A judge has refused Idaho college murders suspect Bryan Kohberger’s requests to exclude crucial evidence gathered during search warrants, delivering a significant blow to his defense team, as anticipated.
Kohberger’s defense team raised concerns about two DNA samples from unidentified males at the King Road home where he is accused of killing four University of Idaho undergraduates, in an attempt to have his arrest warrants dismissed.
Investigators found two unidentified male blood samples, one on a handrail and one on a glove outside, following the stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncavles, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Neither matched Kohberger, and they belonged to different individuals.
With doubts about the sources of both samples, defense attorney Anne Taylor informed Ada County Judge Steven Hippler during a hearing last month that this could potentially mean Kohberger, 30, had no connection to the crime at all.
However, during the pretrial phase, the judge appeared unconvinced that the presence of two other DNA samples warranted the dismissal of probable cause for Kohberger’s arrest. Detectives also discovered a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen’s body, further incriminating Kohberger.
“His DNA is still on the knife sheath, though,” Hippler told Taylor in court. “That’s the problem, counsel.”
Judge Hippler also denied Kohberger a Frank’s hearing, which would have allowed his attorneys to challenge the investigation conducted by the police that led to Kohberger’s arrest in December 2022.
At the time of the murders, Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice at Washington State University. The University of Idaho is located just 10 miles away from WSU.
Kohberger is facing charges for the murder of four University of Idaho students in their off-campus residence in the early hours of November 13, 2022.
After nearly two months of investigation, police finally apprehended Kohberger at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania.
Prior to the SWAT raid on the home, Kohberger and his father were stopped twice by Indiana law enforcement while driving back to Pennsylvania from his apartment in Pullman, Washington, which is about 10 miles from the crime scene.
Kohberger’s trial is set to commence in August.
If convicted, Kohberger could potentially receive the death penalty.
