Bryan Kohberger was arrested back in 2014 after stealing one of his sisters’ iPhones while battling a drug addiction, a new report has revealed.
The suspect in the killing of four University of Idaho students was 19 when he was arrested in his native Pennsylvania and charged with misdemeanor theft after his father Michael reported him to authorities.
Official records reviewed by ABC News show Michael told police his son had warned him to ‘not do anything stupid’ after he learned he had taken the phone. The father also reportedly mentioned Kohberger’s addiction to heroin.
Kohberger has an older sister, mental health therapist Melissa, and a younger one, an actress, Amanda.
Now 28, he is facing the death penalty if convicted of the murders of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20.
Bryan Kohberger was arrested back in 2014 after stealing one of his sisters’ iPhones while he battled a drug addiction, per a new report
Kohberger has an older sister, Melissa (right), and a younger one, Amanda
He served no jail time for the theft charge and there is no public record left of it; first-time offenders can have their records expunged if they complete a pre-trial program and complete probation.
Prosecutors are reportedly looking into the 2014 arrest as they prepare for trial, scheduled for October 2.
The murder suspect is expected to make his next appearance at the Latah County Courthouse on Tuesday at 1:30pm PT.
Judge John Judge will hear arguments from both sides on several motions, including one filed by Kohberger’s team asking the prosecution to hand over more evidence regarding the DNA allegedly tying him to the crime scene.
The criminal psychology student was arrested on December 30 at his family home in Pennsylvania.
On Monday, the Latah County Prosecutors’ Office informed the court they would seek the death penalty because the killings were ‘especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity.’
Kohberger’s father Michael, pictured with him during a traffic stop last year, was reportedly the one to alert authorities about the phone theft
Kohberger is facing the death penalty if convicted of the murders of roommates Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20
Last week, lawyers for Kohberger claimed DNA evidence from two other men was found at the scene.
The attorneys said there was ‘no connection’ between their client and the students fatally stabbed in their off-campus Moscow home.
‘There is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims,’ read the filing by attorney Jay Logsdon.
‘There is no explanation for the total lack of DNA evidence from the victims in Mr. Kohberger’s apartment, office, home, or vehicle.’
The filing states that ‘by December 17, 2022, lab analysts were aware of two additional males’ DNA within the house where the deceased were located.’
The defense team said a second man’s DNA was found inside the Moscow home and that police allegedly found DNA from a third man’s DNA on a glove discovered outside the home.
‘To this date, the Defense is unaware of what sort of testing, if any, was conducted on these samples other than the STR DNA profiles.’
The filing, an Objection to State’s Motion for Protective Order, argued the defense team should have access to all the data and investigative genetic genealogy that led prosecutors to claim Kohberger’s DNA, collected with a buccal swab, was a ‘statistical match’ to DNA found on a knife sheath discovered at the scene.
Earlier this month, prosecutors claimed DNA found on a knife sheath left at the Idaho murders scene is a ‘statistical match’ to a cheek swab taken from the suspect.
The FBI said they used databases in publicly held DNA sites similar to 23andMe.
Prosecutors previously argued Kohberger had no right to FBI data uncovered from the method.
In their filing, the defense team said: ‘Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr. Kohberger does not accept that his defense does not need this information.
‘The state apparently only wants to prevent Mr. Kohberger from seeing how the investigative genetic genealogy profile was created and how many other people the FBI chose to ignore during their investigation.’