Bryan Kohberger is expected to plead guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students on Wednesday, just weeks before his trial was set to begin.

Kohberger, 30, is accused of fatally stabbing students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves on November 13, 2022, inside their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.

Prosecutors had been pursuing the death penalty if Kohberger, a criminology PhD graduate from Washington State University, was convicted at trial, which was set for August.

By taking the plea deal Wednesday, Kohberger will avoid the death penalty and instead spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is due to appear at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise at 11 a.m. local time.

“We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho,” Goncalves’s family said in a statement. “They have failed us…This was very unexpected.”

Kohberger’s family asked for privacy in the wake of the news, according to NewsNation. “In light of recent developments, the Kohbergers are asking members of the media for privacy, respect, and responsible judgment during this time,” their statement reads.