Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Could Face Death Penalty After Judge Denies Defense Motions

A judge has ruled that Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, may face the death penalty if convicted. The decision came after Ada County Judge Steven Hippler rejected 12 motions filed by Kohberger’s defense team, which had sought to remove the possibility of a death sentence in the event of a guilty verdict.

Kohberger, 29, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and four counts of felony burglary in connection with the November 13, 2022, killings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, who were found stabbed to death in an off-campus home. Two other women inside the house at the time of the attack were not harmed.

The prosecution has stated its intention to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is found guilty. However, his defense team argued that the lengthy wait on death row and Idaho’s methods of execution—lethal injection or firing squad—amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. They also contended that the state's death penalty laws violated an international treaty prohibiting the torture of prisoners.