Bryan Kohberger’s Lawyers Allege Mishandling of Evidence

ADA COUNTY, Idaho — A series of legal briefs were filed before the New Year on behalf of University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger. The dozen or so defense filings allege that investigators mishandled key pieces of evidence in the collection process and were overly aggressive in their search protocols. As such, the defense argues that the evidence in question should be considered inadmissible by the State.

Kohberger’s attorney, Jay Logsdon, said in a document that investigators “had to destroy the house to save the car, or some other evidence, of Mr. Kohberger’s rubber gloves.”

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Authorities have previously stated that DNA evidence collected at the Kohberger family residence matches DNA found at the crime scene. The next hearing is scheduled for January 23 and will address the various issues related to the prosecution’s discovery process. The defense maintains that the way the DNA evidence was collected, a process known as investigative genetic genealogy, is unreliable and controversial.

Other filings list a variety of complaints related to how investigators obtained evidence from online accounts, including the suspect’s Apple iCloud, Google and Amazon accounts. The defense also maintains that prosecutors failed to disclose adequate information about the experts who would be called in the case and, as a result, asked the court to sanction the prosecution.

Prosecutors allege that on November 13, 2022, Kohberger broke into a home in Moscow, Idaho, and stabbed four University of Idaho students to death. The victims include Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Gonçalves, 21.

After a six-week search for the perpetrator, authorities identified Kohberger as a possible suspect and arrested him on December 30, 2022 at his family home in Pennsylvania. Kohberger was subsequently indicted and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of robbery. After the arraignment, Kohberger refused to enter a guilty plea and the judge pleaded not guilty. The trial is scheduled to begin next August.