Grim Idaho Murder Case Sees Major New Development Against Suspect

It's been over half a year since the tragic Idaho murders, and new details have been revealed in the case. On November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered at their home near the Moscow, Idaho, campus. 21-year-old Madison Mogen, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, and 20-year-old Xana Kernodle tragically lost their lives in the shocking attack. In the weeks that followed, authorities found themselves without an official suspect in custody, triggering a manhunt to find the perpetrator.

Authorities conducted a thorough investigation in their relentless pursuit of the perpetrator behind the appalling crime. Eventually, they came across Bryan Kohberger, and an official arrest was made in late December. CNN reported that Kohberger was charged with "four counts of murder in the first degree" and a felony burglary charge. The sudden arrest left many curious as to how authorities had identified the Ph.D. student as a possible suspect in the murders. Ultimately, it came down to two things: His car and DNA.

At the time of the murders, a white Hyundai Elantra was spotted near the scene, prompting an extensive search that eventually led authorities to Kohberger — whom they had closely monitored in the days prior to his arrest. Furthermore, the presence of Kohberger's DNA on the knife sheath discovered at the scene solidified his connection to the crime. Now, new details reveal how accurate this DNA match actually was.

The knife sheath discovered at the scene of the murders played a big part in Bryan Kohberger's arrest. According to The New York Times, authorities had followed Kohberger to his parent's house, where they retrieved trash from the home and collected a DNA sample from Kohberger's father. Officials sent his father's DNA off to be tested with the DNA found on the knife sheath at the scene of the crime. The results came back with a "strong probability" that the DNA from the garbage was the father of the person who handled the knife sheath. This ultimately aided in Kohberger's arrest, and now we have even more information about how Kohberger's DNA is a significant factor in the case.

According to CNN, new court filings revealed that authorities obtained a cheek swab from the suspect while he remains in custody. They then used a common type of DNA test called a short tandem repeat analysis (STR) to determine that Kohberger was a "statistical match" to the DNA found at the scene. Prosecutors revealed in the filing, "The STR profile is at least 5.37 octillion times more likely to be seen if (the) Defendant is the source than if an unrelated individual randomly selected from the general population is the source." That said, there's no longer any doubt that Kohberger handled the weapon used in the murders.

As the mounting evidence against Bryan Kohberger continues to strengthen, it becomes increasingly difficult to entertain the possibility of anyone else being responsible for the Idaho murders. Still, Kohberger, likely on the advice of his attorneys, has taken a coy approach regarding his plea. In May 2023, during a court appearance, Kohberger appeared in an orange jumpsuit and acknowledged his understanding of the charges, responding with a simple "Yes," as reported by CNN.  However, that's about as much as the suspect spoke in court because Kohberger remained silent when the judge asked about his plea.

Instead, Kohberger's attorney responded, "Your honor, we are standing silent." According to Lewis & Dickstein P.L.L.C to stand silent or "stand mute" means to withhold a clear stance on guilt or innocence. Typically, when a defendant stands silent, the judge records a not-guilty plea, and CNN reports that is precisely what occurred in Kohberger's case.

The former student now awaits his trial scheduled for October 2, 2023, and the public will soon learn whether Kohberger will face the possibility of the death penalty, as prosecutors have a 60-day window following his official plea to make this determination.

The families of the victims in the Idaho murder case had expected Bryan Kohberger to face a preliminary trial. ABC News reported that the family of 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves was ready to face the suspect in court. Steve Goncalves, Kaylee's father, was adamant about bringing justice down on Kohberger. He shared, "I can't wait to see the evidence. ... And then I'm gonna bring it. And he's gonna realize that this ... is the family that's gonna make sure he doesn't get away with it." Steve, accompanied by his wife Kristi Goncalves and their son and daughter, all said they would be there for the preliminary trial and the subsequent main trial. However, with the preliminary trial being canceled, the family will now have to wait until October.

While the Goncalves family remains prepared to confront Kohberger during the impending trial, the Chapin family has made the decision not to attend. Stacy Chapin — whose son, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, was among the victims – revealed during an appearance on the "Today" show that she and her family will not be at Kohberger's trial. She said, "[the trial] does not change the outcome of our family, and it's energy that we need to put into healing our kids and getting back to a new family dynamic. We let the prosecutors do their job, and we do our job in our family." As for Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle's families, it's unclear whether they will attend.