Idaho Victim's Father Says He's 'Ashamed' He Couldn't Have 'Ended' Bryan Kohberger After Plea Deal

Steve Goncalves, one of the fathers of Bryan Kohberger's victims, has apologized to his late daughter after the killer agreed to a plea deal.

He labeled it his "mistake" that Kohberger wouldn't be tried for the crimes due to the agreement, which has allowed him to escape the death penalty.

Steve Goncalves also expressed hope that Bryan Kohberger will receive a "welcome gift" once he finally begins serving his life sentence.

In the wake of Kohberger agreeing to a plea deal, the father of one of the victims has blamed himself for the outcome and apologized to his late daughter, Kaylee Goncalves.

During a "Banfield" appearance, Kaylee's father, Steve Goncalves, called the arrangement "my mistake" and said he was "sorry" for failing her.

"I'm truly sorry that I didn't get you a prosecutor who really believed what happened to you could only be fixed with life," he added, per News Nation.

The plea deal not only means that Kohberger will no longer be tried on the previously scheduled date in August, but it also removes the possibility of the death penalty, which would have been pursued if the case had gone to trial.

Kohberger pleaded guilty to all four counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. He also pleaded guilty to one count of burglary in connection with the murders.

With the plea deal in place, Kohberger is expected to be sentenced in late July. He faces consecutive life sentences for the murder charges and a maximum of 10 years for the burglary count.

During the sentencing, families of the slain students will have the opportunity to deliver victim impact statements.

However, Kaylee's father has expressed doubt about participating in the process, calling it a "pointless exercise."

When asked during the interview what he would say to Kohberger if he had the chance to speak to the murderer, Goncalves responded that he would call him a "complete loser."

Then he added, "I'm ashamed that we couldn't have ended you … you beat me on that. My bad."

Now, he's more hopeful that Kohberger will receive a "welcome gift" in prison, something he believes might, in some way, bring his family a sense of justice.

"They say there's such thing as a prison justice, and some of those people have reached out to me," Goncalves said. "Maybe they have a welcome gift for him … Welcome to Idaho."

Before the deal was signed, Gonclaves had also voiced his dissatisfaction with the prosecutors' decision.

"Idaho has failed. They failed me. They failed my whole family," said Steve in an interview with NBC's "Today" show.

"It's my daughter. It's our children. How can you say it's just when you haven't even talked to us to see what justice looks like for us?" he added.

Goncalves also decried the manner in which the deal was made, revealing that the prosecutors chose to move ahead despite the "hard no" from his family.

"They told us it's not really about us, it's about their process. Just shut up and get on board and deal with it, that's really what they told us," Gonclaves continued.

The prosecutors explained in a letter that their decision to agree to a plea deal was a "sincere attempt to seek justice" for the family, per ABC.

"This agreement ensures that the defendant will be convicted, will spend the rest of his life in prison, and will not be able to put you and the other families through the uncertainty of decades of post-conviction appeals," they noted.

The prosecutors added, "We hope that you may come to appreciate why we believe this resolution is in the best interest of justice."

Unlike Steve, some of the other victims' families expressed support for the plea deal.

One such family was the Mogens, who expressed their satisfaction with the outcome through their attorney, Leander James.

"We support the plea agreement 100%. While we know there are some who do not support it, we ask that they respect our belief that this is the best outcome possible for the victims, their families, and the state of Idaho," James told the press in a statement after the hearing, per News Nation.

"We extend our deep gratitude to the many law enforcement officers and staff who work tirelessly to obtain the critical evidence that brought justice today."