Bryan Kohberger can face death penalty if convicted of Idaho quadruple murders, judge rules

A judge has ruled that Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger can face the death penalty if convicted of the 2022 killings of four college students.

Kohberger, 29, is accused of brutally murdering University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves in their off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. 

He is being held without bail after being charged in 2023 with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. 

Judge Steven Hippler sided with the state in their attempt to leave the death penalty on the table for Kohberger after hearing oral arguments earlier this month. 

'The court concludes relief in defendant's favor is not warranted on any of the motions,' he said, pointing out that capital punishment is constitutional and legal in the state of Idaho. 

Attorneys for Kohberger argued that international, federal and state law all make it inappropriate for the case, the Idaho Stateman reports. 

During a pre-trial motion hearing, Kohberger's defense team made a broad range of arguments against the death penalty, saying in part that it does not fit today's standards of decency, that it is cruel to make condemned inmates sit for decades on death row awaiting execution and that it violates an international treaty prohibiting the torture of prisoners.

But 4th District Judge Hippler questioned many of those claims, saying that the international treaty they referenced was focused on ensuring that prisoners are given due process so they are not convicted and executed without a fair trial.

Prosecutors noted that the Idaho Supreme Court has already considered many of those arguments in other capital cases and allowed the the death penalty to stand. 

Still, by bringing up the issues during the motion hearing, Kohberger's defense team took the first step toward preserving their legal arguments in the court record, potentially allowing them to raise them again on appeal.

Kristi and Steve Goncalves, the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, attended the November 7 hearing on the matter. Afterward they said the details of the case show the death penalty is merited.

'You've got four victims, all in one house - that's more than enough,' Steve Goncalves said.

Kristi Goncalves said she talked to the coroner and knows what happened to her daughter.

'If he did anything like he did to our daughter to the others, then he deserves to die,' she said.

Kohberger's defense team had successfully argued that Kohberger's trial should be held outside of Moscow, Idaho, where the murders took place due to strong emotions and extensive media coverage. 

Hippler became the presiding judge over the case once it was moved.  

Now, his trial - scheduled to begin with jury selection on July 30, 2025 - is being heard in Ada County in Boise in hopes of a more favorable jury. 

Prosecutors have claimed that Kohberger's DNA was found on a Ka-Bar knife sheath found at the victim's off-campus home, though no murder weapon was ever found. 

Officials have also claimed that cell phone data and surveillance put Kohberger's car at the crime scene. 

Kohberger was a PhD criminology student and teaching assistant at Washington State University's Pullman campus, a 15-minute drive from Moscow, Idaho. 

Kohberger has maintained his innocence since his arrest and filed his alibi in 2023 as 'late night drives'. 

The Goncalves said they wanted to thank everybody for their help and support and added that the GoFundMe to support them was helping them through the legal process. 

They have rented a home in Boise so they can attend.