Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is expected to return to court this week for a hearing on 12 suppression motions filed by his defense team. This will be his first court appearance in over two months, during which his defense team sought to have prosecutors sanctioned for inadequate disclosures. The defense is requesting that expert witnesses be excluded from the case and is challenging the legality of search warrants that were used to collect evidence against Kohberger.
His defense team is arguing that the probable cause for the search warrants was primarily established through the use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), which they believe violated Kohberger’s Fourth Amendment rights. IGG is a new approach that allows police to build a suspect’s family tree by comparing DNA found at a crime scene to public DNA databases. They are also arguing that the search warrants were overly broad, particularly in the searches of Kohberger’s electronic devices. The hearing will also cover a motion to compel discovery, as the defense claims it has not been provided with all the reports, research, and data on which expert prosecution witnesses will rely.
Kohberger is facing four charges of first-degree murder and felony burglary for the stabbing deaths of the four University of Idaho students. Prosecutors allege that he sneaked into the students’ home while they were asleep and killed them with a large knife. Two housemates survived the attack and one reported seeing a masked man with “bushy eyebrows” leaving the home. Evidence found at the scene, including a knife sheath with Kohberger’s DNA, phone records, and surveillance footage, has led to his arrest and charges. Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University at the time of the murders.
Kohberger has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bail. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. The court hearing this week will address the defense’s challenge to the search warrants, the exclusion of expert witnesses, and the issue of discovery. The defense is seeking to have much of the evidence against Kohberger thrown out and is fighting to ensure a fair trial. The hearing is crucial in determining what evidence will be admissible in the upcoming trial, which is scheduled for the summer. Kohberger’s legal team continues to push back against the prosecution’s case as they seek justice for their client.
