Trial of Bryan Kohberger Set to Begin This August in Idaho

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Prosecutors confirmed Wednesday they will call family members of Bryan Kohberger to testify in his trial regarding the November 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students.

Kohberger, a 30-year-old criminology Ph.D. student, stands accused of entering a residence near the university and fatally stabbing undergraduate students Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen during a brutal early morning attack on Nov. 13, 2022. Authorities allege that Kohberger, after disabling his cellphone prior to the incident and altering his license plates, left behind a knife sheath containing his DNA beneath one of the victims.

At a motions hearing on Wednesday, Deputy Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Ashley Jennings stated, “We have the intention of calling a few family members” of Kohberger, despite defense attorney Elisa Massoth’s assertion that his family has “no interest” in aiding the prosecution. “At best,” she said, “they may only want to speak to one relative.”

Other motions under consideration included the exclusion of specific evidence Kohberger’s defense seeks to block, such as his Amazon shopping history, which allegedly reflects prior purchases of a Ka-Bar knife and sheath. Additionally, the defense argued that testimony from a surviving roommate, who reported seeing an intruder immediately after the stabbings, might be unreliable due to her condition at that moment.

Kohberger’s defense team is also requesting the court eliminate the possibility of a death sentence, citing his autism diagnosis and arguing he should not face capital punishment if convicted. Conversely, prosecutors are aiming to preclude the defense from suggesting that Kohberger is being framed or from characterizing the prosecution’s intent to seek the death penalty as an “attempt to kill him.”

The judge presiding over the case, Judge Steven Hippler, is expected to weigh these arguments, with jury selection set to commence on July 30, ahead of the trial starting on Aug. 11 in Boise. The proceedings are projected to last into early November.

In an earlier hearing, Kohberger’s attorneys contended that various terms, labels, and evidence should be restricted to avoid inflaming juror perceptions. Kohberger remains detained without bail following his arrest in late December 2022 at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, after DNA from the crime scene was linked to him through investigative genetic genealogy techniques.

The senseless murders of four students have shocked the community, and the upcoming trial is likely to draw significant public and media interest. Legal filings reveal a comprehensive list of evidence and testimonies that will be presented, as both sides prepare for a complex judicial battle.