The families of two of the four victims slain in the University of Idaho killings last year reportedly signaled they support the death penalty for the 28-year-old man accused of the quadruple murder.
The suspect, who The Daily Wire will not name per company policy, was indicted on charges including first-degree murder six weeks after four friends and college students — Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21 — were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022.
Shanon Gray, the attorney representing Goncalves’ family, told NewsNation that the prosecutor on the case would “meet with all the families individually and then make a decision based on that.”
“So, the Goncalves family obviously supports the death penalty in this case,” said Gray.
Gray said the families plan to pursue legal action against the city of Moscow over the next two years “seeking clarity on the state’s intention to pursue the death penalty,” the outlet reported.
“They want justice for the deaths of their daughter and Maddie (Madison Mogen), and Xana (Kernodle) and Ethan (Chapin),” Gray said on “NewsNation Prime.” “It’s part of the process. You know, the tort claims notice that I filed is just standard procedure. That’s something that has to be filed to protect the interests not only of the families but the victims and the community.”
The suspect was indicted two weeks ago on charges including first-degree murder and appeared in court on Monday for his arraignment.
He reportedly stood silently when the judge asked him to enter his plea, so the judge entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. With pleas set, prosecutors now have 60 days to decide whether to pursue the death penalty.
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His public defender also asked the judge to set a trial date in October.
Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little signed a law earlier this year that would make the state the fifth in the nation to authorize a firing squad as a method of execution if no lethal injection drugs are available, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
“The law gives the director of the Idaho Department of Correction up to five days after a death warrant is issued to determine if lethal injection is available. If it is declared unavailable, the execution will be performed by firing squad,” the center’s website reads.
The law goes into effect on July 1.
Ashe Schow contributed to this report.