Bryan Kohberger, left, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, looks toward his attorney, public defender Anne Taylor, right, during a hearing in Latah County District Court, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool)
Bryan Kohberger, the 28-year-old man accused of sneaking into an off-campus residence and killing four students at the University of Idaho, has been indicted. A Latah County grand jury formally indicted Kohberger on four counts of murder, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
Kohberger’s indictment means that the jurors empaneled believed there was enough evidence against Kohberger for the case to proceed to trial. The preliminary hearing in the case, which had been scheduled to take place during the last week of June, has been canceled.
Kohberger is scheduled to appear in court again for his arraignment at 9 a.m. on Monday when he is expected to plead not guilty.
At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors call witnesses and present evidence before a magistrate judge. The judge rules on whether there is sufficient probable cause to believe the defendant may have committed the felony crime with which they are charged.
In Kohberger’s case, it could have presented his defense attorneys with the opportunity to poke holes in the state’s case against the accused quadruple murderer.
Kohberger was indicted in the November 2022 deaths of four undergraduate University of Idaho students: Ethan Chapin, 20, Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21. The four were stabbed at an off-campus house on King Road in the early morning of Nov. 13.
Before his arrest, Kohberger had been pursuing a doctorate in criminology at Washington State University, about 10 miles away from the Idaho crime scene.
Court documents previously unsealed in the case have shown that several weapons, including two knives, a handgun, and several empty magazines, were seized from the home of Kohberger’s parents. Authorities have not commented on whether either knife could be the murder weapon.
Additionally, state police said they collected a knife, a “Glock 22 Gen5 .40 caliber” gun, three Glock .40 caliber magazines, a Smith & Wesson pocket knife, a laptop, two black face masks, black gloves, and a “green leafy substance” that was found in both a green container as well as in a plastic bag.
A search of Kohberger’s 2015 Hyundai Elantra resulted in authorities recovering swabs, gloves, boots, a shovel, and a pair of goggles.
While prosecutors have not stated whether they plan to seek the death penalty against Kohberger, the court in March approved a motion from his attorney to appoint an additional lawyer to represent him in the upcoming murder trial.
According to Spokane, Washington, AM radio station KXLY, the motion specifically sought the appointment of “an additional death-qualified co-counsel.”
Kootenai County public defender Anne Taylor is currently representing Kohberger.
The public defender’s office has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Law&Crime.
Law&Crime also contacted his private defense attorney Elisa G. Massoth seeking comment.
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