Topline
Bryan Kohberger stood silent—leading the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf—at his arraignment on Monday in response to being charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary related to the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students last November, with a trial set to begin October 2.
FILE – Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November … [+]
Key Facts
Kohberger did not answer when Judge John Judge asked him how he pleaded Monday morning, meaning he chose to stand silent, in which case the judge enters not guilty pleas on the defendant’s behalf.
Judge set the trial to begin on October 2 at 8:30 a.m. after Kohberger’s attorney asked for it to be set in October, saying she thinks it will be a four- to six-week trial.
Kohberger was indicted by an Idaho grand jury on murder charges last week—meaning a jury determined there was enough evidence to move forward in charging him with the murders—paving the way for Monday’s arraignment.
Kohberger was arrested in December after police were able to link him to the case when DNA collected from his parents’ home matched DNA uncovered on a tan leather knife sheath found at the scene of the crime; shortly after his arrest he was extradited back to Idaho from his parents’ home in Pennsylvania.
In addition to DNA evidence, officials have alleged that Kohberger’s car was seen driving by the victims’ house multiple times before the murders and that his cell phone showed he was driving to Moscow, Idaho, the morning of the crimes, but was turned off during the timeframe when the murders were likely committed.
Key Background
Four University of Idaho students—Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen—were stabbed to death in an off-campus home in the college town of Moscow on November 13, 2022. The case drew national attention as the brutal murders shocked the Moscow community and law enforcement struggled with the investigation, failing to announce leads, suspects or a profile of the presumed killer for weeks. Kohberger, the only suspect named in the murders, was a Ph.D. student in the University of Washington’s criminal justice program about 10 miles from the University of Idaho. Prosecutors nor police have shared a potential motive for the killings or said if they believe Kohberger knew the victims.
Tangent
If found guilty of the murders, Kohberger could face the death penalty. In Idaho, a jury determines whether someone receives the death penalty and the decision must be unanimous. The death penalty is an option for first-degree murder if at least one other qualification is met, including: another murder was committed at the same time, the murder was “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity” or “the defendant exhibited utter disregard for human life.”
Further Reading
Idaho Murders Suspect Bryan Kohberger Indicted—Paving Way For Trial (Forbes)
Bryan Kohberger stands silent, judge enters not guilty pleas on all charges (KREM)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/05/22/bryan-kohberger-stands-silent-as-judge-asks-for-plea-in-four-idaho-murders/