Bryan Kohberger's family seen for first time in MONTHS as bombshell twist threatens to throw them into middle of Idaho murders case

Bryan Kohberger's family has been living in the shadows. The accused killer was arrested in connection with the 2022 murder of four college students, and his family has been noticeably absent from the dozens of court cases held since.

Kohberger, 30, could be executed by firing squad if found guilty of killing the University of Idaho students, and prosecutors have now said that his own family may be called to testify against him.

Those relatives have barely left their homes since Kohberger's arrest, but exclusive Daily Mail photos show they have been carrying out their daily chores. The looming trial is due to kick off in August.

Father Michael Kohberger, 69, was spotted by Daily Mail cameras tending to the garden at the family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, on Friday, as bombshell court documents are being filed 13 states away in Idaho.

The following day, exclusive photos show him clad in pajamas, calmly clearing away tree branches and tidying up trash at the front of the property.

His wife MaryAnn, 65, remained inside their home. 

She has not been seen in public since she and her husband were called to testify in front of a grand jury in May 2023 for an unrelated case. 

Kohberger's involvement in that case has since been ruled out.

The chilling allegations against Kohberger have substantially affected his older sisters, Amanda, 37, and Melissa, 33. Both lost their jobs when his alleged crimes went public.

Amanda appears to have landed a new job as a counselor close to the family home, with the recent Daily Mail pictures showing her keeping a low profile while shopping.

Public records show she got her Pennsylvania social work license in June last year. She was let go from her acting job in 2023.

Kohberger, a former criminology PhD student at Washington State University, is accused of murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in November 2022. It is said to have been a brutal knife attack during the early morning hours at an off-campus home.

There are two surviving roommates: Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.

His family has largely maintained their silence since his arrest at their $140,000 four-bedroom three-bathroom home in the private Indian Mountain Lake community, which was raided by the FBI.

However, sources revealed to NBC's Dateline in May 2023 that Kohberger's older sisters had 'suspicions' regarding their brother's involvement in the murders – even searching his car once he returned home a month later. Several family members reportedly searched the vehicle for possible evidence. 

According to Dateline, one of his two sisters 'loudly pointed out' Kohberger's Washington apartment was just a few miles from the crime scene at the time.

She reportedly also noted his white Hyundai Elantra, which was the same as the vehicle at the center of the murder investigation, down to the make and color.

Dateline claimed a source said one of Kohberger's sisters had raised concerns about his possible involvement. That report also alleged his father responded by insisting Kohberger could not have been responsible for those students' deaths.

The drama within the Kohberger household came to a head when federal authorities arrived at the home on Dec. 30, 2022. Their force reportedly ripped the front door off its hinges and, according to Dateline, they found the suspected killer sorting his trash while wearing latex gloves.

Subsequently, Michael was seen in exclusive Daily Mail pictures taken at the time tidying up the mess from the SWAT team raid.

Shards of glass and remnants of the door's decorative panel could be seen lying near a trash can containing broken window blinds also damaged during the bust.

The property has since returned to a state of normalcy, with a floral wreath adorning the new door. 

Following a series of delays, the case is finally set to go to trial Aug. 11, and Kohberger could face execution by firing squad if found guilty.

His mother previously expressed her opposition to the death penalty, school shootings, and abortion in letters published in a local newspaper.

In one letter to the editor titled 'I pray we consider the children, before the gun,' published in The Pocono Record in March 2008, MaryAnn wrote: 'I do not personally support abortion, and by all means do not support the death penalty. State-sanctified murder is still just that - murder.'

Kohberger's relatives have only spoken out once since his arrest, releasing a statement in January 2023 saying they will 'let the legal process unfold.'

They also confirmed they had 'fully cooperated' with law enforcement in an 'attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge known facts and make erroneous assumptions.'

In the statement, the family also acknowledged the victims: “First and foremost we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them.”

Part of the statement said they would 'love and support' Kohberger throughout the process, but they have haven't been seen at any of his court appearances since his extradition hearing in early 2023.

That could be due to Ashley Jennings, Latah County deputy prosecutor, asking Judge Steven Hippler to exclude members of the accused killer's family from attending the trial before they give evidence.

'The State may call member(s) of the Kohberger family to testify at trial,' she wrote.

'Prior to the start of the trial, the State anticipates it will motion the Court, or the Court will on its own accord, generally exclude testifying witnesses from the courtroom so that they cannot hear other witnesses' testimony.' 

It is unclear exactly who the prosecution plans to call to the stand, as they have until mid-April to submit a witness list.

And despite allegedly defending his son to family members, Kohberger's father may also be called to the stand as a witness. 

He flew to Washington mid-December to accompany his son on a 2,500-mile drive from his apartment in Pullman to the family home in Pennsylvania, where Kohberger was later arrested. 

The pair traveled in the same white Hyundai Elantra that later became linked to the Moscow, Idaho, crime scene.

They were pulled over twice for speeding and tailgating. The interactions with police were caught on a bodycam and are expected to be shown to a jury.

If family members are called to the stand as witnesses, a gag order may prevent them from speaking out about the case.

A ruling issued on June 23, 2023, by Judge John C. Judge stated journalists are allowed to interview family members involved in the case, but not lawyers.

This came after a Motion to Vacate the Amended Nondissemination Order was filed by a coalition of 20 media outlets.

The order restricts attorneys directly involved in the case who are representing the party, witnesses, or victims' families, and the agents for those attorneys, including law enforcement, from making certain statements about the case to the media or the public. 

New court filings also revealed that Kohberger's defense is asking the court that his family be given the same rights as the victims' families to be included in a list of people to receive priority seating when the trial kicks off in August.

This request came after prosecutors submitted a list of victims' relatives to the court, with defense attorney Elisa Massoth claiming that excluding Kohberger's family would violate his Sixth Amendment rights.

But in the latest filing, Jennings shot down his claims, writing: 'Defendant requests that members of his family be granted the same rights as the victim's families.

'However, the "immediate families of homicide victims" have constitutional and statutory rights to attend pursuant to [the] Idaho Constitution … There are no comparable constitutional or statutory provisions affording a defendant's family these same rights.

'The Defendant has a constitutional and statutory right to a "public trial," but that does not extend to Defendant's choosing whom sits in the courtroom.'

The prosecution has agreed that his 'immediate family' including stepparents and relatives by marriage should remain in the courtroom during the entirety of the trial.

Lawyers for the family did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail.