Idaho

Idaho college murders: Death penalty hearing hinges on whether suspect is “continuing threat”

Published

1 year ago

November 7, 2024

Idaho college murders: Death penalty hearing hinges on whether suspect is “continuing threat”

Whether the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students can be punished with the death penalty if convicted will be the focus of a planned hearing Thursday, less than a week before the campus community will mark two years since the killings.

A judge in Boise, where the trial is set to begin in early August, will consider arguments from Latah County prosecutors and Bryan Kohberger’s defense team over the merits of capital punishment and whether the suspect poses a future danger to others.

Prosecutors have said in court filings that four aggravating factors exist in the case against Kohberger, who turns 30 later this month, making the crime more severe and the death penalty warranted. They are that there are multiple victims; the murders were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel”; the suspect exhibited “utter disregard for human life”; and he has “a propensity to commit murder which will probably constitute a continuing threat to society,” according to the filing.

But defense lawyer Jay Logsdon, a public defender who is qualified to co-lead a death penalty case, asked the judge to strike the state’s death penalty request, in part, because he said executing Kohberger by lethal injection would violate his right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.

The defense has also suggested allowing for a special phase if Kohberger is found guilty that would require the jury to determine if he is then eligible for capital punishment, an extra step that prosecutors want denied.

In another filing last month, Logsdon countered the state’s claim that a “future dangerousness” aggravator exists in Kohberger’s case.

“Aggravators are intended for deciding which First Degree Murderers merit the death penalty. Future Dangerousness does not do that — it focuses on the person, not the act,” the defense wrote.

The death penalty in Idaho, while it remains on the books, had lapsed as its last execution was in 2012; the state, like many others, has had trouble procuring lethal injection drugs. In 2023, Republican Gov. Brad Little signed a law permitting execution by firing squad as an alternative method.

Idaho has since acquired the necessary drugs. In February, it planned to put inmate Thomas Creech, who was convicted of five murders in three states, to death after he had been behind bars for nearly half a century. But the state abandoned the execution after prison staff failed to establish an IV line, exposing the difficulties with administering the death penalty.

Another execution attempt of Creech, 74, has been scheduled for Nov. 13 — coincidentally the same day as when the four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed in 2022 in an off-campus apartment house.

Kohberger was arrested more than a month after the four students — housemates Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20 — were killed. Kohberger was a resident of nearby Pullman, Washington, and then a doctoral student at Washington State University.

A not guilty plea on four counts of first-degree murder and burglary was entered on his behalf in May 2023. Authorities have not publicly confirmed a motive, and a gag order has prevented many involved from speaking.

The prosecution says it expects at trial to present DNA evidence, details about cellphone use and security videos to connect Kohberger to the crime.

Kohberger’s defense has suggested that he often went on late-night drives and that cellphone tower data would show that he had been doing so miles away when the four students were killed.

Next summer’s trial was moved to Idaho’s capital of Boise from Latah County after the defense successfully argued there would be a strong possibility for bias among potential jurors and the local community does not have the resources for such highly anticipated proceedings.

Source link

Idaho

Gas prices expected to exceed $3 as the Iran conflict prompts supply shortages

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Gas prices expected to exceed as the Iran conflict prompts supply shortages

BOISE, Idaho — AAA is warning Idaho gas consumers that pump prices will likely rise as the conflict in Iran disrupts oil and gas supply chains worldwide.

The ongoing turmoil in the Middle East will likely push the price for a gallon of regular gasoline past the $3 mark over the coming days.

“On one hand, the crude oil market had time to account for some financial risk in the Middle East as forces mobilized, but a supply shortage somewhere affects the global picture,” says AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde. “If tankers can’t move products through the region, there could be ripple effects.”

On Monday, March 2, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $2.97, reports AAA, which is 12 cents more expensive than it was a month ago but 20 cents less than this time last year.

State / Price: 1 gallon of regular gasoline

Washington / $4.37
Oregon / $3.92
Nevada / $3.70
Idaho / $2.97
Colorado / $2.89
Montana / $2.82
Utah / $2.74
Wyoming / $2.73

In terms of the most expensive fuel in the nation, Idaho currently ranks #14. However, buying a gallon of regular gas in neighboring states such as Oregon and Washington could cost a whole dollar more. In contrast, gas prices in Utah, Montana, and Wyoming are anywhere between 15 to 24 cents cheaper than fuel in the Gem State.

Source link

Idaho

Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 4 on March 1, 2026

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing

Day: 7-2-3

Night: 2-7-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 1 drawing

Day: 4-7-9-3

Night: 8-7-7-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from March 1 drawing

03-06-07-33-41

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
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.

Source link

Idaho

Idaho politicians respond to Trump authorizing U.S military force in Iran

Published

2 days ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Idaho politicians respond to Trump authorizing U.S military force in Iran

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched major strikes in Tehran, with President Trump calling for an Iranian regime change.

RELATED | Trump announces ‘major combat operations’ in Iran, reportedly killing hundreds

President Trump authorized the U.S military operation without congressional approval, a decision that Democrats in Congress are arguing is unconstitutional.

RELATED | Trump’s Iran attack raises legal concerns among Democrats in Congress

Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea says Democrats are “demanding answers and accountability on behalf of the American people, who are being dragged toward another open-ended war they do not support.”

Necochea says her greatest concern lies with American troops, contractors and civilians who she says “did not choose this conflict.”

“Idaho has thousands of active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, and military families who live with the consequences when leaders make reckless choices,” she says.

However, not all lawmakers share Necochea’s sentiments.

Idaho Republican representative Mike Simpson commends President Trump’s “decisive action” in Iran.

Idaho News 6

“Iran was given every opportunity to resolve this peacefully through negotiations but chose not to,” Simpson said in a post to Facebook. “I commend President Trump for taking decisive action against a regime responsible for decades of terror. May God protect our men and women in uniform on this vital mission.”

Source link