Latest news with #DeSalesUniversity
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Key figures from Bryan Kohberger's Pennsylvania youth summoned to Idaho for student murders trial
FIRST ON FOX: Key figures from Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's Pennsylvania past have been summoned as witnesses in his upcoming trial, according to court documents. They include Jesse Harris, whose name is on the boxing gym where Kohberger used to train, Ann Parham, an advisor at the school Kohberger attended, and Marie Bolger, a former professor who taught Kohberger at DeSales University. Kohberger wrote that he boxed daily at Harris' gym in a 2015 job application previously obtained by Fox News Digital. Bryan Kohberger Defense Suggests 'Alternate Perpetrators' In Idaho Murders, Joining Infamous Legal Strategy In a 2023 interview with the Daily Mail, Bolger said Kohberger was one of her brightest students and one of only two she had recommended for Ph.D. programs in a decade. However, she explained, she'd never met him in person and only taught him over email and Zoom during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She helped him work on his graduate thesis, which centered on "how and why criminals commit their crime," she said. Read On The Fox News App Bryan Kohberger Defense Claims 'Alternate Perpetrators' In Idaho Student Murders Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Two other witnesses are Ralph Vecchio and Maggie Sanders. Their connections to the case were not immediately clear. The documents were made public in a Pennsylvania court days after Kohberger's defense filed an amended witness list in Boise. Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack -- Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, also 20. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter Prosecutors allege he left his DNA on a knife sheath detectives found with Mogen's body. They also plan to introduce some of his DeSales homework as evidence he was well-versed in concepts related to crime scene handling and the transfer of evidence. He was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University at the time of the murders and previously obtained a master's degree from DeSales. The trail begins in August. Kohberger could face death by firing squad if article source: Key figures from Bryan Kohberger's Pennsylvania youth summoned to Idaho for student murders trial
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Bryan Kohberger's past life looms as new witnesses could reveal intimate details at Idaho murders trial
's past life is set to fall under the spotlight in his upcoming capital trial with several people in Pennsylvania now called to appear as witnesses in the case. In a new court document filed in Pennsylvania, five individuals including his former professor at DeSales University and a woman who works at a boxing gym where he used to train were hit with summons connected to the trial. The group was ordered to appear for a hearing on June 30 to show why they should not be called to testify in the high-profile trial in Idaho this summer. Among the names on the list are DeSales University Professor Michelle Bolger - who taught the accused quadruple killer during his criminal justice Masters degree. Bolger has previously revealed her shock at hearing what her former student was accused of, telling in the days after his arrest she was 'shocked as s**t.' 'I'm shocked as s**t at what he's been accused of. I don't believe it, but I get it,' she said. 'He's a brilliant student,' she added at the time. Others summoned as witnesses include Ann Parham, who was an advisor at Kohberger's school, and Jesse Harris, who works at a boxing gym where the suspect used to work out. The 30-year-old suspect used to box every day at the gym, according to a 2015 job application previously reported by Fox News. Two other mystery individuals - Ralph Vecchio and Maggie Sanders - have also been summoned. It is not clear from the court documents what the purpose of their trial testimony would be - or whether they are being sought as witnesses by the defense or prosecution. However, this comes just days after Kohberger's team filed an amended mitigation witness list with the court in Idaho. The list was sealed, keeping it shrouded in secrecy. Kohberger is due to go on trial this August charged with the November 13, 2022, murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in a horrific crime that shocked the nation. The suspect is accused of breaking into a three-story, off-campus home in the heart of the college town of Moscow, Idaho, and stabbing the victims to death. Two other roommates survived, with one of them coming face-to-face with the masked killer moments after the attack. Kohberger was connected to the murders after his DNA was found on a Ka-Bar leather knife sheath at the scene. Prosecutors also found cellphone records placing him outside the student home multiple times prior to the murders, as well as surveillance footage showing a vehicle matching his car speeding away. He was arrested on December 30, 2022, at his parents' home in Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania - the region where he grew up. If convicted, he faces the death penalty. With the trial looming, Kohberger's defense has made a string of last-ditch efforts to save him from the firing squad - seeking a delay to the trial and pointing to an alternate suspect. Just three months before his trial, Kohberger's lawyers claim to have identified an alternate suspect they say could be the real killer. As it stands, the identity of this suspect or suspects and what evidence the defense has that could tie them to the brutal murders remains a mystery - as the filings remain under seal. Based on comments made by his attorneys, the alternate suspect appears to be someone who cropped up during the initial law enforcement investigation. In a hearing on April 9, Kohberger's lead attorney Anne Taylor told the court she had found a lead on another suspect buried among a trove of tips collected by police. She also previously revealed the defense's plans to argue Kohberger was framed by someone planting his DNA at the crime scene - and that two people must have committed the crime using two weapons. Judge Hippler gave the defense a deadline of May 23 to hand over evidence to support the claims. Now, the prosecution has until June 6 to respond to the claims before a court hearing is held later that month where the judge will decide if the defense can present this alternate suspect at the trial. Experts told the Daily Mail that the theory could have a 'significant impact' on the trial if jurors hear it. 'Ultimately, the jury has to be unanimous… if you convince just one juror that there is a reasonable alternative suspect, he walks,' criminal defense attorney David Seltzer said. He believes the idea could provide a powerful story to counter the more technical prosecution case. The defense is also trying to delay the trial altogether - citing a recent Dateline episode that revealed bombshell new details about the case. The show revealed the suspected killer's phone records, porn choices and online searches for Ted Bundy. It also aired never-before-seen surveillance footage of a suspect vehicle fleeing the horrific crime scene on November 13, 2022. Days after the show aired, Judge Hippler handed down a scathing court order saying that the release of 'sensitive information' in the episode shows that someone close to the case has 'likely' violated the gag order. He warned that this could make it more difficult to seat an impartial jury when Kohberger goes on trial for his life this August - something that those close to the victims described as 'a distraction.' The judge ordered an investigation into the leak, vowing to root out the source and hold the culprit to account. Both sides were ordered to preserve all records around the case and to hand over a list of names of everyone who might have had access to the information revealed on the show, including staff members, law enforcement officers and defense consultants. Both the defense and prosecution have now handed over these records. Jury selection is slated to begin in late July or early August, with the trial getting underway August 11.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Key figures from Bryan Kohberger's Pennsylvania youth summoned to Idaho for student murders trial
FIRST ON FOX: Key figures from Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's Pennsylvania past have been summoned as witnesses in his upcoming trial, according to court documents. They include Jesse Harris, whose name is on the boxing gym where Kohberger used to train, Ann Parham, an advisor at the school Kohberger attended, and Marie Bolger, a former professor who taught Kohberger at DeSales University. Kohberger wrote that he boxed daily at Harris' gym in a 2015 job application previously obtained by Fox News Digital. In a 2023 interview with the Daily Mail, Bolger said Kohberger was one of her brightest students and one of only two she had recommended for Ph.D. programs in a decade. However, she explained, she'd never met him in person and only taught him over email and Zoom during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She helped him work on his graduate thesis, which centered on "how and why criminals commit their crime," she said. Two other witnesses are Ralph Vecchio and Maggie Sanders. Their connections to the case were not immediately clear. The documents were made public in a Pennsylvania court days after Kohberger's defense filed an amended witness list in Boise. Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack -- Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, also 20. Prosecutors allege he left his DNA on a knife sheath detectives found with Mogen's body. They also plan to introduce some of his DeSales homework as evidence he was well-versed in concepts related to crime scene handling and the transfer of evidence. He was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University at the time of the murders and previously obtained a master's degree from DeSales. The trail begins in August. Kohberger could face death by firing squad if convicted.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Joyce inaugurated as Mount St. Mary's president; promises continued faith, excellence
Gerard Joyce was officially inaugurated as Mount St. Mary's president in a ceremony on Saturday to the cheers of faculty, staff and students. "The path ahead will have bumps, as it always has, but Mount St Mary's' history teaches us resilience and our mission reminds us that this work transcends us," he said during a speech. The private Catholic university in Emmitsburg brought Joyce on to replace retired president Timothy Trainer, who held the position from 2016 to the summer of 2024. Joyce took over in July 2024, coming from his position as executive vice president of DeSales University in Pennsylvania, also a Catholic university. He worked at DeSales for over 30 years, including a period when he was interim president of the university in 2017. He helped lead DeSales through the COVID-19 pandemic, and, according to Mount St. Mary's Office of the President, he helped usher in two of the largest first-year classes in 2021 and 2022 while serving as vice president at DeSales. One of the university Board of Trustees' goals in hiring Joyce was to increase enrollment, Board Chair Rich Miller said in July. Joyce now leads Mount St. Mary's and more than 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students as the university's 27th president. Joyce received a doctorate degree in education administration and policy studies from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from DeSales University. Hundreds attended Joyce's inauguration at Knott Arena at Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, including many local leaders. Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said she expects Joyce to provide good leadership in increasingly uncertain times in the academic world. "Dr. Joyce assumes the mantle of leadership at a challenging moment," Fitzwater said in a speech. "Liberal arts colleges, which had a prominent place in the American higher education system, are under remarkable pressure, because the model is changing in this country." Frederick County Council President Brad Young and Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor also spoke at the inauguration, praising the place the university holds within the local community. Young is an adjunct professor at the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business at the university. "The Mount was founded in 1808 and has been a great asset for our county ever since," Young said. Once of Joyce's first actions as president, according to the Mount St. Mary's website, was to begin development of the university's next strategic plan. The plan, set to finish in June, will set goals and performance indicators for the university. "Together, we could reimagine education, expand access to opportunity, strengthen our communities, and lead in sustainability," he said of the plan. During the inauguration, Miller conferred on Joyce three of the school's artifacts that signified his office — a crucifix presented to the university's founder by a pope, a mace dating to the centennial celebration of the university, and the presidential medallion made for the school's 175th anniversary. Joyce in turn promised to protect, further, and govern the university and its mission.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
Idaho prosecutors want to use Kohberger college paper on crime scenes at murder trial
New court documents reveal that a college assignment written by the man accused of murder in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students could be used as evidence against him at his trial in Boise this summer. The document filed Monday by the Latah County Prosecutor's Office shows that the prosecution is seeking to include a paper written by Bryan Kohberger during his time at DeSales University titled 'Crime-scene Scenario Final' as evidence. The paper, which was included in the court filing, 'would be introduced to show Defendant's knowledge of crime scenes,' the prosecutor's office wrote. Kohberger, 30, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the killing of four U of I students at an off-campus home in Moscow in November 2022. He is also charged with one count of felony burglary. The victims were Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, both 20, and Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21. At the time of the killings, Kohberger was studying criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University and had recently completed his first semester as a Ph.D. student. Before attending WSU in Pullman, about 9 miles west of Moscow, Kohberger graduated from DeSales University in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with a master's in criminal justice in May 2022, according to Carolyn Steigleman, associate vice president of marketing and communications. The assignment included by prosecutors was submitted to a DeSales professor on May 5, 2020, as part of an upper-level criminal justice class, according to the document. In his assignment, Kohberger spent 12 pages describing how he would properly process a crime scene if he were a member of law enforcement. Kohberger discussed a specific case involving a 35-year-old woman who was stabbed to death in a trailer park. It is unclear whether the case was real or fictional. The professor to whom Kohberger submitted the paper did not immediately respond to the Idaho Statesman's request for comment. Pages of Kohberger's paper included subsections pertaining to entering the home for documentation; the crime scene sketch; using the so-called strip-search method as the most comprehensive way to examine the scene; collecting items of evidence, and packaging evidence for a forensic laboratory; chain of custody; inventory receipts; outreach to other agencies; and writing reports. The prosecutor's office said it would use the paper to show Kohberger's knowledge of crime scenes. Prosecutors indicated they might point to some aspects of the case described by Kohberger that are similar to the University of Idaho case, including the use of a knife, collection of DNA and use of surveillance videos. 'Does she have defense wounds, are there hesitation marks on her related to the knife, or are there multiple stab wounds?' Kohberger wrote about the weapon. '... The knife should be examined for latent fingerprints to be logged separately; same with the coat hanger, doorknobs around the house, upended furniture, cell phone, and virtually any physical evidence big enough to grab.' It's not the first time one of Kohberger's DeSales assignments has been made public following the crimes. Shortly after his arrest, a now-deleted Reddit post indicated that a user who said he was Kohberger invited people who had committed crimes to answer questions as part of a university research project. User Criminology_Student posted on Reddit in 2022, identifying himself as DeSales student Bryan Kohberger and saying he was seeking participants in the study 'to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.' 'In particular, this study seeks to understand the story behind your most recent criminal offense, with an emphasis on your thoughts and feelings throughout your experience,' the post said. The user said the study had been approved by the DeSales Institutional Review Board and provided real DeSales email addresses, including those of two criminal justice professors, for those with questions about the research. It then listed email addresses for the research team, which included Kohberger, identified as 'student investigator,' and two principal investigators, both of whom are current faculty members. Kohberger's capital murder trial is scheduled to begin this summer at the Ada County Courthouse, with jury selection beginning July 30. Attorneys for both the defense and prosecution are scheduled to argue over a litany of motions that have been filed in recent weeks, looking to exclude or introduce specific evidence at Kohberger's next hearing. He's scheduled to appear before 4th District Judge Steven Hipper at 9 a.m. on April 9. Starting next month, Kohberger's hearing will be livestreamed on the court's website: The hearings will no longer be streamed on YouTube. Kohberger's paper in its entirety can be found here:
