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Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger’s trial could be moved 300 miles away from Moscow

Bynewsmagzines

Feb 19, 2023
Former Idaho Attorney General and Lt. Gov. David Leroy said it


The trial of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger could be moved hundreds of miles over fears local jurors will be too appalled by the massacre to try him fairly. 

Kohberger, 28, is expected to appear at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow on June 26 to enter a plea in the slayings of four University of Idaho students who were stabbed to death at an off-campus home in Moscow on November 13.

If Kohberger pleads not guilty, a trial date will be set. But many questions remain – including where the trial will be held. 

The slayings shocked the rural Idaho community of just 25,850, and either the prosecution or the defense could file a motion for a change of venue. Options include Lewiston, which is 30 miles south of Moscow, Coeur d’Alene in Kootenai County, about 85 miles north, or state capital Boise, which is about 300 miles south of Moscow.

Kohberger faces four counts of felony first-degree murder in the slayings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Xana Kernodle, 20, Ethan Chapin, 20.

Former Idaho Attorney General and Lt. Gov. David Leroy said it's possible the trial could be moved other Idaho towns, including Lewiston, just 30 miles south of Moscow, Coeur d'Alene in Kootenai County, about 85 miles north, or Boise, about 300 miles south

Former Idaho Attorney General and Lt. Gov. David Leroy said it’s possible the trial could be moved other Idaho towns, including Lewiston, just 30 miles south of Moscow, Coeur d’Alene in Kootenai County, about 85 miles north, or Boise, about 300 miles south

The trial of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger could be moved hundreds of miles away over fears that jurors will be so appalled by the massacre to try him fairly

The trial of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger could be moved hundreds of miles away over fears that jurors will be so appalled by the massacre to try him fairly

The trial of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger could be moved hundreds of miles away over fears that jurors will be so appalled by the massacre to try him fairly

(L-R) Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders), Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

(L-R) Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee's shoulders), Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

(L-R) Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee’s shoulders), Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

The case garnered widespread publicity, and in January Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall issued the sweeping gag order, barring attorneys, law enforcement agencies and others associated with the case from talking or writing about it. 

In the gag order, Marshall said the speech restriction was needed to protect Kohberger’s right to a fair trial.

‘More speech does not mean a less fair trial; the speech at issue must be the kind that could prejudice a jury. And even when publicity may cause prejudice, the answer is not always to suppress the speech,’ coalition attorney Wendy Olson wrote. 

‘Other remedies like the passing of time, a change in venue, voir dire, jury instructions, and jury sequestration can cleanse any jury taint without offending the right to speech.’

If the trial takes place, it would be after the June 26 court appearance and after another preliminary hearing. 

Either party could file a motion to change the venue, but County Prosecuting Attorney Lindsey Blake told The Idaho Statesman that the decision to move a trial is up to the judge and it’s typically at the request of the defense, not the prosecution.

The main argument for a change of venue is the effect of pretrial publicity on potential jurors, Blake said. 

‘Each case is decided on an individual basis,’ Blake said. ‘But a lot of the time, they’re looking at pretrial publicity. They feel they could get a more impartial jury.’ 

Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson told the Statesman that he believed an unbiased jury could be found in Moscow. 

Jurors would, as always, be urged to try Kohberger solely on the evidence presented to them in court,  with the case hinging on DNA and cellphone data.

‘I don’t see why we wouldn’t, as long as there’s not irresponsible dissemination of information,’ Thompson said back in December. 

At the time of his interview, few details about the investigation had been released to the public. 

If a trial date is set and a motion for a change of venue is granted, then comes the question of where the trial would be held. 

Former Idaho Attorney General and Lt. Gov. David Leroy told the Statesman there are other areas of Idaho where the trial could be moved to including Lewiston, just 30 miles south of Moscow, Coeur d’Alene in Kootenai County, about 85 miles north, or Boise, about 300 miles south. 

Three of the victims were from Kootenai County.   

Kohberger was arrested on December 30 by a SWAT team at his parents home in Pennsylvania as they moved to search his apartment at Washington State University

Kohberger was arrested on December 30 by a SWAT team at his parents home in Pennsylvania as they moved to search his apartment at Washington State University

Kohberger was arrested on December 30 by a SWAT team at his parents home in Pennsylvania as they moved to search his apartment at Washington State University 

Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle

Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle

Kaylee Goncalves

Kaylee Goncalves

Kohberger allegedly followed Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle (together left) and Kaylee Goncalves (right) Instagram. They were killed along with Ethan Chapin in November

Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found dead by his best friend who checked for their pulse before making the 911 call on November 13

Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found dead by his best friend who checked for their pulse before making the 911 call on November 13

Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found dead by his best friend who checked for their pulse before making the 911 call on November 13

Leroy said the every defendant in a criminal case is entitled to a trial by a jury of peers.

‘Those peers are supposed to approach any jury service as unbiased and without opinions formed in advance of the case,’ Leroy said. ‘Jurors must decide whether someone has been shown to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, solely by evidence that’s produced in the courtroom.’

Leroy said the difference between Moscow residents being selected as jurors opposed to residents from the rest of the state is the proximity to the crimes. He added that with so much attention on the case, finding a jury in Latah County without previous opinions could be difficult.

Kohberger was arrested on December 30 by a SWAT team at his parents home in Pennsylvania as they moved to search his apartment at Washington State University.

He has previously indicated that he believes he will ‘be exonerated’, with his family unable to pay for him to have private representation.

A new search warrant, made public on January 17, shows that police found several hair strands, including one suspected animal hair, a black glove, a computer tower and one unnamed item with a collection of ‘dark red spots’.

They also hauled away a pillow with a ‘reddish/brown stain’ on it and the top and bottom of a mattress cover with ‘multiple stains’.

Investigators, who raided the property back in December, also picked up receipts from Walmart and two Marshall’s receipts, as well as collecting the contents of his vacuum cleaner.

Authorities initially sealed the search warrant for the murder suspect’s Washington home – arguing that releasing the details could ‘prematurely’ end the investigation.

Kohberger was allegedly stalking the students in the weeks leading up to the murders. Pictured is the home where the murders took place, just over eight miles from where he worked as a PhD student and teaching assistant

Kohberger was allegedly stalking the students in the weeks leading up to the murders. Pictured is the home where the murders took place, just over eight miles from where he worked as a PhD student and teaching assistant

Kohberger was allegedly stalking the students in the weeks leading up to the murders. Pictured is the home where the murders took place, just over eight miles from where he worked as a PhD student and teaching assistant 

Kaylee's dog Murphy was spared during the slayings - officers found him alone in her room

Kaylee's dog Murphy was spared during the slayings - officers found him alone in her room

Kaylee’s dog Murphy was spared during the slayings – officers found him alone in her room

Court documents show that eight strands of hair were recovered from the apartment, as well as a ‘possible’ animal hair.

They also recovered a Fire TV stick during their search. All the items are now being stored at the Washington State University Police department.

Authorities reportedly said they wanted to see if any hair had been ‘transferred’ onto Kohberger and then back to his apartment – including that of Kaylee Goncalves’ dog Murphy.

Murphy was found alive in Goncalves’ room by investigators who were called to the scene, and has now been returned to her ex-boyfriend.

The application also stated that the home where the students were murdered had a significant amount of blood from the victims – including ‘spatter and castoff blood’.

Investigators believe that it was likely that the killer would have had blood evidence on their body or clothing, and hoped to find trace evidence in Kohberger’s apartment.

However, they did not describe the results of any of the testing in the documents and did not confirm if any hairs found matched the victims or Kaylee’s dog.

His offices at Washington State University were also searched, but nothing was seized by officers.

Best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were murdered on November 13 along with roommate Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20

Best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were murdered on November 13 along with roommate Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20

Best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were murdered on November 13 along with roommate Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20

Ethan Chapin with Xana Kernodle were murdered on November 13

Ethan Chapin with Xana Kernodle were murdered on November 13

Ethan Chapin with Xana Kernodle were murdered on November 13 

Initially, the court ruled that the warrant should be sealed until March 1, claiming that if it were made public there would be a threat to ‘public safety’.

Authorities released the probable cause affidavit against Kohberger just before his first hearing in Moscow, Idaho, on January 5.

It reveals how Kohberger turned his phone off on the night of the murders in an alleged attempt to cover his tracks before the murder.

He is even alleged to have returned to the scene of the crime at 9am on November 13 – just hours after police believe he committed the quadruple murder.

The documents say that the criminal justice graduate stalked the property at least 12 times.

Officials have not revealed the exact dates they believe he canvassed the three-story property but confirmed that, in August, he was pulled over just two minutes after leaving the area covered by the cell phone tower closest to the home.

A Latah County Sheriff’s deputy pulled him over on August 21 at 11.37pm as part of a traffic stop – in which he provided his number.

During the stop, which was recorded on the officer’s body cam, Kohberger was driving his white Hyundai Elantra.

The papers also included details on how Kohberger’s DNA was found on a knife sheath close to the bodies of Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. Authorities are still hunting for the murder weapon.

How the Idaho murders case that shocked the world unfolded

Sunday, November 13 2022: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were stabbed to death at their home in Moscow, Idaho in the early hours of the morning, sometime between 3am and 4am.

Earlier that evening, Mogen and Goncalves were captured on a Twitch livestream close to a food truck while waiting for an order of pasta carbonara. 

A sorority driving service drove the young women home around 1:56am. 

Kernodle and her boyfriend Chapin had returned from the Sigma Chi frat house around 11 minutes earlier.

Two other female roommates who survived the attack went to bed around 1am and didn’t wake up until the next morning.

Goncalves called her ex-boyfriend Jack DuCoeur seven times between 2:26 and 2:44, her sister Alivea said. He was quickly cleared as a suspect. 

A 911 call was made at 11:58am that mornig.

At 2pm, students were told of the murders by the University of Idaho, with staffers urging them to ‘shelter in place.’ 

Monday, November 14 2022: Moscow Mayor Art Bettge said the killings were a ‘crime of passion,’ only to later backtrack. He said that theory was one of several under consideration. 

Tuesday, November 15 2022: Moscow Police called the killings an ‘isolated, targeted attack’ and added that there was ‘no imminent threat to the community at large.’ 

But angry locals  – as well as the four victims’ families – slammed what they described as contradictory statements from investigators. 

Wednesday, November 16 2022: Moscow PD Chief James Fry disclosed the fact that two roommates at home had survived. 

He said there were no signs of forced entry, but refused to say who had made the 911 call, and why it had been made an estimated eight hours later. 

Fry angered locals by backtracking on an earlier claim their was no danger to the wider community. He warned them to ‘please stay vigilant.’ 

Thursday, November 17 2022: The killings are officially ruled homicides by stabbings by Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt. 

She said all four victims were likely attacked as they slept, and that each had multiple stab wounds. 

Distressingly, some victims were found to have defensive wounds – suggesting they’d woken up while being attacked – but there were no signs of sexual assault. 

Sunday, November 20: DailyMail.com exclusively reveals a local dog was skinned and filleted three weeks before the killings, sparking fears of a connection. 

Cops later insisted this was not the case. They added that Goncalves’ dog was home at the time of the slayings. 

November 22 2022: Cops admitted Goncalves had been followed around a supermarket around a month before the killings, but said they were unable to verify claims she had a stalker.  

November 30 2022: Kaylee Goncalves’ father Steve said his daughter and friend Maddie Mogen had been sleeping in the same bed when they were stabbed. 

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Latah claimed one of the victims was ‘undoubtedly targeted.’ 

Hours later, Moscow Police Department contradicted that claim, only to admit that they did consider the crime a ‘targeted’ one the following day. 

Six people are ruled out as suspects: A man seen close to Goncalves and Mogen at the food truck; the driver who took them home; Goncalves’ ex-boyfriend; the surviving roommates and another student who’d moved out of the property several months earlier. 

December 5 2022: Goncalves’ dad Steve slammed cops ‘absurd’ approach to the case, claiming Moscow Police Department had been too quick to clear potential suspects, and rule out links to other cases 

December 7 2022: Cops make their first appeal for a white 2011 to 2013 Hyundai Elantra spotted at the crime scene around the time of the murders.

A white Hyundai Elantra is said to have been towed from suspect Bryan Kohberger’s home in Scranton, Pennsylvania on December 30 after he was arrested.

December 12 2022: Steve Goncalves reveals Kaylee had ‘big open gouges’ as a result of the deadly attack. 

He branded cops ‘cowards’ for not sharing more information, and said his daughter’s wounds were more severe than Maddie’s.

December 18 2022: New footage emerges showing Goncalves and Mogen hours before their killings, walking through downtown while discussing a man named Adam.

Goncalves’ family lawyer later clarified that the Adam in question is a bartender. 

December 27 2022: More leaked footage shows Goncalves and Mogen inside the Corner Club bar in Moscow shortly before returning home.

December 30 2022: Cops announce they’ve made an arrest in connection with the killings in Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

The suspect is named as University of Washington criminology Ph.D student Bryan Christopher Kohberger.

Kohberger was nabbed at his home by SWAT teams, and arraigned the same morning.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk

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