Idaho Student Killer Bryan Kohberger's Attempt To Shift Blame To Victims' Friends Revealed

A previously issued court order from the presiding judge in Bryan Kohberger's case has surfaced, revealing details about the accused's defense strategy.

The document showed that the killer had planned to blame four other individuals for the murders, but Judge Steven Hippler ruled against allowing him to present such evidence at trial.

Hippler also noted that there was no compelling evidence to prove these individuals had any motive to commit the murders, despite some of these suspects being "socially connected" to the victims.

For those following Bryan Kohberger's murder case, July began with a shocking twist as the accused unexpectedly agreed to a plea deal, despite previously appearing determined to take the case to trial.

Now, ahead of his sentencing, it has emerged that the former PhD student had planned to blame friends of his victims if the case had eventually gone to trial, per People Magazine.

The identities of the individuals remain unknown, but a court order from the presiding judge, Steven Hippler, revealed that they were "socially connected" with the victims: Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.

"[They] interacted with one or more of the victims at social events in the hours prior to the homicide, lived within walking distance of the crime scene, and were familiar with the layout of the victims' home from prior social events," the court order revealed about three of the individuals.

Elsewhere in the court order, it was mentioned that Kohberger also intended to blame a fourth individual.

This person was noted to have had only a "passing connection" to one of the victims, whose identity was not revealed.

The individual had seen the victim while she was shopping over a month before the murders, but ultimately didn't speak with her despite considering it.

"He followed her briefly out the exit of the store while considering approaching her to talk. He turned away before ever speaking to her," the order noted.

The order also revealed that Judge Hippler ruled against Kohberger's attempt to argue his innocence by using these individuals as "alternate perpetrators" during his trial.

This, perhaps, was the reason why the 29-year-old sought a plea deal with prosecutors, as the order was filed on June 6, and Kohberger's team reportedly reached out to prosecutors the very next day.

Hippler also explained why he ruled against allowing the alternate perpetrator theory to be used at trial.

He stated in the court order that while the evidence "could suggest an opportunity to commit the crime," it was not compelling enough to prove motive.

"There is no compelling evidence that any of them had motive to kill the victims — much less physically harm them — or a means to do so," Hippler said.

He added, "The fact that these individuals lived within walking distance to the crime scene is not probative evidence given that the perpetrator drove a vehicle to the crime scene."

Judge Hippler further pointed out that although these individuals Kohberger's team tried to blame may have owned cars, none matched the vehicle the Idaho students' killer was believed to be driving.

To seemingly further prove the innocence of the alternate suspects, the court order noted that all four had cooperated with law enforcement and submitted DNA samples.

These DNA samples were ultimately found not to match any genetic material recovered from the crime scene.

After agreeing to a plea deal earlier in the month, the judge later set July 23 as the sentencing date.

However, it is already known that the sentence includes four consecutive life terms for the murders of the Idaho students, along with additional years for burglary in connection with the killings.

The sentencing hearing is expected to begin around 9 a.m. local time and may last the entire day or longer, depending on the presentation of victim impact statements.

After sentencing, Kohberger will be transferred to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI) to begin his jail term, according to the New York Post.

The prison is considered one of the harshest in America and currently houses other murderers, such as serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech and child murderer Chad Daybell. It is also highly secure due to its remote location, double perimeter fence topped with razor wire, electronic detection system, and 24-hour armed patrols.