Prosecutors in the case against Bryan Kohberger have submitted to the court a new map of the alleged times and locations Kohberger’s car was seen near the crime scene in the early morning of the grisly quadruple stabbing deaths of four Idaho college students.
Newsweek reached out to Kohberger’s lawyer via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Kohberger, the 30-year-old defendant, is charged in the November 13, 2022, killings of students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20, and Xana Kernodle, 20, in their off-campus house.
The deaths sparked outrage and consumed social media for months in the aftermath as the case unfolded.
Kohberger has pleaded not guilty in the case eligible for the death penalty, as the defendant is set to stand trial in August.
What To Know
In new court documents this week, state prosecutors presented a map detailing what they say are the times and locations Kohberger’s vehicle was picked up on surveillance video near the crime scene.
The state argues in the court filings that the defendant’s vehicle was captured on video in at least six locations, all within 0.6 of a mile from the off-campus house “immediately preceding the crimes.”
Prosecutors say the footage was recorded in the early morning hours “from approximately 3:35 a.m. to 4:07 a.m.” The state also presented a map showing what prosecutors allege was Kohberger’s route to the house, noting that there does not need to be a continuous video feed for the evidence to be admissible in court.
Earlier this month, chilling text messages from the surviving roommates and a 911 call were released, further detailing the events of the killings.
Kohberger’s defense also recently argued to strike the death penalty from the case, citing Kohberger’s alleged autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
In a new court filing this week, the state argues against removing the death penalty, saying in part: “Defendant argues that it would violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment to impose a sentence of death because he has ASD. His argument fails for multiple independent reasons.”
What People Are Saying
State prosecutors in a court filing on Monday, in part: “From the review of the
surveillance videos, investigators were able to determine the suspect vehicle’s path of travel based on the witnessed direction of travel associated with the time stamps. From the review of the 1125 Ridge Road video, which admittedly provides the best view of the suspect vehicle, investigators were able to determine that the suspect vehicle shared similar class characteristics to a 5th generation Hyundai Elantra between 2014-2015. This video was taken at 4:01 a.m. approximately .3 miles from the crime scene.”
Kohberger’s defense team asking the court to exclude testimony of the car seen near 1125 Ridge Road and referring to it as Kohberger’s in a court filing in February, in part: “There is no continuous footage linking the vehicle at the 1112 King road footage and that from Ridge road. Additional surveillance footage depicts vehicles, but not identifiable vehicles. Thus, labeling the cars from various bits of footage as the same vehicle is speculative. Mr. Kohberger seeks an order prohibiting the state linking vehicle identification of the make and model of the vehicle in the 1112 King Rd. video based on identification of the car at 1125 Ridge Road and referring to the vehicles as Suspect Vehicle 1.”
What Happens Next
There is a motion hearing scheduled in Kohberger’s case for April 9.
