Bryan Kohberger on Jan. 3, 2023.Photo: Matt Rourke/AP/Shutterstock
It will be more than five months before murder suspectBryan Kohbergerappears in a courtroom again for his preliminary hearing after being charged with the murders offour University of Idaho students.
The 28-year-old former PhD criminology student is accused of stabbing to death Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022. Goncalves, Mogen and Kernodle lived together at the Moscow home where the murders took place with two additional roommates, and Chapin was staying the night with his girlfriend, Kernodle.
After nearly seven weeks of investigating,Kohberger— who was living in Pullman, Wash., and attending Washington State University at the time of the murders — was arrested across the country in his home state of Pennsylvania and charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the slayings. Questions continue toloom over the case, including whether Kohberger could face the death penalty if he is found guilty.
The death penalty is legal in Idaho and 29 executions have been carried out in the state since 1864, but only three have since the death penalty resumed in 1976 after a hiatus. The last execution in Idaho was in June 2012. Prosecutors have not yet announced if they will pursue the death penalty if Kohberger’s case heads to trial.
However, trial lawyer and former federal prosecutorNeama Rahmanitells PEOPLE that it is very likely prosecutors will pursue the death penalty in this case that has shocked the nation.
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“If you believe in the death penalty, this is a death penalty case,” Rahmani said. “You have multiple victims, you have evidence of premeditation, you have a victim’s family who want the death penalty, so there’s a lot of aggravating factors here.”
“Prosecutors are elected officials, and there’s going to be a lot of political pressure on them to seek a death sentence in a case like this and not offer any type of deal like life without the possibility parole,” Rahmani continues. “It is one of the most gruesome murders in Idaho state history, so all those factors lead me to believe that very likely, prosecutors will seek the death penalty in this case. "
The insanity defense has not been available in Idaho since 1982, but Rahmani believes his attorney will argue he didn’t commit the murders.
Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle.
“Kohberger’s attorney will most likely argue that he didn’t do it, rather than present an insanity defense,” Rahmani said. “He was accomplished enough as a scholar to become a PhD student and he showed no indication of mental illness before the stabbings, so there would be little justification for his defense to argue he is incompetent to stand trial.”
During an appearance onNewsNation, Steve and Kristi Goncalves, the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, said they would support the death penalty for the killer.
“Justice is when you leave the planet, and the whole world is able to rejoice and be glad that you’re not there,” Steve said.
When host Ashleigh Banfield asked both parents if they support the death penalty in the case against Kohberger, if he were to be convicted, they said they do.
“If you want to play God’s role, you’re going to have to go answer to him,” Steve said.
“I think the strongest [piece of evidence] would be if the victim’s blood is at his apartment or on his car,” Rahmani said. “We don’t know yet, but I think that would be very strong evidence if true.”
Former Los Angeles County prosecutorJoshua Rittertold PEOPLE in a statement that he believes there is a strong case against Kohberger.
“The DNA evidence, coupled with other corroborating evidence, is enough to build a very strong case against Bryan Kohberger,” Ritter said. “I can’t imagine this being a case where prosecutors don’t seriously consider the death penalty. In that scenario, the only way Kohberger would accept a plea deal would be if prosecutors take the death penalty off the table. But it’s a little early to talk about plea deals at this point.”
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According to theprobable cause affidavit, authorities claim to have linked Kohberger to the crime with DNA evidence, cell phone pings and surveillance video. One of the surviving roommates also said she saw the suspected killer, described as “5'10” or taller, male, not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows,” according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also alleges that Kohberger’s cell phone pinged in the area of the 1122 King Road home in Moscow, Idaho, where the killings took place on “at least twelve occasions prior to November 13, 2022.”
Kohberger is due back in court on June 26 afterwaiving his right to a speedy preliminary hearing.He is currently being held without bail and has not yet entered a plea to the charges against him.
source: people.com
