A judge has ruled that Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, could face the death penalty if he’s convicted. Kohberger’s defense team had tried to block the possibility of a death sentence, but the judge decided there wasn’t enough evidence to stop it.
Judge Steven Hippler said that Kohberger’s defense didn’t offer an alternative method of execution that could be considered less painful than lethal injection or a firing squad, which are the current options in Idaho. He concluded that the defense couldn’t claim the death penalty should be off the table without suggesting another option.
If Kohberger is found guilty of first-degree murder, he could also be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after at least 10 years. Prosecutors argued there are four reasons the death penalty should be considered, including the fact that there are multiple victims, the killings were especially brutal, Kohberger showed no regard for human life, and he could pose a future threat to society.
For Kohberger to be sentenced to death, the jury would need to agree that at least one of these factors applies, and they would all need to unanimously vote for the death penalty.
During the hearing, Kohberger’s defense attorney argued that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane, suggesting that Kohberger would suffer while waiting on death row for years, especially since Idaho hasn’t executed anyone since 2012 due to problems with obtaining lethal injection drugs.
However, the judge noted that the state has managed to get the necessary drugs recently, and there’s still a law in place allowing for executions by firing squad. This method hasn’t been used yet because the state is still working on setting up a proper execution chamber for it.
Kohberger, who was a student at nearby Washington State University when the murders happened, has maintained his innocence. He’s accused of killing housemates Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, and Xana Kernodle, along with Xana’s boyfriend Ethan Chapin, in November 2022. A motive for the killings is still unclear, but the prosecution plans to present DNA evidence and phone records to link Kohberger to the crime.
Kohberger’s defense team has asked the court to exclude certain evidence, like DNA samples, arguing that they were improperly collected.
The trial has been moved from the area where the crime occurred to Boise to avoid bias among potential jurors. Kaylee Goncalves’ father, Steve, has said he hopes the trial helps get justice for his daughter, adding that he wants Kohberger “locked away” to stop him from harming anyone else.
