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Bryan Kohberger judge lifts gag order after Idaho killer's confession
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Idaho Judge Steven Hippler vacated the gag order in the Bryan Kohberger quadruple murder case at a hearing Thursday.
Latah County Prosecuting Attorney notified the court in a filing dated Monday that his office would not oppose a motion from a group of media organizations, including FOX News, seeking to have the order lifted in the wake of Kohberger’s guilty pleas to all charges.
The intent of the order was to ensure Kohberger’s right to a fair trial, according to court filings. Now that he has admitted to the slayings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20, attorneys for the media argued that the gag is pointless.
Hippler agreed – but he said that lifting the order would not automatically unseal court documents. Those would be made public in batches, he said, upon review by the court.
BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEADS GUILTY TO IDAHO MURDERS
Bryan Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Pennsylvania in advance of highly anticipated extradition hearing. He’s charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
He said he would go in reverse chronological order, starting with documents he was most familiar with and moving back in time. The case did not arrive in his courtroom until another judge granted a change of venue in September.
In another twist – Hippler also said that although Kohberger’s plea deal requires him to waive his right to appeal, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a right to appeal under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Garza v. Idaho.
“Now, I recognize the plea agreement includes a waiver of the right to appeal,” he said. “But as the parties probably know, the U.S. Supreme Court in Garza versus Idaho has indicated the fact that a defendant waives the right to appeal doesn’t mean they don’t have the right to appeal, and so it may affect the outcome of that appeal, and it may affect, the underlying case and the plea agreement.”
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)
Prosecutors initially requested the order remain in place until after Kohberger’s sentencing is made official next week, but they reversed course “upon further reflection,” according to their latest filing. The defense opposed lifting it early.
“Now that the Defendant has pleaded guilty as charged to all five (5) counts of the Indictment, his right to a fair trial on the issue of guilt is no longer at issue,” Thompson wrote. “Nevertheless, out of respect for the integrity of the judicial process and the privacy of the victims and their families as they consider their rights to provide victim impact statements at sentencing, the prosecution team does not intend to make any public statements about this case until after sentencing has concluded.”
IDAHO MURDERS TIMELINE: BRYAN KOHBERGER PLEA CAPS YEARSLONG QUEST FOR JUSTICE
Idaho student murderer Bryan Kohberger attends a remote hearing over Zoom on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Ada County Court)
A hearing on the motion is scheduled in Boise, Idaho, for 12:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. MT.
His sentencing is set for July 23. He is expected to receive the maximum penalty under the terms of the plea deal, four consecutive terms of life in prison without parole, plus another 10 years.
He also waived his right to appeal and to seek a sentence reduction.
Kohberger snuck into an off-campus house at 1122 King Road around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, and killed all four students with a Ka-Bar knife, according to prosecutors. He started in an upstairs bedroom, where he killed Mogen and Goncalves. Kernodle was awake on the main floor, and he killed her on the way out. Then he turned the knife on Chapin, who was asleep in her bedroom.
Bryan Kohberger, charged in the murders of four University of Idaho students, pleads guilty to all charges at the Ada County Courthouse, Wednesday, July 2, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)
He walked within three feet of another roommate, whom he did not attack, and then left.
Separately, a lawyer for the media coalition filed a motion asking the court to unseal nearly 250 documents in the case.
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San Francisco, CA
Why do gray whales keep dying in San Francisco’s waters?
The 4,140-sq-km bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of the US. Before 2018, this species of whales wasn’t known to stop seasonally or consistently in the bay, bypassing it on their migration route down to Baja California and back up the Arctic, said Josephine Slaathaug, who led a recent study on gray whale mortality in the bay.
Denver, CO
Denver Nuggets Altitude broadcasts now being offered in Spanish for first time ever
For the first time in the team’s history, Altitude Sports is broadcasting Denver Nuggets home games in Spanish. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment announced it has contracted a team to broadcast its games in Spanish for the playoffs.
“I think that is what the public wanted,” said Ivan De La Garza, producer for the broadcast team.
A team of three people, two commentators and a producer, sit in a press box at the top of Ball Arena. Their commentary is then synced with the traditional Altitude broadcast video and shared on the Altitude Plus application.
“With the Nuggets winning in the last five years, there is a tremendous amount of following from Latino people trying to listen to and watch the games in Spanish,” said Andres Casas, color commentator for the broadcast.
Casas said he strives to bring the same energy fans get during soccer broadcasts into the basketball broadcasts.
“That excitement that gets you. We want people to feel they are at the game,” Casas said.
“It has been so amazing to be a part of the Spanish broadcast for the Nuggets. I have been a fan of the Nuggets for my whole life,” said Jena Garcia, play-by-play commentator.
Garcia said it has been a dream come true to help bring this broadcast to her community.
“I’ve always desired to hear a Spanish broadcast, just as a fan. To be a part of it is just incredible,” Garcia said.
Those working in the broadcast said they are honored to help expand the reach of the Nuggets and sports in accessing diverse communities.
“We love sports. We are passionate, we are loud. We like to get together and enjoy sports,” De La Garza said.
“The Nuggets have a huge following, especially on the Spanish side. So, it is great for them to be able to listen to what is going on, game by game, especially into the playoffs,” Casas said.
“It is just another step of access that they are getting to be a fan of basketball,” Garcia said.
Seattle, WA
Need to shred? Free drive-up/ride-up shredding Wednesday at Village Green West Seattle
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