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Bryan Kohberger’s restitution hearing ends with no decision, but prosecutor admits slip-up

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Bryan Kohberger’s restitution hearing ends with no decision, but prosecutor admits slip-up

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Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson admitted to a major miscalculation in what the University of Idaho victims’ families should be owed in restitution, telling a judge Wednesday that he would no longer be seeking roughly $27,000 in travel expenses that were not outlined in Bryan Kohberger’s plea deal — asking the court to award about a tenth of that in funeral expenses instead.

Kohberger’s lawyers noted that the travel expenses were not part of the plea deal after Thompson mistakenly thought they would be covered by a victims’ compensation fund and agreed that the funeral expenses amount to $3,075.58. However, they argued Kohberger still shouldn’t have to pay.

Judge Steven Hippler grilled attorney Elisa Massoth about the terms of the deal and why Kohberger shouldn’t have to live up to them. He ended the hearing without issuing a decision, which is expected to come later in writing.

The judge also revealed that Kohberger had already received a “five-figure” donation to his jail funds. Massoth claimed that it was mostly for communication purposes, although the cost of sending a message at Kohberger’s former jail is just a few cents at a time.

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UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO VICTIMS’ FAMILIES ASK JUDGE TO PERMANENTLY BLOCK CRIME SCENE IMAGES

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)

A plea deal is essentially a contract, Hippler said, and as a result, the prosecution can’t seek restitution for travel expenses outside the terms of the deal.

However, he also rejected claims from the defense that Kohberger has no potential future income. There was the unspecified “five-figure” donation, he said, and Kohberger or a relative could potentially profit off of his story in a movie, book or TV deal.

“There’s no way that BK is ever going to profit from any sort of movie or book because Idaho…specifically precludes that,” Massoth countered.

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Hippler said that’s not exactly how the law works. Money earned from such a deal would be earmarked to cover debts to the victims if it existed, he said. 

“If there’s no debt for those certain things, does the money not go then to the defendant?” he asked.

“That’s not my reading of the code,” Massoth said.

INSIDE THE HORROR: IDAHO FOUR CRIME SCENE PHOTOS REVEAL BLOODY AFTERMATH OF ATTACK

Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing on July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho. (Kyle Green-Pool/Getty Images)

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Kohberger did not appear, although lawyers on both sides attended remotely.

His defense had previously said he shouldn’t have to pay up since the victims’ families received money from donors on GoFundMe.

Prosecutors, however, counter that he has “a history” of receiving “compensation” from his family and unidentified third parties while behind bars — money they say should go toward the victims’ families.

At issue was roughly $27,000 to be split between the parents of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and the mother of Madison Mogen, her 21-year-old best friend, to cover travel and other expenses incurred during Kohberger’s case.

He killed the two young women in an upstairs bedroom at their rental home in Moscow, Idaho, then went downstairs to kill their roommate, 20-year-old Xana Kernodle, and her sleeping boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, also 20.

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IDAHO POLICE CALL OUT ‘GROSS INACCURACIES’ IN KOHBERGER TV SPECIAL, SPECIAL PROSECUTOR INVESTIGATING LEAKS

Exterior view of Idaho State Correctional Complex in Kuna, Idaho, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Notorious killer, Bryan Kohberger is being housed at this facility after being sentenced in the stabbing murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

The sources of Kohberger’s prison funds are not immediately clear, but throughout his case, supporters have claimed to have sent money to his commissary in posts on social media.

Prosecutors filed his jailhouse financial history under seal.

Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor who has been following the case, said some of the money could be coming from female supporters, but large sums could come from media outlets seeking exclusive interviews.

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Kohberger has never told his story, and told the judge he would “respectfully decline,” when given the opportunity to speak at his sentencing.

He said it’s not unrealistic to think that someone would offer Kohberger between five and six figures to break his silence.

If Kohberger does eventually speak out, he likely will not be able to profit, Fox News Digital reported previously. Like New York’s 1977 “Son of Sam” law, Idaho has legislation that helps prevent criminals from making money through detailing their offenses.

According to Idaho law, if a criminal signs a deal to profit from telling their crime story — including through a movie, book or magazine article — the profits first go to the state treasurer to be sent to an escrow account. Victims or their families, who must be notified, can claim the money through civil lawsuits within five years.

As part of his plea deal to avoid the death penalty, Kohberger agreed to pay more than $250,000 in criminal fines and fees plus another $20,000 in civil judgments to each victim’s family.

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His lawyers argued last month that he shouldn’t have to pay another roughly $20,000 to Goncalves’ parents or nearly $7,000 more to Mogen’s mother, Karen Laramie, in travel and accommodation expenses requested by the prosecution.

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“The additional funds sought do not qualify as an economic loss under Idaho Code 19-5304 because Steve and Kristi Goncalves and Karen Larmie (sic) received extensive funds through multiple GoFundMe campaigns that specifically asked for and covered the expenses sought,” attorneys Anne Taylor, Elisa Massoth and Bicka Barlow wrote in a court filing.

Fox News’ Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

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San Francisco, CA

Giants scratch Rafael Devers from lineup with tight hamstring

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Giants scratch Rafael Devers from lineup with tight hamstring


Friday, February 27, 2026 9:48PM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The San Francisco Giants scratched slugger Rafael Devers from the starting lineup because of a tight hamstring, keeping him out of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

The three-time All-Star and 2018 World Series champion is starting his first full season with the Giants after they acquired him in a trade with the Boston Red Sox last year.

Devers hit 35 home runs and had 109 RBIs last season, playing 90 games with San Francisco and 73 in Boston. He signed a $313.5 million, 10-year contract in 2023 with the Red Sox.

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He was 20 when he made his major league debut in Boston nine years ago, and he helped them win the World Series the following year.

Devers, who has 235 career homers and 747 RBIs, led Boston in RBIs for five straight seasons and has finished in the top 20 in voting for AL MVP five times.

Copyright © 2026 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.



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Denver, CO

University of Denver to close Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year

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University of Denver to close Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year


The University of Denver will close the Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year as enrollment has fallen in recent years, the college announced this week.

The Ricks Center, which serves gifted children as young as 3 years old, will operate for the 2026-27 academic year before closing, according to a letter DU sent parents on Wednesday.

“The University of Denver has made the difficult decision to close the Ricks Center for Gifted Children at the conclusion of the 2026–2027 academic year,” spokesman Jon Stone said in a statement. “This decision reflects long-term operational and financial considerations and is not a reflection of the school’s quality, leadership, or community.”

The center, which is located on DU’s campus, was started in 1984 as the University Center for Gifted Young Children. The program offers classes to students in preschool through eighth grade, according to the website.

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The program, along with other public K-12 schools in the state, has experienced declining enrollment in recent years. The center enrolled 142 students for the 2025-26 academic year, which is down from 200 pupils four years ago.



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Seattle, WA

Three trapped after car goes into ditch near Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum

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Three trapped after car goes into ditch near Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum


Firefighters are responding to a car that drove into a ditch near Lake Washington Boulevard East and East Foster Island Road on Friday, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

Crews arriving at the scene reported that three people are trapped inside the car.

Firefighters were working to stabilize the car and get everyone out safely. Crews worked to remove the roof of the car to get everyone out, according to fire officials.

Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area while emergency crews respond.

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The crash occurred in the area between the Montlake and Broadmoor neighborhoods, and traffic can be expected as emergency crews respond.

No additional information was immediately available.



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