and the people who loved them — are far more important than the man who tried to take it all away.
“I’m not here today to speak in grief,” Alivea began. “I’m here to speak in truth.”
As I watched Alivea speak, I had to rethink all of my expectations of what a courtroom victim statement supposedly looks like. She didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. She didn’t forgive. Instead, in a space that so often centers male violence, Alivea showcased the power of female strength — and female rage.
Alivea didn’t just speak about those Kohberger killed — she spoke for them. She reminded everyone, especially the man who took their lives, that these young women were more than victims. “They are everything that you could never be: loved, accepted, vibrant, accomplished, brave and powerful,” she said, directly to Kohberger.
At a time when women are still taught to be polite in the face of violence, when they are expected to cry softly and forgive quickly, Alivea flipped the script. She didn’t offer Kohberger tears — she forced him to face reality. “You want the truth?” she said to him. “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*cking ass.”
Her speech was an attack on Kohberger’s ego, yes — but it was also a rallying cry for women everywhere. It reminded us that even in our darkest hours, there is power in our voices. That love and fury can coexist. That we are not required to make our pain digestible to others.
Alivea asked questions that weren’t just for the defendant, but for everyone who has felt emotionally wrecked by this case:
“What were Kaylee’s last words?”
“Do you feel anything at all, or are you exactly what you always feared? Nothing.”
“You’re terrified of being ordinary, aren’t you?”
They were direct hits meant to strip away Kohberger’s illusion of power— the one built on his Ph.D. studies in criminology, his calculated silence in the courtroom, and his supposed belief that he could outsmart everyone and get away with murder. With each question, Alivea peeled away Kohberger’s mask, exposing not a criminal mastermind — but a coward.
“You didn’t win,” she said. “You just exposed yourself as the coward you are.”
In giving her statement, Alivea Goncalves gave voices to Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan one final time. And in a world that too often asks women to keep their rage quiet, it was an intensely bittersweet moment of empowerment.