Idaho Murders Suspect Bryan Kohberger Dealt Major Blow In Court Despite New DNA Evidence
By Favour Adegoke on February 20, 2025 at 7:45 PM EST
Idaho quadruple homicide suspect Bryan Kohberger has suffered two major blows to his case ahead of his trial in August.
The 30-year-old's legal team had argued to suppress key DNA evidence in the case after receiving new information that the authorities also discovered other genetic materials from the crime scene.
They had also asked for a Franks Hearing to challenge the investigation that led to Kohberger being fingered as the main suspect and December 2022 arrest.
For both motions, the judge presiding over Bryan Kohberger's case ruled against the defense, having previously seemed unconvinced during a pre-trial hearing.
Idaho Judge Ruled Against Defense Motion To Suppress Key Knife Sheath Evidence
Last month, lawyers for Kohberger sought to suppress key DNA evidence that led to his arrest for the murder of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Among the evidence collected was a knife sheath with Kohberger's DNA, which was found under Mogen's body.
However, it was recently revealed that investigators also discovered the genetic material of two unidentified males at the crime scene but did not disclose the information.
Kohberger's lawyers then argued that this new finding suggested he might not be connected to the murders.
Unfortunately for the suspect, the presiding judge, Steven Hipler, has now ruled against his lawyers' motion after being previously unconvinced that the discovery of the new DNAs undermined the knife sheath evidence.
"His DNA is still on the knife sheath, though," Hippler had told Kohberger's lead attorney, Anne Taylor, at a pre-trial hearing, per the New York Post. "That's the problem, counsel."
The Judge Also Ruled Against A Franks Hearing
In addition to their motion to suppress the key DNA evidence, Kohberger's legal team had asked for a Franks Hearing.
Such a hearing would have allowed them to contest multiple search warrants and other evidence collected by the police.
However, this motion was also denied by Hippler, which once again delivered a devastating blow to Kohberger's case.
The Judge Previously Shut Down Request For A Franks Hearing
Still, the decision doesn't come as a surprise as Hippler had earlier pushed back on the motion when the suspect's attorney, Taylor, first argued it at the pre-trial hearing last month.
"How does that, even if disclosed, preclude a finding of probable cause when there's a DNA match between the DNA on the sheath and Mr. Kohberger?" the judge had asked Taylor at the time, per Idaho Statesman.
"Isn't that probable cause every day and twice on Sunday?" Hippler added.
Taylor then told Hippler that probable cause shouldn't be considered in a vacuum and that his ruling on the matter could have broader implications for the criminal justice system.
Bryan Kohberger's Lawyers May Use Newly Discovered DNA As Defense Strategy
Despite the ruling, it is likely that Kohberger's legal team would once again introduce the discovery of the unidentified genetic materials during his trial.
Sources had earlier claimed that it might help the team "muddy the waters" and create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury.
"That evidence could be any variety of things: It could be something, or it could be a lot of things that are nothing," criminal defense attorney Edwina Elcox said of the newly discovered DNAs. "There's at least something to be made of it, and it's better than having nothing as a defense."
However, Elcox admitted that it wasn't strong enough to win Kohberger's innocence as his DNA on the knife sheath is too "critical" to the case.
"That's the thing that squarely puts [Kohberger] there," the female attorney said about the knife sheath. "The magnitude of that evidence to the state's case is critical and cannot be understated."
When Will Bryan Kohberger Be Tried?
Back in December 2022, Kohberger was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held in detention due to the nature of the crime.
Kohberger's trial is now set for August this year and will take place in Boise, Idaho after his defense argued he would not receive a fair trial in Moscow, where the killings occurred.
The trial is expected to last until November, with jury selection set to begin in late July.
If found guilty, Kohberger faces life imprisonment or the death penalty.
