Idaho college killings: Kohberger can face death penalty if convicted

(NewsNation) — Bryan Kohberger, the antheral accused of killing 4 University of Idaho students successful 2022, tin look the decease punishment if convicted, a justice has ruled.

Kohberger's defence squad sought to region the decease punishment arsenic a imaginable punishment, but Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied its request.

The proceedings for Kohberger is acceptable to statesman successful August.

Kohberger, 29, is charged successful the deaths of 4 University of Idaho students who were recovered stabbed to decease in an off-campus house in November of 2022.

The deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, shocked the tiny municipality of Moscow, Idaho. Initially, investigators had fewer leads and spent sizeable time tracing the activities of the 4 students in the hours anterior to their deaths.

This travel for justness for Kaylee, Maddie, Xana, and Ethan has been filled with highs and lows. Some days, we are hopeful that justness volition beryllium served; different days, we are overwhelmed with hopelessness and sadness. Today is simply a time for hope! 

The past 2 years successful beforehand of Judge Judge person been marked by vexation and disappointment—whether it was failing to pronounce the victims' names correctly, laughing successful the courtroom, oregon entertaining each absurd question oregon statement the defence could muster. That has been our reality. But now, we consciousness hopeful erstwhile again. 

We yet person a justice who appears prepared, thoughtful, and well-versed successful the ineligible process. There is simply a newfound level of seriousness that has been absent for acold excessively long. So, erstwhile we learned contiguous that the motions to situation the decease punishment were denied, we were overjoyed—not conscionable for our family, but for our friends, supporters, and everyone who has shed a tear, made a donation, oregon listened to the communicative of these beauteous children who were truthful senselessly taken from us. 

Justice is moving forward, and we commune that 1 day, successful the not-so-distant future, it volition beryllium served. Thank you erstwhile again to everyone for your unwavering enactment and prayers, and a peculiar convey you to the radical of Boise, who person welcomed america with unfastened arms.

Family of Kaylee Goncalves responds to decease punishment update

At the clip of the killings, Kohberger was a postgraduate pupil astatine adjacent Washington State University, wherever helium was moving toward a Ph.D. successful criminology.

Kohberger was arrested astatine his parent’s location successful Pennsylvania weeks aft the killings. The tribunal filings picture the country that night, alleging that instrumentality enforcement shattered a sliding solid doorway to the location and held the full household astatine gunpoint.

NewsNation's Stephanie Whiteside contributed to this report.