In a new court filing, Bryan Kohberger's attorneys shared their client's alibi defense for the murder trial where he will stand accused of killing four University of Idaho students.
The Context
Kohberger, 29, was arrested in December 2022 and charged with four counts of murder in the first degree and one count of felony burglary in the fatal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Kohberger has maintained his innocence in the case. He remained silent during his arraignment, allowing Judge John Judge to enter not-guilty pleas for each of the charges.
Prosecutors say evidence shows that cell towers providing coverage to the 1122 King Road residence where the bodies were discovered got pinged by Kohberger's cellphone at least 12 times before the slayings, with two on the day the students were killed, according to the probable cause affidavit. Kohberger's defense team revealed plans to challenge this with expert testimony.
What We Know
Kohberger's lead attorney, Anne Taylor, submitted a 10-page filing on Wednesday, which serves as the defendant's official alibi and includes new information about his purported whereabouts the morning of the deadly knife attack in November 2022. Kohberger's attorneys initially presented his alibi last year, in which they said he was on an overnight drive alone—something the defense stated that he often did—the morning of the students' deaths.
"Mr. Kohberger was out driving in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022; as he often did to hike and run and/or see the moon and stars," the new alibi defense filing reads. "He drove throughout the area south of Pullman, Washington, west of Moscow, Idaho, including Wawawai Park."
The document states that Kohberger's defense team plans to call an expert witness specializing in cell tower data to partially corroborate the new alibi. The testimony by Sy Ray, listed in the filing as a cell site location information expert, aims to help the defense prove the location of Kohberger's phone.
The court filing states that Ray will show the defendant's "mobile device was south of Pullman, Washington and west of Moscow, Idaho on November 13, 2022; that Bryan Kohberger's mobile device did not travel east on the Moscow-Pullman Highway in the early morning hours of November 13, and thus could not be the vehicle captured on video along the Moscow-Pullman highway near Floyd's Cannabis shop."
Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday night to Taylor for comment on Kohberger's behalf.
The Views
Due to a gag order imposed in the case, prosecutors, defense lawyers and attorneys for the victims' families and witnesses are prohibited from speaking publicly.
The court filing on Wednesday ignited multiple conversations on X, formerly Twitter, where social media users weighed in on Kohberger's alibi.
Jennifer Coffindaffer, retired FBI agent, wrote on X: "Got it. Driving around to see the moon and stars ... A Waning Gibbous hung over 1122 King Road that fateful night. I wonder if #BryanKohberger ever looked at the moon that night. A cell expert is his witness and that's it. #Idaho4 #Idaho"
In response to Coffindaffer's post, Gabriel Angel wrote: "Nothing Bryan Kohberger produces will change the hivemind of his lynch mob. If his phone data corroborated the state's allegations they would be saying it's irrefutable and damning. To me, it's concerning when a well known ex-LEO [law enforcement officer] is willing to condemn a person with so little."
What's Next?
A start date for Kohberger's trial has not been set. However, Judge scheduled a hearing for May 14 on the defense motion to move the trial out of Latah County. In the motion seeking to change the trial venue, Taylor argued that a fair and impartial jury cannot be found in the county where the killings occurred.
Update 04/17/24, 11:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Maura Zurick is the Newsweek Weekend Night Editor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus is reporting on U.S. national news ... Read more
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