Defense team for man accused of horrific Idaho students murders shocks court with alternate suspect
Bryan Kohberger's attorney has suggested 'alternate perpetrators' are responsible for the murders of four Idaho students.
On November 13 2022, four University of Idaho students - Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21 - were fatally stabbed at their shared student King Road off-campus apartment in Moscow, Idaho.
A 30-year-old former criminology graduate student named Bryan Kohberger is accused of four counts of first-degree murder - charges which he pleaded not guilty to in May 2023.
Yesterday (May 15), Kohberger's attorney suggested 'alternate perpetrators' were actually responsible and Judge Steven Hippler weighed in.
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Kohberger's defense team suggested the theory that other perpetrators are responsible for the crimes during a session in court.
Judge Steven Hippler immediately sealed the filing and requested more evidence.
He said: "It seemed to be much of what you had put in there was fairly potentially objectionable in terms of admissibility."
An expert weighed in on the matter, telling NBC News: "An alternate perpetrator theory can certainly be viable if it's based on evidence but it can't just be an argument or speculation and I think that's what Judge Hippler is drilling down upon."
Judge Hippler ultimately resolved: "Provide me with whatever actual evidence you have that supports those allegations other than just allegations."
The evidence is reportedly required by May 23.
The trial is also set to be live-streamed, however, when the victims' surviving roommates testify, this will be omitted from the stream.
Why was Bryan Kohberger arrested?
In the weeks following the students' deaths, police looked over surveillance footage and spotted a white Hyundair Elantra go to the house of the victims three times before going around the area a fourth time.
Authorities traced the vehicle back to Pullman, Washington - where Kohberger lived.
When Kohberger was stopped for traffic violations on December 15 2022, his car was matched to that described.
His phone was also tracked heading to Moscow before being switched off around the time of the quadruple homicide - his phone reportedly near the victims' house at least 12 times, ABC7 reports.
Documents also state Kohberger's DNA was recovered from a knife sheath found on one of the victim's beds, DNA from trash outside Kohberger's parents' house later determined by a lab to be the father of the person whose DNA showed up on the sheath, as per the affidavit.
Kohberger was consquently arrested on December 30.
Other evidence in the trial
The judge has allowed data from Kohberg's Amazon account into the trial which allegedly shows he bought a Kabar knife and leather sheath similar to that which was found on one of the victim's beds.
The judge also allowed a witness description of an intruder.
Topics: US News, Crime, True crime
Poppy Bilderbeck