Kohberger can face death penalty if convicted of the murders of 4 Idaho students, judge rules
Nov 20, 2024, 4:05 PM | Updated: 4:10 pm
Bryan Kohberger, accused of murder, arrives for a hearing in the courtroom in Latah County District Court on Sept. 13, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, a formerly a student seeking a Ph.D in criminology, was indicted in 2023 in the November 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students at an apartment near campus. (Pool photo by Ted S. Warren via Getty Images)
(Pool photo by Ted S. Warren via Getty Images)
A judge in Idaho has ruled Bryan Kohberger can face execution if he’s convicted of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.
Defense attorneys tried to get the death penalty off the table, pleading their case on Nov. 7, but a judge struck down their arguments.
“The Court concludes relief in Defendant’s favor is not warranted on any of the motions,” the memorandum decision from Judge Steven Hippler states, as KIRO 7 reported.
More details: Defense asks judge to ban the death penalty for man charged in stabbing deaths of 4 Idaho students
Kohberger’s defense attorneys filed multiple briefs ahead of that hearing, arguing everything from the availability of chemicals for lethal injection chemicals to what they call the cruel and unusual method of using the firing squad.
The memorandum states the team failed to prove their arguments and that some of the material they used to back up their claims was “irrelevant.”
Kohberger faces four counts of murder for the killings of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at an off-campus home.
His trial is set to begin in August 2025.
Previous coverage: Kohberger Idaho murder trial delayed
Contributing: KIRO 7; KIRO Newsradio news desk
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.
