Bryan Kohberger avoided a return to court this week while in jail as his attorneys and prosecutors went back and forth over whether key evidence will be allowed in his pretrial hearings.
The accused quadruple murderer apologized in court on Wednesday and was represented by his lawyers, who also clashed with prosecutors over whether the hearings will be hidden from the public.
This week's hearings focus on what evidence will be allowed in his trial, including what prosecutors say is DNA evidence found on a knife sheath found in the Moscow, Idaho, home where four students lived more than two years ago. were stabbed to death.
Kohberger's attorneys have argued for the DNA evidence to be thrown out, claiming that the genetic genealogy method law enforcement used to identify him as a suspect violated his constitutional rights.
Although the murder weapon was never found, officials say the DNA on the sheath matched Kohberger's genetic profile, which was compiled by pulling genetic data of distant relatives from public databases.
District Judge Steven Hippler said he would make a decision Thursday on what would be open to the public, saying he was concerned about the fervent media and public attention on Kohberger's murder case as he tries to ensure a fair trial.
While noting that he hoped to expose “as much as possible” of Kohberger's case to the public, Hippler said he would close the DNA evidence portion of the hearing because he “can't ring the bell” once potentially shocking information is revealed heard.
The judge indicated that other parts of the hearings would be streamed online, but that the courtroom would be closed because he was concerned that he would have to unexpectedly close short aspects of the hearings.
It comes as the case against Kohberger – who has not appeared in court for three months – has been postponed several times since his arrest in December 2022, with the accused killer now due to stand trial in August 2025.
Suspected quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger
Kohberger is charged with the murders of University of Idaho (L-R) students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle on November 13, 2022
Latah County officials say they plan to seek the death penalty if he is convicted of the gruesome murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at their off-campus home in November 2022.
Partial DNA evidence found on a Ka-Bar knife sheath found at the scene of the murders was a key piece of evidence used by law enforcement to charge and arrest Kohberger.
Kohberger's attorneys argue that this way the DNA evidence was obtained violated his constitutional rights. The admissibility of the DNA evidence will be decided this week.
His first trial date was set for October 2023. However, his lead lawyer Anne Taylor has requested multiple extensions and further hearings since his arrest, angering the victims' families.
Kohberger's team also delayed revealing his official alibi until May 2024, and when he finally did, prosecutors and the public reacted with dismay when he claimed he “drove alone” to get to the moon on the night of the murders and look at the stars. '
In that filing, Taylor said she would bring in a phone data analysis expert to back up his claims that he was miles away from the scene, which is one of the pieces of evidence that prosecutors and the defense have repeatedly clashed over.
Kohberger has maintained his innocence since his arrest in December 2022, more than a month after the murders that shocked the nation.
Social media went into a frenzy following his arrest as internet sleuths dug into the lanky teaching assistant's history, revealing everything from his high school bullying by popular classmates to his humiliating Tinder dates.
The victims' families have shared their frustration at the endless delays, with Kaylee Goncalves' mother (left, with Madison Mogen) saying: 'It's heartbreaking how slowly everything has to move. Why does this have to be brought up like this?'
Boyfriend and girlfriend Ethan Chapin (left) and Xana Kernodle (right) were killed in bed together in the gruesome murders in November 2022
The month-long search for the alleged killer led to widespread media attention, with the victims' families since using the spotlight to condemn the proceedings against Kohberger.
In December 2023, victim Kaylee Goncalves' mother said the ongoing trial was “heartbreaking.”
'It's heartbreaking how slowly everything has to go. Why does this have to be brought up like this?' Kaylee's mother Krisi said this in an interview with KHQ.
'It's important, I understand that, but there are facts, we have certain facts, we have certain knowledge. I can't believe it works like that.'
In December 2023, Idaho officials came under fire again after the off-campus house where the four students were stabbed to death was demolished against the wishes of the victims' families.
Although both the prosecution and defense agreed it would be torn down, the families protested it, with Goncalves' loved ones fearing the move would “destroy one of the most crucial pieces of evidence in the case.”
Cell phone records provided by prosecutors show that the route Bryan Kohberger allegedly drove on the night of the brutal killings in Idaho could be a crucial piece of evidence in the state's case against the 28-year-old. In his new alibi filing, his lawyers say they plan to dispute this information
The off-campus house where the four gruesome murders took place was demolished in December due to the delays, despite calls from the victims' families to keep it standing
In January 2023, investigators were seen removing a bloody mattress from the home where four University of Idaho students were murdered
Before it was demolished, scenes inside the house were so gruesome that exclusive footage from DailyMail.com showed blood seeping down the outside of the property.
When he was arrested, prosecutors cited partial DNA matches found on a Ka-Bar knife sheath found at the home. No murder weapon was ever found.
In an ongoing argument over such evidence in court — including cellphone records and surveillance of Kohberger's car at the crime scene — the defense contended that prosecutors have not turned over what they could present in court.
Taylor filed a motion last summer to compel the defense to do so, with the defense countering that they are limited by certain federal laws because of the FBI's involvement in the case.
The defense has also filed a motion to dismiss the entire case, claiming he was indicted by a biased grand jury and that the case was tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and the admission of invalid evidence. The motion was denied.
Last month, it emerged that Kohberger was previously investigated in connection with a home invasion in Pullman, Washington in October 2021, just 10 miles from the quadruple murders in Moscow, Idaho. He was never charged in that investigation.
