Trial scheduled for the accused in the murder of four Idaho university students: Key details to understand

A judge recently ruled to uphold crucial evidence against Bryan Kohberger, the individual accused of murdering four University of Idaho students two years ago, paving the way for his trial to commence this summer.

The case revolves around the tragic slayings of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, which occurred in the early hours of November 13, 2022, at a rental property in Moscow, Idaho, located near the university. Autopsy reports indicated that the victims were likely asleep during the attack, and some exhibited defensive wounds, with each having sustained multiple stab wounds.

Kohberger, 30, a graduate student in criminal justice, was apprehended in Pennsylvania weeks after the incident. His arrest followed investigators’ discovery of DNA linking him to evidence gathered from a knife sheath found at the scene.

When Kohberger was asked to plead last year, he remained silent, leading the judge to enter a not guilty plea for him. The brutal nature of the killings deeply disturbed the small Idaho community of approximately 25,000 residents, which had not experienced a homicide in about five years. Concerns regarding the fairness of a trial in the original jurisdiction prompted the case to be relocated from rural northern Idaho to Boise.

This week, Judge Steven Hippler dismissed the defense’s claims that law enforcement had breached Kohberger’s constitutional rights during the identification process utilizing Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG). The defense contended that police had not secured warrants to analyze the DNA evidence from the crime scene or the DNA of relatives stored in genealogy databases. The judge’s refusal to suppress the IGG identification and the resulting evidence removed a significant obstacle for the prosecution ahead of the trial.

Kohberger has an impressive academic background, having pursued a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University, only about nine miles away from the University of Idaho. He previously obtained an associate degree in psychology from Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania in 2018, followed by a bachelor’s degree in 2020 and completing his graduate studies in June 2022 at DeSales University.

Looking ahead, prosecutors have indicated their intent to pursue the death penalty if Kohberger is found guilty at the trial scheduled for August. Additionally, the presiding judge has imposed a gag order on all persons involved in the proceedings and has prohibited cameras from being present in the courtroom.