Bryan Kohberger enters Idaho courtroom
Accused Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger could face a firing squad if convicted of brutally murdering all four University of Idaho students.
Bryan Kohberger, 28, is accused fatally stabbing 20-year-old Ethan Chapin of Conway, Washington; 21-year-old Madison Mogen of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; 20-year-old Xana Kernodle of Avondale, Arizona; and 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves of Rathdrum, Idaho on November 13.
Murder victims from left: Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Maddie Mogen
Latah County prosecutors have not yet said whether they plan to pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger.
Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson
Kohberger could face a firing squad if convicted since a GOP state lawmaker introduced a new bill that would bring back the method of legal execution.
Last week Rep. Bruce Skaug R-Nampa introduced a bill that would bring back the firing squad as a form of death penalty execution.
Currently Idaho only allows for lethal injections.
“Skaug’s bill adds the firing squad as a form of execution. It states that no later than five days after a death warrant is issued, the IDOC director must determine whether execution by lethal injection is an available method. If the method is not available, IDOC shall use the firing squad.” – East Idaho News reported.
Death by firing squad was legal in Idaho until 2009.
Skaug argued death by firing squad is more humane because lethal injections can be botched, the outlet said.
According to the court documents, Kohberger’s DNA was found on a tan leather knife sheath left behind on Maddie Mogen’s bed on the 3rd floor at the King Road Residence.
“The sheath was later processed and had ‘Ka-Bar’ ‘USMC’ and the United States Marine Corps eagle globe and anchor insignia stamped on the outside of it,” Idaho police officer Brett Payne wrote in the 19-page affidavit. “The Idaho state lab later located a single source of male DNA (suspect Profile) left on the button snap of the knife sheath.”
Police also executed a search warrant at Kohberger’s Pullman, WA apartment which was located approximately 10 miles from the crime scene.
The search warrant was unsealed last month.
Police found one nitrite type glove, 13 possible hair strands (one possible animal hair strand), 1 collection of dark red spot (possible blood), 2 cuttings from uncased pillow of reddish/brown stain (possible blood) among other pieces of evidence.
No weapons were recovered.
The judge overseeing the quadruple murder case imposed a strict gag order so very little information about other evidence linking Kohberger to the victims has been released through leaks to the media.
According to People, Kohberger had “more than one picture” of one of the female victims stored on his phone.
Kohberger also reportedly messaged one of the female victims on Instagram two weeks before the murders.
Click here to read the probable cause affidavit and read through and analysis.
Click here to read the unsealed search warrant on Bryan Kohberger’s Pullman, Washington apartment.
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26 at 9 am.