Latest news with #BryanKohberger
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
8 high-profile Idaho court cases in 2025 reshape legal boundaries
Stories by Idaho Statesman journalists, with AI summarization Idaho's courts have drawn sharp lines on legal and civil rights in 2025, with key cases shaping how justice is applied. High-profile rulings included a self-defense acquittal for a Central Idaho man after a standoff and a decision to let Bryan Kohberger's family attend his murder trial despite their witness status. Meanwhile, the Idaho Supreme Court put a definitive stop to Ammon Bundy's efforts to fight charges stemming from a 2020 protest against COVID-19-related public health measures. Mental health and its role in criminal sentencing came up in a prison beating case, where trauma and illness shaped the arguments for a life sentence. And a viral police incident also led to debates over law enforcement practices and appropriate corrections, highlighting how these cases are testing Idaho's legal boundaries. Ammon Bundy was wheeled out of the Idaho Statehouse in 2020 on a chair and found guilty of trespassing. The case dragged on as he kept appealing. | Published April 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Sally Krutzig Despite the painful loss, his sister said she didn't want the man convicted of her brother's murder to face the death penalty, knowing that the killer had a family too. | Published April 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Brizee In another order, 4th District Judge Steven Hippler partly granted the prosecution's request to conduct its own mental health examination of Bryan Kohberger. | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Brizee 'She helps the good and the bad, and that has caused her to be in trouble at times, but has helped many people with they needed help,' her mother wrote in a letter. | Published March 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Brizee The presiding judge called the officer's testimony on deescalation 'shocking to say the least.' | Published May 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Rose Evans 'This was not intended to cause the harm that it did,' the man's attorney said in court last month. | Published May 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Brizee 'From the beginning this was a clear case of self-defense,' said Richard Blok, the defendant's attorney. | Published April 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kevin Fixler 'I share a birthday with him. He's a minute older than I am, so every year — every birthday — will be horrible for the rest of my life,' his twin brother said. | Published May 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Brizee The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Idaho murder case runs into problems but suspect set for August trial
Bryan Kohberger, the suspect accused of killing four young University of Idaho students in 2022, is set to go to trial in August in a case that could see him sentenced to death. He is charged with the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin – who were together in the same house when someone broke in at night and stabbed them to death. But the case is running into problems, not least a failure by prosecutors to ascribe a motive for the killings, which terrified a region and shocked the US amid a media frenzy around the crime. Last week, Kohberger's attorneys requested a trial delay, citing in part intense publicity around the case generated in part by a recent NBC Dateline special they claim was prejudicial to their client because it contained apparent prosecution leaks in violation of a non-dissemination order. The leaks included information that the phone belonging to Kohberger connected 23 times in four months to a cellphone tower near the rented home where the four students were killed. And also that he searched the internet for information about serial killer Ted Bundy as well as for pornography with the keywords 'drugged', 'sleeping' and 'passed out'. The defense is arguing it now requires more time to prepare for trial because of the publicity around that information. Related: Judge bans use of 'psychopath' and 'sociopath' in Idaho student murder trial Further problems may arise in July with the pre-trial publication of The Idaho Four, by the crime writer James Patterson and the journalist Vicky Ward, who ran afoul of a judge in South Carolina after obtaining crime-scene photos and documents in a civil claim related to that state's notorious Alex Murdaugh double murder case. Kohberger's attorneys have said the blurb for the book 'suggests that the apparent Dateline leak was not the only violation of this court's non-dissemination order' and a delay might mitigate the 'prejudicial effects of such inflammatory pretrial publicity'. Idaho judge Steven Hippler has said he is open to appointing a special prosecutor to question people under oath to determine the origin of the leaks. But whether or not a delay is granted, a number of recent court rulings have been going against Kohberger, who has pleaded not guilty. His defense team has tried to keep considerable evidence, including a 911 call alerting police to the crime; the description of a man with 'bushy eyebrows' at the house around the time of the murders; and his Amazon shopping history, including the purchase of a knife similar to the one the alleged assailant was said to have used, out of the trial. Amazon records show that an account under Kohberger's name and email address bought a Ka-Bar knife, sheath and sharpener in March 2022, eight months before the murders, and had them shipped to his parents' home in Pennsylvania, where he was later arrested. A brown leather Ka-Bar knife sheath was found, police said, next to one victim's body and DNA on the clasp matched to Kohberger. Kohberger's defense team claims his Amazon purchase history was 'out of context, incomplete and unfairly prejudicial', but Hippler ruled it was 'highly relevant' and 'establishes significant connection between the defendant and Ka-Bar knife and sheath'. In another ruling against the defence, Hippler turned down a request to exclude the criminology student's 12-page master's essay from being presented as evidence in the trial. In it, Kohberger assessed how to handle a crime scene where a woman has been found stabbed to death. Other rulings going against the suspect involve evidence about his white Hyundai Elantra – a similar make and model of car that prosecutors say the killer drove and which was captured on security video near the home before the murders and leaving soon after. Nor has the judge allowed defense requests that the death penalty option be dropped because their client was once diagnosed with autism. Hippler instead ruled that the defense can only introduce the diagnosis if Kohberger testifies in his own defense or as a mitigating factor is he is convicted. But Hippler has also ruled that Kohberger's defense was permitted to keep a court filing 'in support of … alternate perpetrators' sealed from public view. It is not yet clear if defense claims of another perpetrator, or perpetrators, claimed to be in the documents will be permitted at trial. Absent from the prosecutors' filings to date are any attempts to ascribe a motive for Kohberger's alleged actions. Forensic psychiatrist Carole Lieberman has said she believes Kohberger's decision to study psychology and then criminology was because he was 'trying to calm the demons inside of him' and simultaneously 'trying to learn how to commit the perfect crime'. To the Guardian last week she went further, arguing that the bloody crime scene and use of a knife was evidence that Kohberger harbored rage against young women. Kohberger, she claimed, had held this rage since at least middle school, when he had a crush on a cheerleader – said to have looked like Kaylee Goncalves – only for her to reject him. 'I think that's why he stalked and killed them,' she said. Related: Man accused of murdering four Idaho students fights against death penalty According to some reports, Kohhberg followed Mogen and Goncalves on Instagram. The defence denies the claim and argues there is no motive to find because Kohberger did not commit the crime. Louis Schlesinger, a professor of psychology at John Jay College, said it should be noted that Kohberger's alleged crime was a targeted mass killing, not a serial killing, because there were two others in the home at the time, including a surviving roommate, who reported seeing an intruder with 'bushy eyebrows', and were not attacked. 'This seems to be situationally based, so you can rule out psychosis or impulsivity,' Schlesinger said, 'and it doesn't appear to be sexually motivated. It could be jealousy or a feeling of rejection or humiliation. But we really don't know the motive was.' But that doesn't mean a jury would not want prosecutors to at least imply a motive. 'Jurors want to hear a motive before they send someone to the execution chamber,' he said. 'They will want to know why he did it.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Idaho murder case runs into problems but suspect set for August trial
Bryan Kohberger, the suspect accused of killing four young University of Idaho students in 2022, is set to go to trial in August in a case that could see him sentenced to death. He is charged with the murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin – who were together in the same house when someone broke in at night and stabbed them to death. But the case is running into problems, not least a failure by prosecutors to ascribe a motive for the killings, which terrified a region and shocked the US amid a media frenzy around the crime. Last week, Kohberger's attorneys requested a trial delay, citing in part intense publicity around the case generated in part by a recent NBC Dateline special they claim was prejudicial to their client because it contained apparent prosecution leaks in violation of a non-dissemination order. The leaks included information that the phone belonging to Kohberger connected 23 times in four months to a cellphone tower near the rented home where the four students were killed. And also that he searched the internet for information about serial killer Ted Bundy as well as for pornography with the keywords 'drugged', 'sleeping' and 'passed out'. The defense is arguing it now requires more time to prepare for trial because of the publicity around that information. Further problems may arise in July with the pre-trial publication of The Idaho Four, by the crime writer James Patterson and the journalist Vicky Ward, who ran afoul of a judge in South Carolina after obtaining crime-scene photos and documents in a civil claim related to that state's notorious Alex Murdaugh double murder case. Kohberger's attorneys have said the blurb for the book 'suggests that the apparent Dateline leak was not the only violation of this court's non-dissemination order' and a delay might mitigate the 'prejudicial effects of such inflammatory pretrial publicity'. Idaho judge Steven Hippler has said he is open to appointing a special prosecutor to question people under oath to determine the origin of the leaks. But whether or not a delay is granted, a number of recent court rulings have been going against Kohberger, who has pleaded not guilty. His defense team has tried to keep considerable evidence, including a 911 call alerting police to the crime; the description of a man with 'bushy eyebrows' at the house around the time of the murders; and his Amazon shopping history, including the purchase of a knife similar to the one the alleged assailant was said to have used, out of the trial. Amazon records show that an account under Kohberger's name and email address bought a Ka-Bar knife, sheath and sharpener in March 2022, eight months before the murders, and had them shipped to his parents' home in Pennsylvania, where he was later arrested. A brown leather Ka-Bar knife sheath was found, police said, next to one victim's body and DNA on the clasp matched to Kohberger. Kohberger's defense team claims his Amazon purchase history was 'out of context, incomplete and unfairly prejudicial', but Hippler ruled it was 'highly relevant' and 'establishes significant connection between the defendant and Ka-Bar knife and sheath'. In another ruling against the defence, Hippler turned down a request to exclude the criminology student's 12-page master's essay from being presented as evidence in the trial. In it, Kohberger assessed how to handle a crime scene where a woman has been found stabbed to death. Other rulings going against the suspect involve evidence about his white Hyundai Elantra – a similar make and model of car that prosecutors say the killer drove and which was captured on security video near the home before the murders and leaving soon after. Nor has the judge allowed defense requests that the death penalty option be dropped because their client was once diagnosed with autism. Hippler instead ruled that the defense can only introduce the diagnosis if Kohberger testifies in his own defense or as a mitigating factor is he is convicted. But Hippler has also ruled that Kohberger's defense was permitted to keep a court filing 'in support of … alternate perpetrators' sealed from public view. It is not yet clear if defense claims of another perpetrator, or perpetrators, claimed to be in the documents will be permitted at trial. Absent from the prosecutors' filings to date are any attempts to ascribe a motive for Kohberger's alleged actions. Forensic psychiatrist Carole Lieberman has said she believes Kohberger's decision to study psychology and then criminology was because he was 'trying to calm the demons inside of him' and simultaneously 'trying to learn how to commit the perfect crime'. To the Guardian last week she went further, arguing that the bloody crime scene and use of a knife was evidence that Kohberger harbored rage against young women. Kohberger, she claimed, had held this rage since at least middle school, when he had a crush on a cheerleader – said to have looked like Kaylee Goncalves – only for her to reject him. 'I think that's why he stalked and killed them,' she said. According to some reports, Kohhberg followed Mogen and Goncalves on Instagram. The defence denies the claim and argues there is no motive to find because Kohberger did not commit the crime. Louis Schlesinger, a professor of psychology at John Jay College, said it should be noted that Kohberger's alleged crime was a targeted mass killing, not a serial killing, because there were two others in the home at the time, including a surviving roommate, who reported seeing an intruder with 'bushy eyebrows', and were not attacked. 'This seems to be situationally based, so you can rule out psychosis or impulsivity,' Schlesinger said, 'and it doesn't appear to be sexually motivated. It could be jealousy or a feeling of rejection or humiliation. But we really don't know the motive was.' But that doesn't mean a jury would not want prosecutors to at least imply a motive. 'Jurors want to hear a motive before they send someone to the execution chamber,' he said. 'They will want to know why he did it.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
All the explosive evidence Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger doesn't want jurors to see
In less than three months, Bryan Kohberger will finally go on trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students in a case
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Newsweek
Bryan Kohberger Trial Puts Financial Strain on Victims' Families
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The families of University of Idaho students killed in an off-campus apartment in 2022 are receiving help from the public to attend suspect Bryan Kohberger's trial. Three GoFundMe pages have been launched to help cover the financial costs of attending the trial, which is scheduled to take place in Boise in August. Why It Matters Kohberger's trial was moved from Latah County to Ada County last year after a judge granted the defense's request for a change of venue. The distance between the two counties is about 300 miles. The fundraisers state that the families will use the money to cover various expenses, including travel, lost wages, food, and lodging. Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. A not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Bryan Kohberger attends a pre-trial hearing at Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho, on September 13, 2023. Bryan Kohberger attends a pre-trial hearing at Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho, on September 13, 2023. Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images What To Know A GoFundMe page was recently launched to help Xana's mother, Cara Kernodle, attend the trial. The fundraiser has collected over $24,000 as of press time. "The trial is in August and there is no way she can afford to be there without help," organizer Lori Scott wrote. "She has overcome so much and just wants to be there to know the correct justice is served. No mother should have to deal with this but to not be able to afford to be at trial is unthinkable." Scott said Kernodle needs help with travel expenses, missed work and food costs. "She has friends and her church, but the cost of everyday living has to be considered as well," Scott wrote. "Please help this mom be able to honor her daughter and friends by being there for whatever happens at this trial." The Goncalves family is also receiving financial assistance to cover costs associated with attending the trial. A GoFundMe for the family has raised over $84,000 so far. Kristi and Steve Goncalves, the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, outside the Ada County Courthouse on November 7, 2024, after attending a hearing in the case of Bryan Kohberger. Kristi and Steve Goncalves, the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, outside the Ada County Courthouse on November 7, 2024, after attending a hearing in the case of Bryan Kohberger. AP Photo/Rebecca Boone Brooke Miller, the fundraiser's organizer, said the Goncalves family has not missed a single hearing in the case, and they would like to continue attending proceedings in Boise. "We are looking to find an Airbnb or a house for rent that will house all 10 Goncalves family members as well as their small pets for at least those three months," Miller said. "Since this will be a huge disruption to their work and life, we also would love to raise enough money for meals, loss of work, transportation, etc." A GoFundMe has been created for Madison's father, Ben Mogen. Organizer Brittany Westegaard said the money will help fund travel and lodging. The fundraiser has collected over $20,000 so far. "We would love to help Ben be able to attend the trial with a few people close to him for support and not have to worry about the finances to make it happen," Westegaard said. The Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program and the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association do not provide funding to relatives of victims for travel expenses, according to the Idaho Statesman. What People Are Saying Lori Scott, organizer of a GoFundMe for Cara Kernodle: "I spoke with her today and she has been stressing this. Let's help her not have to. Xana was a college student who loved her boyfriend, her sister Jazzmin, her little brother Elijah, her mom, and dad. Just a young woman who was well on her way to being a successful woman with a smile that would light the darkest night." Kristi Goncalves, Kaylee's mother, in a GoFundMe update: "My family of 10 are all going to be able to attend. It is so important to each one of us, to be there for each other. At times it feels like this tragedy is never going to end, but lifting this burden has made it easier for me to sleep at night." Ben Mogen, Madison's father, in a GoFundMe update: "We couldn't have made the trip without Brittany Westegaard and you all. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for us. Ever." What Happens Next Kohberger's trial is set to begin on August 11, with jury selection starting in late July. Kohberger's attorneys submitted a motion on May 20 to postpone the trial's start. The judge has yet to rule on the motion. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
