(NewsNation) — The father of one of the University of Idaho stabbing victims says he will face his daughter’s alleged killer whenever possible in court, in hopes of making the process for the suspect “harder.”
Steve Goncalves has been one of the most vocal among the victims’ family members and is now speaking out following the arrest of a 28-year-old man in the case. Bryan Kohberger was taken into custody in Pennsylvania last week and extradited back to Idaho, where he remains in jail without bond.
He faces four counts of first-degree murder, accused of killing Goncalves’ daughter, Kaylee, along with three others: Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. All were found dead in an off-campus rental home Nov. 13.
Steve Goncalves said Friday on “CUOMO” that he will attend whatever court hearings he can bear to stand.
“If I can make him uncomfortable, if I can make it harder, if it’s even more torturous, then I’m going to be there,” Goncalves said.
Kohberger had his first court appearance in Idaho on Thursday, when he was ordered held without bail. A status hearing is scheduled for next week.
While Goncalves wants to watch the legal process play out, he said there are some details of the case he will not want to hear.
“There’s going to be certain parts where I’m not going to let that testimony poison my consciousness,” Goncalves said. “I want to think of my girl as the beautiful girl that she was. I don’t want to think of her as some of these last descriptions that somebody puts up in the air as evidence.”
Goncalves and his wife appeared on “Banfield” on Thursday to react to the arrest and release of the probable cause affidavit. Goncalves said he forgives the alleged killer but advocated for the death penalty.
“Justice is when you leave the planet … and the whole world is able to rejoice and be glad that you are not there. That’s justice, and we will forgive him,” he said.
In the nearly two months that have passed since the killings, Goncalves said his family is still trying to find a new “normal.”
“We’re trying to figure that out. Me, my wife and the children, we just try to do the normal things — go to dinner, spend time together, play some board games, just do things Kaylee loved when she was here,” Goncalves said. “We’re a big family, so we enjoy our company. We try to stay busy. It’s hardest when you have idle time and mind.”
