BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Prosecutors say Bryan Kohberger’s protection group will argue at his homicide trial that another person might have planted a knife sheath with Kohberger’s DNA on the dwelling the place 4 College of Idaho college students have been killed in 2022.
Latah County Prosecutor Invoice Thompson made the declare in a movement filed within the case this week.
“Instead of challenging the conclusion that the DNA on the knife sheath belonged to Defendant, the defense’s expert disclosures reveal that the defense plans to argue the DNA on the knife sheath does not prove Defendant was ever at the crime scene and the knife sheath itself could have been planted by the real perpetrator,” Thompson wrote.
Most of the court docket paperwork detailing either side’ plans for skilled witnesses have been sealed, so it’s not presently potential to check Thompson’s characterization of the protection plans in opposition to the protection group’s personal court docket filings.
Kohberger is charged with 4 counts of homicide within the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, college students who have been killed within the early morning of Nov. 13, 2022, at a rental dwelling close to their campus in Moscow, Idaho.
When requested to enter a plea final yr, Kohberger stood silent, prompting a choose to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf. Prosecutors have mentioned they are going to search the loss of life penalty if Kohberger is convicted.
Prosecutors have mentioned they matched “touch DNA” discovered on a knife sheath close to one of many victims to DNA taken from Kohberger utilizing investigative genetic family tree, or IGG methods. Protection legal professional Anne Taylor pushed to have the investigative genetic family tree thrown out of the case, however 4th District Decide Steven Hippler denied that request final month.
Nonetheless, prosecutors say they don’t intend to seek advice from the IGG proof in the course of the trial and can as an alternative inform jurors {that a} “tip” led them to Kohberger as a suspect.
Kohberger’s trial is scheduled to start August 11 and anticipated to final greater than three months.