Bryan Kohberger, accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, appeared in court Thursday as his legal team argued to remove the death penalty as a potential sentence. Kohberger, charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary, has pleaded not guilty to the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were found stabbed to death in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.
In Thursday’s hearing, Judge Steven Hippler listened to arguments from both prosecutors and Kohberger’s defense. Idaho is one of 27 U.S. states with the death penalty, using lethal injection or, as of last year, the firing squad as methods. Prosecutors announced last year they would pursue capital punishment, citing several aggravating factors, including the multiple victims, the particularly brutal nature of the crime, and Kohberger’s alleged “propensity to commit murder, posing an ongoing threat to society.”
Kohberger’s defense argued that the death penalty violates his constitutional rights, including protection from cruel and unusual punishment and due process. They also contend Idaho’s standards for capital punishment are unclear and fail to meet “contemporary standards of decency.”
Attorney Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s public defender, emphasized the lack of available lethal injection drugs in Idaho, asserting that the state lacks the necessary resources to carry out an execution. “Idaho does not have a current means of executing anybody,” Taylor stated, adding that the prolonged uncertainty faced by death row inmates is “dehumanizing” and a source of intense anxiety. She also challenged the legality of the firing squad, noting Idaho has not yet constructed the facilities required for this method.
Prosecutors countered, asserting that Idaho has options for lethal injections and could consider other methods in the future if necessary. They argued it was premature to speculate on future limitations in execution methods.
The death penalty has not been used in Idaho since 2012, partly due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs. The state faced additional challenges earlier this year, as an execution was delayed due to issues with finding a vein for the injection.
Kohberger, a former criminal justice student, was arrested in Pennsylvania on December 30, 2022, after an investigation that reportedly linked his DNA to a knife sheath found at the crime scene. Surveillance data indicated he had visited the area several times before the killings, and his phone data placed him in the vicinity on the night of the murders. His defense claims he was out driving, an activity he allegedly did regularly for exercise and relaxation.
His trial is scheduled to begin in August 2025, with jury selection set for July 30. In September, a judge moved the trial to Boise from Latah County to ensure a fair trial, citing concerns about potential local bias.
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