The Latest: Bryan Kohberger to be sentenced for murdering four University of Idaho students

San Francisco Chronicle​

4 days ago

A judge is expected to order Bryan Kohberger to serve four life sentences without parole this week for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago.
The hearing will give the families of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves the opportunity to describe the anguish they've felt since their loved ones were killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
The father of Kaylee Goncalves, Steve Goncalves, walked into the courthouse before the hearing
The Goncalves family has been outspoken about their opposition to the plea deal Kohberger entered earlier this month. Steve Goncalves stormed out of the early July hearing, saying the deal denied his family clarity about his daughters last moments, and calling the process 'a zoo.'
It's not yet known if Kohberger will take the opportunity to speak when he's sentenced
His team of defense attorneys, led by Anne Taylor, announced last week that they won't be releasing any statements after the sentencing.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson will take part in a news conference after the sentencing is over, along with Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger, Moscow Police Corporal Brett Payne, and Idaho State Police Lt. Darren Gilbertson.
Interest in the case has been high
By 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, more than 50 people were already lined up outside the Ada County Courthouse in hopes of getting a seat in the courtroom.
Security at the courthouse is tight in preparation for Kohberger's sentencing hearing on four counts of first-degree murder.
Some onlookers arrived as early as 10 p.m. Tuesday night, but they were shooed off by courthouse officials who cited a Boise city ordinance prohibiting overnight camping.
Shortly after the sun rose, an Idaho State Police officer ran a K9 trained in smelling explosives through the plaza in front of the courthouse, carefully checking the camera equipment brought by news outlets and the more than 60 people lined up outside the courthouse.
A Q-tip and spotless car were key evidence linking Bryan Kohberger to murders of 4 Idaho students
The lead prosecutor tasked with finding justice for the four victims laid out his key evidence earlier this month at a court hearing.
The evidentiary summary spun a dramatic tale that included a DNA-laden Q-tip plucked from the garbage in the dead of the night, a getaway car stripped so clean of evidence that it was 'essentially disassembled inside' and a fateful early-morning Door Dash order that may have put one of the victims in Kohberger's path.
These details offered new insights into how the crime unfolded and how investigators ultimately solved the case using surveillance footage, cell phone tracking and DNA matching.
Once investigators had honed in on Kohberger, they needed to prove he was their suspect.
With the DNA of a single mystery male on the knife sheath, they worked with the FBI and the local sanitation department to secretly retrieve garbage from the Pennsylvania home of Kohberger's parents, seeking a DNA match to their suspect.
With that, Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania, where he had gone for the holidays, and ultimately was extradited to Idaho for prosecution.
The Ada County Courthouse has opened in preparation for Kohberger's sentencing hearing
A court administrator handed out numbered tickets to the dozens of people lined up outside.
A security screening at the courthouse entrance included metal detectors and bag screening machines. A second bag check was performed on the fourth floor, just outside the courtroom. Then attendees were ushered into a large room normally used for prospective jurors and directed to sit in numbered seats that matched their tickets.
Once the courtroom opens, the attendees with the lowest numbers will be allowed to sit inside, while the remaining people will have to watch the proceedings via a projection screen in the holding room.
More than a hundred people were in the holding room roughly an hour before the hearing was set to begin.
Foundations honor Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan
Friends and family members have sought to commemorate the victims' lives by raising money for scholarships and other initiatives.
Ethan's Smile Foundation, started by Chapin's family, honors his 'love of life, people, and new adventures by providing scholarships that enable others to follow their dreams,' its website says.
The Made With Kindness Foundation honors the legacy of Mogen, Goncalves, and Kernodle through scholarships, wellness support and empowerment initiatives. 'Our mission is to inspire and uplift the next generation, turning their dreams into realities in a world that values compassion and community,' its website says.
The University of Idaho built the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial in memory of all students who passed away while enrolled at the school.
Kohberger's motive and many other details are unknown
If they know why Kohberger did it, investigators haven't said so publicly. Nor is it clear why he spared two roommates who were home at the time.
Cellphone location data did show Kohberger had been in the neighborhood multiple times before the attack.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said that Kohberger used his knowledge about forensic investigations to attempt to cover his tracks by deep cleaning his vehicle after the crime.
Police say Kohberger's Amazon purchase history shows he bought a military-style knife as well as the knife sheath found at the home. But the knife itself was never found.
Kohberger will have the opportunity to speak at Wednesday's hearing. Defendants sometimes use such chances to express remorse, ask for mercy, or to say whatever else they think the court should hear before sentencing.
But Kohberger also has the right to remain silent — despite a suggestion from President Donald Trump that the judge should force Kohberger to explain himself.
A judge lifted the gag order last week
An Idaho judge lifted a sweeping gag order Thursday in Bryan Kohberger's quadruple murder case.
A coalition of news organizations, including The Associated Press, had asked the court to lift the gag order since a trial is no longer planned.
'The primary purpose of the non-dissemination order, which is to ensure that we can seat an impartial jury, is no longer at play,' Hippler said. He said he couldn't justify continuing the gag order because the public has the right to receive information about the case, and those rights are 'paramount.'
Kohberger's defense team argued against lifting the gag order, saying it could lead to more media coverage and jeopardize the integrity of the sentencing process.
'The media frenzy, as it's been described, will continue regardless,' Hippler said. 'Lifting the non-dissemination order does not require the counsel or others previously bound by it to speak.'
A different judge in Moscow, Idaho, originally issued the gag order early in the case, saying additional publicity could harm Kohberger's right to a fair trial.
Families of the Idaho students Bryan Kohberger stabbed to death are set to see him sentenced
A judge is expected to order Bryan Kohberger to serve four life sentences without parole this week for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students nearly three years ago.
Wednesday's sentencing hearing will give the families of Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves the opportunity to describe the anguish they've felt since their loved ones were killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania about six weeks after the killings. He initially stood silent when asked to enter a plea, so a judge entered a 'not guilty' plea on his behalf.
As the criminal case unfolded, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson announced that he would seek the death penalty if Kohberger was convicted. The court-defense team challenged the validity of the DNA evidence, unsuccessfully pushed to get theories about possible 'alternate perpetrators' admitted in court, and repeatedly asked the judge to take the death penalty off of the table.
But those efforts largely failed, and the evidence against Kohberger was strong. With an August trial looming, Kohberger reached a plea deal.