A judge in Idaho denied a motion from Bryan Kohberger’s defense team asking to remove the death penalty as a potential punishment if he’s found guilty.
Kohberger is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four students at the University of Idaho, including Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The former student at the University of Washington was also charged with one felony count of burglary.
During a hearing on April 9, Kohberger’s defense team presented the motion to strike the death penalty, arguing that discovery produced by prosecutors has been both voluminous and unorganized. Kohberger argued this meant he was unable to meaningfully review and investigate the evidence in preparation for trial, which is currently scheduled to begin in August.
Judge Steven Hippler wrote in his order on Tuesday that Kohberger’s complaints about the amount of discovery produced “ring hollow.”
JUDGE RULES DEATH PENALTY TO REMAIN AS POSSIBLE PUNISHMENT AMID BRYAN KOHBERGER AUTISM DIAGNOSIS
Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. (Zach Wilkinson-Pool/Getty Images)
“[Kohberger] has been receiving discovery in the same manner for over two years,” Hippler wrote. “[Kohberger] has not sought additional resources…to hire additional staff to review discovery or obtain litigation document control software to help organize and sort the evidence. His lead counsel insisted that she be allowed to take on a second high-profile capital case despite the voluminous discovery in this case.”
Hippler also wrote that Kohberger’s lawyer, Anne Taylor, “indicated that her practice is to personally review all the discovery herself, rather than rely on associates and staff to review materials to cut through the less relevant information and point to what materials need review by lead counsel.”
WHAT WENT BRYAN KOHBERGER’S WAY – AND WHAT DIDN’T – AT EVIDENCE MOTIONS HEARING
Bryan Kohberger, accused of murder, arrives for a hearing on cameras in the courtroom in Latah County District Court on September 13, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger, a former criminology PhD student, was indicted earlier this year in the November 2022 killings of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, in an off-campus apartment near the University of Idaho. (Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images)
“These actions are not indicative of an overburdened defense team,” Hippler wrote of the motion.
Addressing one of the arguments from Kohberger’s defense team that prosecutors “larded its production with entirely irrelevant documents,” Hippler said there’s “no proof” of that occurring.
Timeline of Nov. 13, 2022:
4:00 AM: Suspect arrives at houseBetween 4 and 4:17: Time of murders4:19: Roommate calls 3 victims, no one answers4:22 to 4:24: Surviving roommates text each other from inside house4:27: Roommate calls victims again, no one answers4:32: Roommate texts Goncalves ‘Pls answer’10:23: Surviving roommate texts victims, no one answers11:39: Roommate calls her father12:00 PM.: 911 call placed from roommate’s phone
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Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and two other housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
Hippler’s decision comes less than a week after he denied a different motion to remove the death penalty. Kohberger’s defense team previously argued that the defendant’s autism diagnosis should preclude him from the death penalty.
Fox News’ Alexandra Koch and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
