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Five key things could sway Kohberger murder trial
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The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022 is set to stand trial later this summer, with jury selection beginning July 30, 2025.
Bryan Kohberger has been charged with four counts of murder in the stabbings of victims: Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin. Kohberger has entered a plea of not guilty. Though, if convicted, he may face the death penalty.
As the trial date nears, here are five things to keep an eye on:
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1. Will Kohberger testify?
In any murder trial, calling the defendant to testify is a risk. On one hand, it’s impactful for the jury to hear the defendant claim innocence with information to support that claim. However, it sets up a cross-examination from the prosecution, which can rattle a defendant in what’s already a highly charged situation.
Brian Kohberger in a Latah County Court for his Jan. 5, 2023, initial appearance (POOL)
Evoking anger or frustration will help prosecutors paint a picture of the possibility that Kohberger could have performed such a heinous act. The prosecution in this case wants to use Kohberger’s testimony to disprove his alibi, though the defense is looking for other ways to corroborate it.
2. What is the defense?
No motive has been established, and Kohberger’s defense team wants to make the argument that someone else could have planted the knife sheath with his DNA at the scene of the crime.
If Kohberger’s defense team plans to argue the possibility of another attacker or multiple attackers, a jury is going to want evidence that points to a specific person or persons.
Even if the possibility of an anonymous attacker is on the table, there needs to be support through DNA evidence or some type of surveillance footage that captures someone other than Kohberger at or near the crime scene at the time of the murders.
3. Key evidence in the case
As of early April, the deputy prosecutor for the case, Ashley S. Jennings, filed the evidence list with the Idaho trial judge who will be presiding. It includes records from a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dick’s Sporting Goods where the prosecution claims relevance for Kohberger’s purchase of a black balaclava in January 2022.
This type of mask was the one described by the student who also lived in the house of the four victims and witnessed the killer fleeing through the back door.
Prosecutors also want to introduce video footage at the Sunset Mart in Moscow, Idaho, a half a mile from the crime scene. It allegedly captures Kohberger driving to and from the home where the students were murdered.
The evidence is meant to support a timeline of Kohberger’s activity leading up to and after the crimes took place and fill in any gaps that dismantle the argument that another attacker was involved.
Jay Logsdon, center, an attorney representing Bryan Kohberger, second from left, speaks during a hearing in Latah County District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool)
4. Jury selection
Because the case has been so highly publicized, it’ll be challenging to find an impartial jury.
A change of venue was already court-ordered by the Idaho Supreme Court, moving the trial to Ada County in Idaho, rather than Latah County, where the murders took place.
5. Witnesses expected to take the stand
It’ll be interesting to see who the state calls as its first witness, since it’s usually the strongest witness to set the narrative.
Expected witnesses to be called in this three-month-plus trial include members from various law enforcement agencies and forensic experts. The prosecution’s list includes: Moscow Police Forensic Detective Lawrence Mowery, an investigator on the case; Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt, and Spokane County chief medical examiner, Dr. Veena Singh.
Other potential experts to be called are FBI Special Agents Tony Imel and Nick Ballance. Ballance is prepared to speak about the location of Kohberger’s cell phone before and after the student homicides.
Another expert the prosecutor may call is Shane Cox. As a manager with Amazon’s Law Enforcement Response team, Cox is responsible for subpoena responses and search warrant requests.
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This testimony may not provide the full context of the workings of Amazon or Kohberger’s account and would oppose his testimony as well. However, prosecutors argue the purchase of a Ka-Bar knife and sheath allegedly used to stab the four students makes it relevant.
Boise-based expert Dr. Gary Dawson is also expected to be called to the stand by the prosecution to rebut the defense’s claim that there were multiple attackers. His testimony is expected to include information about the victims’ intoxication levels, which would render them unable to fight back against a single assailant.
The evidence is meant to support a timeline of Kohberger’s activity leading up to and after the crimes took place and fill in any gaps that dismantle the argument that another attacker was involved.
Continuing to build a case in State v. Bryan C. Kohberger
Though both sides have submitted their legal expert list, they have until later this month to disclose other non-expert witnesses to testify to their personal experiences. This may include the surviving roommates who were not harmed during the homicide.
Also, although the state claims it may call Kohberger’s family members, they’ve said they have no interest in helping.
As the trial date nears, more evidence, experts and potential documents will be filed on both sides to sway favor before the case is presented to a jury. The trial date is currently set for August 11, 2025.
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The Alaska Highway has been flooded just north of Beaver Creek in the Yukon.
Officials have closed the highway from the U.S. border to Canada’s Beaver Creek customs office as of Sunday afternoon.
“We have crews out there working on it,” said Julia Duchesne, an information officer with the government’s Emergency Co-ordination Centre. “I can’t speculate on how long the closure will last until we know more about the cause.”
Duchesne said there are a couple of different ways spring melt could cause water to pool on the road, like a ditch spilling over or a culvert washing out with spring melt.
“We do know that in April our hydrology team did identify that across the Yukon, steep streams that cross roads and highways are an area of elevated concern, what with the snowpack across the territory,” she said.
“The roads looked like they started shifting a bit,” said Chealsea Johnny, who works at the Beaver Creek visitor information centre. “There’s definitely going to be some tourists stuck for however long it takes for them to open it.”
For the most up to date information on road conditions, Duchesne encourages drivers to check 511yukon.ca. She says she understands the closure may be disruptive to travellers, but asks anyone who had planned on crossing to be patient.
“We do sometimes see people going through barricades or moving barricades,” she said. “It’s a bad idea, both for your own safety and the safety of crews who are trying to fix the problem.”
Territorial officials say an update on road conditions will be issued before 2 p.m. Monday.
PHOENIX — A new proposal from Arizona and other Southwestern states aims to keep the Colorado River system from reaching a critical breaking point.
After more than a year of stalled negotiations, Arizona, California and Nevada are now voluntarily proposing deeper water cuts to help stabilize the river and protect water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
“This proposal reflects the creativity and commitment of water users across the Lower Basin who continue to step forward with solutions that support the river,” said Tom Buschatzke, Arizona’s Colorado River negotiator. “We have shown that collaborative, voluntary efforts and reductions that are certain can produce meaningful water savings.”
But even as states step in, experts warn nature may ultimately determine whether those efforts are enough.
“This conflict, this time we’re in, is something that truly will be in history books,” Kyle Rodrick with the Great Basin Water Network said. “This is a moment, a flashpoint.”
State leaders are calling the proposal a short-term “bridge” as they work toward a long-term agreement on how to share the Colorado River. The plan would save more than 3.2 million acre-feet of water through 2028. That’s enough water to cover nearly the entire state of Connecticut one foot deep.
Those voluntary cuts build on earlier reductions and come as water levels in key reservoirs continue to drop after a historically dry winter.
“If we had had a huge winter with huge snowpacks all throughout the basin, we probably wouldn’t be seeing this,” said Kyle Roerink of the Great Basin Water Network.
The goal of the proposal is to keep water levels high enough at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs in the country, which are critical for delivering water and power across the Southwest. Experts say the stakes are especially high at Lake Powell.
“Lake Powell will be falling to the lowest point since it began filling in the 1960s,” said Eric Balken of the Glen Canyon Institute. “Without intervention it would fall below minimum power pool later this year.”
If water levels drop below that threshold, the dam would no longer be able to generate hydropower, and it could threaten the ability to move water downstream to Arizona and other states.
The future of the Colorado River system now largely rests with the federal government. Negotiations among the seven basin states over a long-term water-sharing agreement have stalled, and the Bureau of Reclamation is working on a new plan that could reshape how the river is managed moving forward.
https://www.abc15.com/news/state/new-federal-plan-could-shape-what-happens-next-with-colorado-river-water
Some experts say the divide between states remains a major hurdle.
“I think the lower basin states came to the table willing to make very serious contributions,” Balken said. “I don’t feel the upper basin came with the same level of commitment.”
While the proposed cuts could help stabilize water levels in the short term, it may only buy time. Long-term stability of the Colorado River system will still depend heavily on future snowpack and precipitation.
“If we have a similar winter next winter, it will be brutal,” Roerink said. “The actions water managers have to take will make today’s news look like a cakewalk.”
Any new plan would need to be in place by October 1, the start of the next water year.
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