Bryan Kohberger’s defense attorneys are hopeful that newly uncovered evidence could potentially clear him of the charges accusing him of stabbing four college students to death in Idaho. Kohberger’s defense team argued that blood from an unknown man was found on a handrail inside the victims’ home, while another person’s DNA was found on a glove outside.
The shocking claims hint at the defense strategy for Kohberger’s upcoming trial in August, where he could potentially face the death penalty. Kohberger, 30, is charged with the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle at their home near the University of Idaho in Moscow on November 13, 2022.
Shocking Twist in the Tale
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Prosecutors have not challenged these claims, suggesting that the evidence could play a major role in Kohberger’s defense. Kohberger’s attorney, Anne Taylor, criticized law enforcement during the latest hearing, claiming that police failed to disclose the unidentified blood when seeking a search warrant for Kohberger’s arrest in December 2022, a point prosecutors did not dispute.
Taylor argued that this omission should disqualify some of the evidence collected during the search, as it was not properly authorized. However, the judge ruled that there was still probable cause due to Kohberger’s DNA being found on a knife sheath at the crime scene.
This move was part of a larger strategy by Taylor to challenge the evidence against Kohberger in a “Franks hearing,” a legal process that questions the judge’s probable cause determination and aims to discredit evidence obtained during the search.
“How does that, even if disclosed, preclude a finding of probable cause when there’s a DNA match between the DNA on the sheath and Mr Kohberger?” Judge Hippler asked Taylor.
“Isn’t that probable cause every day and twice on Sunday?”
However, Taylor contended that probable cause should not be evaluated in isolation.
“If that’s the only thing she’s told, I can see why she’d find probable cause,” Taylor said of the magistrate judge.
“It’s these other things that are withheld that create a context around it. Do we want to have one thing with no context around it when there’s this other context that really matters?”
Mystery Deepens Further
The case against Kohberger, who has not appeared in court for the past three months, has faced multiple delays since his arrest in December 2022. He is now scheduled to stand trial in August 2025.
Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in their off-campus home, a crime that shocked the nation more than two years ago.
Originally set for October 2023, the trial has been postponed several times due to requests for extensions and additional hearings filed by his lead defense attorney, Anne Taylor. These delays have caused frustration among the victims’ families.
Kohberger’s defense team also pushed back the release of his official alibi until May 2024. When it was finally revealed, it sparked disappointment from both prosecutors and the public, as he claimed he was “driving alone” on the night of the murders to “look at the moon and stars.”
Since his arrest, which followed a widely followed search that lasted over a month, Kohberger has consistently maintained his innocence.
