From ‘you’re a joke’ to ‘I’ve forgiven you’: Families of Idaho murder victims address Bryan Kohberger at sentencing

This article is dominated by emotionally raw statements from grieving families, many of which shift from personal testimony to direct insult and speculative accusation. Ad Hominem attacks such as calling Kohberger a “joke,” “loser,” and “dumb as they come” serve no argumentative purpose beyond contempt. The rhetoric is laced with Appeals to Emotion and Biased Language, particularly in claims like “Kaylee would have kicked your f---ing ass.” Loaded Questions are also present—e.g., “If you were really smart, do you think you'd be here?”—which imply guilt and stupidity rather than invite reasoned explanation. These fallacies reflect grief but compromise logical clarity.