The youngest sister of Kaylee Goncalves, Aubrie Goncalves, has publicly addressed her sentiments for the first time regarding the tragic loss of her sibling. This comes after the individual who confessed to murdering Kaylee and three other University of Idaho students sought to retract his guilty plea and requested a trial.

Aubrie, now 20 years old, shared her thoughts on the TODAY show on August 4. She explained her decision to speak out nearly four years after her sister, whom she affectionately referred to as “family,” was killed. Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Madison Mogen were all victims in an off-campus house tragedy.

“When everything happened, I was a sophomore in high school,” Aubrie stated. “I realized no words would bring back my sisters. Now, I see that words won’t bring them back, but they keep their memories alive.”

On July 27, Aubrie released a statement on Facebook in response to Bryan Kohberger’s petition for post-conviction relief in the Ada County District Court in Idaho. Kohberger initially pleaded guilty in 2025, accepting life sentences for the 2022 murders but now seeks to retract his plea.

Aubrie reacted, writing, “I wasn’t planning on saying anything today. But after seeing that the man who admitted in court to murdering four innocent people now wants to withdraw his guilty plea, I couldn’t stay silent. For him, this may be another legal filing. For me, it’s another day without my sister.”

Kohberger’s petition comes just before Netflix releases a documentary, “The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare,” featuring the Goncalves family. Aubrie asserted, “This isn’t a Netflix documentary. This isn’t a conspiracy theory. This is my life. These were real people.”

She emphasized the importance of focusing on the lives lost. Reflecting on her sister, she said, “Kaylee was incredibly bubbly, always seeking fun and positivity. Her work ethic inspires me to keep moving forward.”

Alivea Goncalves, the eldest sibling, also spoke on the TODAY show, expressing concern over Kohberger’s ongoing ability to impact their lives. “This will never be over for us until the defendant is no longer breathing on this earth,” she stated.

Kohberger self-filed a handwritten petition, now represented by a public defender. He claimed, “My actual innocence is my truth, and the plea, hinged on by false promises and blatant disinformation, MUST be withdrawn.” NBC News sought comments from Kohberger’s legal representatives and other victims’ families but did not receive responses.