(LibertyInsider.org) – A Pennsylvania man charged with murdering four Idaho university students is making a last-ditch effort to persuade the judge presiding over his case to dismiss the charges. Bryan Kohberger stands accused of killing Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, 21, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, 20, during an alleged burglary gone wrong.
Police found all four students stabbed to death in their rental apartment a short distance away from the University of Idaho in November 2022. An autopsy determined that someone had attacked them while they slept but failed to identify a suspect.
The gruesome and senseless murders sent shockwaves through the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, and eventually attracted national attention. Police launched an extensive investigation into the matter and carefully pieced together all available evidence. They managed to determine that someone known to the victims likely carried out the killings but didn’t identify Kohberger as a person of interest until his DNA showed up on a knife sheath.
A Latah County grand jury officially indicted Kohberger in January 2023 on four charges of first-degree murder and one count of burglary related to the November 2022 killings. Police tracked him down at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania and took him into custody. After obtaining a search warrant for the residence, investigators reportedly uncovered additional potential evidence, including a Smith & Wesson pocket knife and medical gloves.
Prosecutors responded to the brutality of the crimes by immediately declaring their intention to seek the death penalty should Kohberger be convicted. However, his defense attorneys have repeatedly appealed the legitimacy of the indictment from the outset. They accuse the prosecution of engaging in misconduct by withholding evidence, say the grand jury was deeply biased, and claim the available evidence doesn’t conclusively prove their client’s guilt.
Last year, Kohberger’s legal team put forth two separate motions to dismiss the indictment based on these concerns. Judge John Judge, who is overseeing the case, dismissed both requests without prejudice. He felt the evidence was sufficient and said there was no indication of either the grand jury or the prosecution engaging in misconduct.
Not to be deterred, Kohberger’s legal team submitted yet another motion to dismiss on December 21. This time, they asked Judge to reconsider his previous decision while also re-evaluating the case from the ground up. Judge also issued a gag order and scheduled a closed hearing on the matter for January 26th, but a dismissal is highly unlikely.
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