Idaho
Man accused of murdering four Idaho students fights against death penalty
Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, appeared at a hearing in Idaho on Thursday as his lawyers attempt to eliminate the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted.
Kohberger, who sat in court wearing a suit on Thursday, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary for the deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, who were stabbed to death in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, two years ago on 13 November 2022. He has pleaded not guilty.
At a hearing on Thursday morning, Ada county judge Steven Hippler heard oral arguments from both the county prosecutors and Kohberger’s defense team over capital punishment.
Idaho is one of the 27 states in the US that has the death penalty. The approved methods of execution in the state include lethal injection and, as of last year, execution by firing squad.
Prosecutors in Idaho issued their intention to seek the death penalty for Kohberger last year, as required by state law. In order to sentence a defendant to death after a murder conviction, the jury has to be unanimous.
In court documents, the prosecutors have argued that several aggravating factors exist in Kohberger’s case that they say could qualify for the crime of capital punishment under state law.
The factors they have asserted include that there are multiple victims, that the murders were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel”, that he exhibited “utter disregard for human life”, and that he exhibited a “a propensity to commit murder which will probably constitute a continuing threat to society”.
But Kohberger’s lawyers argue that the death penalty sentence ought to be removed from his case, calling it unconstitutional.
They argue, among other points, that the death penalty would violate Kohberger’s right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment, his right to due process, and that the death penalty goes against “contemporary standards of decency”.
His lawyers have also claimed that the criteria and standards for applying the death penalty are unclear and “unconstitutionally vague”, according to NBC News, and that Idaho’s requirement for a speedy trial makes it challenging for them to adequately prepare for a high-stakes death penalty case.
During the hearing on Thursday, Kohberger’s lawyers also argued that there is currently a shortage of lethal injection drugs in the US and in Idaho and that the state lacks effective means to execute an inmate.
“Idaho does not have a current means of executing anybody,” Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s public defender, said. “When somebody sits on death row and there’s no real means of executing them, that is dehumanizing to that person.
“It is anxiety. It is fear. it is the not knowing,” Taylor said, adding that the other method, firing squad, she believes is unconstitutional and has not been built yet in the state.
The prosecutors pushed back on the idea that Idaho does not have the means to put someone to death, saying that Idaho now has lethal injections available and that the methods could also change in the future.
“We just don’t know enough now, frankly, to spend the time and the effort debating what we don’t know in the future,” the prosecutor said.
The death penalty in Idaho has not been used since 2012 because the state has had trouble obtaining lethal injection drugs and then earlier this year, an execution was botched and delayed an execution when prison staff couldn’t find the man’s vein.
It is not clear when the judge will make a decision.
Kohberger, 29, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University, was arrested on 30 December 2022 at his parents’ house in Pennsylvania after weeks of investigation.
His DNA was matched to DNA found at the crime scene on a knife sheath and his cellphone data or surveillance video showed that him having visited the area at least a dozen times before the killings and that he traveled in the region that night.
Kohberger’s lawyers have said in court filings he was out for a drive that night, as they say he did often to hike and run, “and/or see the moon and stars”.
After he was arrested, Kohberger was extradited to Idaho and has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Kohberger’s trial is set to begin in early August 2025 and jury selection is scheduled to start 30 July.
In September, a judge in Idaho moved the trial to Boise from Latah county after Kohberger’s attorneys argued, among other things, that he could not receive a fair trial in the courthouse in the local area where the killings happened.
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers have introduced legislation that would phase out state funding for the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs while keeping the commission in place.
The proposal, introduced by Rep. Jeff Ehlers, would gradually eliminate general fund support for the commission by July 1, 2028. The commission would continue to operate but would need to rely on private funding.
Rep. Ehlers told the House Revenue and Taxation Committee on Thursday that the proposal came from recommendations by Idaho’s DOGE Task Force, which reviewed government programs and spending.
READ MORE | Idaho DOGE Task Force recommends defunding Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs
The bill would also eliminate the commission from a list of organizations eligible for a state income tax charitable contribution credit.
Rep. Steve Berch questioned why the legislation would remove both state funding and the tax credit option, saying it could make it more difficult for the commission to raise money.
“I hate to use this word, but I’m really offended by this specific effort to make it that much more difficult for private citizens to be able to contribute to the Hispanic commission,” Rep. Berch said in committee. “I don’t think this can be justified from a financial point of view, and quite frankly, I don’t think it can be justified from a moral point of view.”
In response, Rep. Jason Monks said that it would be more “offensive” to not allow further discussion of the bill before a final decision is made.
The proposal comes after an earlier attempt this session to eliminate the commission entirely. In January, Rep. Heather Scott presented a draft bill that would have removed all references to the commission from Idaho law and dissolved it by July 1, but that measure failed to advance out of committee.
The committee ultimately voted on Thursday to introduce the legislation, allowing it to be printed and advanced for further debate.
This story has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Shanea Fulks is the owner of Seven Sisters Closet Revival, a new consignment store at 260 South Woodruff in Idaho Falls. Take a look inside in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
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IDAHO FALLS
New consignment shop in Idaho Falls offers vintage clothes for customers and booth space for sellers
IDAHO FALLS – Curating vintage clothing is Shanea Fulks’s passion, and she’s sharing it with the community through a new business venture.
Seven Sisters Closet Revival opens Saturday at 260 South Woodruff inside Parkwood Plaza in Idaho Falls. It offers racks of vintage clothes for customers and booth space for others to sell their items.
“You get a rack with shelves, and you can come in throughout the week and sell things,” Fulks tells EastIdahoNews.com. “The things you’ll see in the middle of the store are pieces that I have curated. I hand-pick all the things I bring to the store.”
See some of the items in the video above.
Fulks says she’s had multiple people walk in already who are excited about the shop.
The store will have a grand opening this weekend. Fulks is partnering with the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon-cutting and open house at noon on Friday. A local band will be performing during the event.
Then on Saturday, a grand opening celebration will begin at 2 p.m. Several vendors and live entertainment will be available. Fulks says she’s looking forward to interacting with the community.
Fulks has been selling items from her personal collection online for years. After helping a mother and daughter find a formal dress during an interaction at another shop in town several years ago, Fulks says she realized there was a need for a store like this.
After about a year of working with real estate agents, Fulks says the Parkwood Plaza space formerly occupied by a beauty salon called Blush became available, and it was an ideal fit.
“It’s just been a whirlwind and we’re just trying to get it going,” says Fulks.
Fulks’ interest in fashion stems back to childhood. She lost her dad and stepdad to suicide at a young age and grew up in a household that struggled to make ends meet. As a result, she says they bought clothes at Goodwill and other secondhand stores.
She remembers being made fun of because of the clothes she wore. In time, she learned to embrace her uniqueness and developed an interest in vintage clothes.
“I’ve just always been attracted to old sweaters, military jackets (her dad served in Vietnam),” Fulks says. “I like to help people feel confident wearing something unique, even if it’s not trendy. Be bold and wear whatever you want.”
The idea of making the most of your circumstances and embracing who you are is inspired by her experience with suicide, and it’s reflected in the art that’s on display in her store.
“Part of the theme in my store is ‘Stay. We need you,’” she says.
The business name refers to her family. She comes from a blended family of six girls and four boys. When she and her husband were married, they had a daughter — the seventh sister.
Fulks says she’s looking forward to offering great deals to customers. She has two sons with autism who love art, and she wants to host art-themed events for people with special needs. She’d also like to host tea parties and other events in the future.
“I want people to come and feel like they belong,” she says. “I’m going to allow people to do karaoke. When you’re here, I want you to feel like you can have fun.”
Seven Sisters Closet Revival will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Gov. Brad Little has signed House Bill 533, which would remove the need for license plate stickers on Idaho vehicles.
The legislation, introduced earlier this session by Rep. Jon Weber (R) of Boise, eliminates the requirement for registration stickers on Idaho license plates. Weber stated during the bills intorduction that officers can verify the status of license plates without the stickers, potentially saving the state around $300,000.
During the bill’s introduction, some lawmakers argued that it could increase the workload for law enforcement.
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