Several potential defense witnesses from Bryan Kohberger’s home state of Pennsylvania are anticipated to appear in court on Monday. The purpose of this hearing is to determine whether these witnesses must testify at Kohberger's upcoming trial concerning the stabbing deaths of four college students in Idaho.
Kohberger’s trial, which includes four counts of murder and one count of burglary, is set to commence on August 11 in Boise, Idaho. This schedule remains intact following a judge’s decision to reject a delay request from his legal team last week.
The prosecution is pursuing the death penalty for Kohberger. The hearing taking place on Monday in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, revolves around motions filed by Kohberger’s attorneys requesting that a Monroe County judge mandate the testimony of seven individuals. However, their relationship to the case and the specifics of their testimony remains unclear. Notably, one of the seven potential witnesses had agreed to cancel her hearing, leading to a court order for her to be present at trial instead.
Reports indicate that the group of potential witnesses encompasses a diverse range of professions, including school employees, a jail guard, a boxing gym owner, and an auto shop worker. Despite efforts to reach them for comment, phone messages went unanswered last week.
Thirty-year-old Kohberger was taken into custody at his parents' residence in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, several weeks after the tragic events of November 2022. He is accused of stealthily entering a rental property in Moscow, Idaho—located near the University of Idaho campus—and assaulting the four victims: Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves.
The shocking nature of these slayings has deeply affected both the rural community of Idaho and the neighboring town of Pullman, Washington, where Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University. According to a filing by Kohberger's lawyers, he claims to have been on a long drive by himself during the time when the murders occurred.
During his arraignment, Kohberger remained silent, prompting the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf. A gag order is currently in effect, which restricts attorneys, investigators, and related individuals from making public statements concerning the ongoing investigation or trial. Last week, an individual who answered the phone at Kohberger's lawyer's office indicated that the defense team had no comments regarding the Monday hearing or the broader case.
Among the seven potential witnesses, one has informed attorneys of her unavailability due to travel commitments, resulting in the rescheduling of her hearing to compel testimony for July 7.
