Prosecutors say they have evidence that the man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students bought a knife and knife sheath online in the months before the killings, newly released court documents show.
Prosecutors in Bryan Kohberger’s trial filed a motion asking a judge to allow them to present his Amazon shopping activity as evidence during trial.
They also sought permission to show that a housemate of the victims saw a man with bushy eyebrows wearing a ski mask in the house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, when the killings took place. In a court filing, prosecutors said they would present a photograph of Kohberger taken from his phone hours after the killings and let the jury decide whether he has bushy eyebrows.
Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. The students were killed in the early morning at a rental home near their school’s campus in Moscow, Idaho.
Advertisement
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.
Pool / Getty Images
A judge previously entered a not-guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf. Kohberger’s trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 and expected to last more than three months. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
Prosecutors have said they matched “touch DNA” found on a knife sheath near one of the victims to DNA taken from Kohberger. A defense attorney pushed to have the DNA evidence thrown out, but Judge Steven Hippler denied that request last month.
Court documents filed Monday said the state obtained a search warrant for Kohberger’s Amazon activity pertaining to knives and accessories, his payment methods and details of items he added and removed from his cart.
Advertisement
Prosecutors said that search warrant was narrowly tailored to March 20 to March 30, 2022, the time they said Kohberger was known to have bought a Ka-Bar knife with sheath and sharpener from Amazon, and between Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 that year, dates falling weeks before and after the killings.
In arguing the judge should admit the evidence, prosecutors said Kohberger’s Amazon activity showing the purchase of a Ka-Bar knife and sheath before the homicides made it more probable that the Ka-Bar sheath found at the crime scene was his.
Another new posting involves a map of all the times prosecutors say Kohberger’s car was spotted on surveillance video near the crime scene before the murders.
Thousands of pages of court documents have been filed in the complicated case as attorneys on both sides attempt to set the ground rules for what will and won’t be presented to jurors, but many of the court documents detailing both sides’ plans for expert witnesses have been sealed.
So it’s not currently possible to confirm an assertion by prosecutors that Kohberger’s defense team will argue that someone else could have planted the sheath.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The rotunda as seen on March 16, 2026, at the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise. (Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun)
Ahead of the 2026 primary elections, the League of Women Voters of Idaho is teaming up with several local groups to hold candidate forums and voter education events in the hopes of boosting voter turnout.
The groups invited all candidates for public office in Ada and Canyon County’s commissions, and inlegislative district 11, which is in Canyon County.
Advertisement
The groups that are hosting include Mormon Women for Ethical Government, the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of University Women’s Boise branch and the College of Idaho’s Masters of Applied Public Policy Program.
Here’s when and where the forums are:
Ada County Commissioner District 2:7-8:30 p.m. April 24 at Meridian City Hall, located at 33 E. Broadway Ave. in Meridian.
Ada County Commissioner District 1:7-8:30 p.m. April 28 at Valley View Elementary School, located at 3555 N Milwaukee St. in Boise.
Legislative District 11:6:30-8:30 p.m. April 30 at Caldwell City Hall, located at 205 S. 6th Ave. in Caldwell.
Canyon County Commissioner:6-8 p.m. May 7 at Caldwell City Hall, 205 S. 6th Ave. in Caldwell.
Learn more about candidates at the League of Women Voters’ online voter guide,VOTE411.ORG.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho drivers wanting to celebrate America’s anniversary this year now have a unique way to do that. The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles has released an America 250 license plate to mark the occasion.
The new license plate includes an American flag on a blue background with the words “America 250” and the dates “1776 – 2026.”
The plate requires an extra fee that will go toward supporting the Idaho Heritage Trust, according to an Idaho Transportation Department news release. The specific fee wasn’t listed.
“This plate gives Idahoans a chance to mark a historic milestone and show their pride on the road,” said Lisa McClellan, DMV administrator, in a statement. “We’re proud to offer a design that honors our country’s past while supporting Idaho’s efforts to preserve its own history.”
Advertisement
The America 250 license plate was released to celebrate a historic national milestone. | Idaho Transportation Department
Idaho’s favorite license plate
The new license plate may give Idaho’s favorite a run for its money.
The Idaho Transportation Department recently held a “Battle of the Plates” vote to find out which license plate Idahoans loved best.
The Forests Forever plate was crowned the champion on April 7. Funds generated from this plate go toward Idaho replanting and reforestation projects, as well as environmental education programs for Idaho students and teachers.
“One of Idaho’s newest plates, Forests Forever made a strong run and came out on top, highlighting just how much Idahoans value our forests and natural resources,” the transportation department said in a social media post.
Idahoans chose Forests Forever as their favorite specialty license plate. | Idaho Transportation Department
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
