Idaho judge urged to remove gag order on Kohberger case following quadruple murder plea
At a change of plea hearing last week, prosecutors asked to have the gag, officially called a "non-dissemination order," remain in place until Kohberger's official sentencing on July 23. Kohberger's defense did not object, and Judge Steven Hippler granted the request.
Then-Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall put the gag order in place days after Kohberger's arrest at his parents' house on Dec. 30, 2022. The stated aim was to protect Kohberger's right to a fair trial by limiting extrajudicial information available to the potential jury pool.
Much of the case proceeded behind closed doors until Hippler became the third judge to preside over the case following a change of venue that moved it from Latah County to Ada County.
Still, there are many questions that remain unanswered, and under the order, lawyers, investigators and other witnesses have been blocked from discussing details that haven't already surfaced in the courtroom. And the terms of the plea deal did not require Kohberger to explain his actions.
Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson hasn't held a news briefing since before Kohberger's extradition to Idaho in January 2023. The defense never has.
But now that Kohberger has admitted to the murders, there is no risk to his right to a fair trial, according to the motion. There won't be a trial at all.
"The Nondissemination Order, and its infringement on the First Amendment rights of the media, is no longer justifiable and should be vacated immediately," the motion continues.
The media coalition includes FOX News, The Associated Press, other major outlets and a number of smaller Idaho publications – including The Argonaut, the student paper at the University of Idaho, where the victims were killed.
Kohberger last week admitted to four first-degree murders – killing University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. He told the court, with his parents looking on, that he entered their house, which has since been demolished, around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, with the intent to kill.
The guilty plea will spare him from the potential death penalty. He is expected to receive four consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus another 10 years. And he forfeited his right to appeal and to seek a sentence reduction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Convicted Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger moved to solitary confinement, KTVB reports
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, has been moved to solitary confinement, CNN affiliate KTVB reported. Kohberger has been transferred to long-term restrictive housing in J Block at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, an Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) spokesperson told KTVB on Thursday. Located about nine miles south of Boise, the facility is Idaho's only maximum-security prison and houses some of the state's 'most disruptive male residents.' Kohberger's listing on the IDOC's website confirms he is housed on J Block. CNN has reached out to the department for further details. J Block can house up to 128 people, including those in protective custody and on death row, according to KTVB. Inmates in long-term restrictive housing are held in single-person cells, moved in restraints, allowed one hour of outdoor recreation daily and permitted to shower every other day, IDOC told KTVB. Kohberger was placed in solitary confinement more than a week after being sentenced to life in prison without parole. He declined to speak during his sentencing hearing in late July. The victims' families say they still don't know his motive. The Idaho Maximum Security Institution has faced criticism for its conditions and treatment of inmates in solitary confinement. Last year 90 inmates organized a six-day hunger strike to protest delays in access to medical care, long bouts of isolation and 'cages' used for recreational time, the Idaho Statesman reported. Some inmates described the 'cages' as large chain link-like metal boxes, littered with urine and feces. Other men housed in a lower-security section told the Statesman the space is often littered with trash and bodily fluids, claiming the facility's ventilation system hasn't been cleaned in decades. The IDOC told CNN in July the 'recreation enclosures' are regularly cleaned, and individuals can request vent cleaning in their cells if needed. Following the hunger strike, the department said it 'developed ways to increase vocational and educational opportunities, religious services, and recreation opportunities.' 'Safety is our number one priority for everyone living and working in our facilities,' the department told CNN. The prison's strict solitary confinement policies have also drawn concern. Kevin Kempf, who served as director of the IDOC in 2016, told CNN affiliate KBOI at the time that inmates were confined alone for up to 23 hours a day with little human interaction, received meals in their cells, and were allowed showers only three times a week. The corrections' department has since implemented a step-down program that gradually transitions inmates from solitary confinement to a more open environment, including stages where they can interact with others, KBOI reported. In its statement to CNN, the department said: 'Long term restrictive housing is not a disciplinary sanction, it is a housing assignment designed to manage specific behaviors.'
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Bryan Kohberger may have used second weapon and left ‘scared' while sparing surviving roommate: report
Idaho prosecutor Bill Thompson said investigators can't rule out the possibility that Bryan Kohberger used a second weapon during the murders of four University of Idaho students and believes the killer spared surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen because he panicked and fled, according to an interview with the Idaho Statesman. Thompson explained that some injuries observed on victim Kaylee Goncalves, 21, appeared to have been caused by something other than the knife used in the attack, though he stopped short of confirming a second weapon. "There were injuries that appeared to have been caused by something other than the knife, although it could have been the knife," Thompson told the Statesman. "I don't think we can exclude the possibility that there was an additional weapon involved." Court documents revealed the extent of the November 2022 attack on Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Goncalves, authorities revealed in recently released Moscow Police Department documents, endured "more than 20 stab wounds," alongside blunt-force trauma. Regarding why Mortensen, a surviving roommate, was left unharmed despite encountering Kohberger as he fled the scene through the rental property's sliding door, Thompson said it appeared Kohberger panicked. "From what Dylan described, I have a hard time imagining that the killer did not see Dylan," Thompson said. "At that point, he'd been in the house probably longer than he planned, and he had killed more people than he planned. It wouldn't surprise us that the killer was scared at that point and decided they had to leave, not knowing if law enforcement already had been called." Mortensen shared with authorities that she had noticed an intruder with "bushy eyebrows" on the night of the attack on 1122 King Road in Moscow, who had told her that he was "here to help." James Fry, who was chief of the Moscow Police Department at the time, told ABC News that there are many theories as to why Mortensen survived, including that Kohberger may have been exhausted from the quadruple murders. "I don't know, only he has that answer," Fry told the outlet. WATCH: Attorney reveals how inmates will likely respond to Kohberger's crimes Thompson also emphasized the critical role DNA evidence played in solving the case. "From our perspective as prosecutors, the DNA was critical to the strength of the case for trial purposes," he said. Without the DNA linking Kohberger to the knife sheath, securing a conviction might have been "insurmountable," Thompson told the Statesman. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Latah County Prosecutor's Office for comment.
CNN
11 hours ago
- CNN
Convicted Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger moved to solitary confinement: report
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students, has been moved to solitary confinement, CNN affiliate KTVB reported. Kohberger has been transferred to long-term restrictive housing in J Block at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, an Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) spokesperson told KTVB on Thursday. Located about nine miles south of Boise, the facility is Idaho's only maximum-security prison and houses some of the state's 'most disruptive male residents.' Kohberger's listing on the IDOC's website confirms he is housed on J Block. CNN has reached out to the department for further details. J Block can house up to 128 people, including those in protective custody and on death row, according to KTVB. Inmates in long-term restrictive housing are held in single-person cells, moved in restraints, allowed one hour of outdoor recreation daily and permitted to shower every other day, IDOC told KTVB. Kohberger was placed in solitary confinement more than a week after being sentenced to life in prison without parole. He declined to speak during his sentencing hearing in late July. The victims' families say they still don't know his motive. The Idaho Maximum Security Institution has faced criticism for its conditions and treatment of inmates in solitary confinement. Last year 90 inmates organized a six-day hunger strike to protest delays in access to medical care, long bouts of isolation and 'cages' used for recreational time, the Idaho Statesman reported. Some inmates described the 'cages' as large chain link-like metal boxes, littered with urine and feces. Other men housed in a lower-security section told the Statesman the space is often littered with trash and bodily fluids, claiming the facility's ventilation system hasn't been cleaned in decades. The IDOC told CNN in July the 'recreation enclosures' are regularly cleaned, and individuals can request vent cleaning in their cells if needed. Following the hunger strike, the department said it 'developed ways to increase vocational and educational opportunities, religious services, and recreation opportunities.' 'Safety is our number one priority for everyone living and working in our facilities,' the department told CNN. The prison's strict solitary confinement policies have also drawn concern. Kevin Kempf, who served as director of the IDOC in 2016, told CNN affiliate KBOI at the time that inmates were confined alone for up to 23 hours a day with little human interaction, received meals in their cells, and were allowed showers only three times a week. The corrections' department has since implemented a step-down program that gradually transitions inmates from solitary confinement to a more open environment, including stages where they can interact with others, KBOI reported. In its statement to CNN, the department said: 'Long term restrictive housing is not a disciplinary sanction, it is a housing assignment designed to manage specific behaviors.'
