Bryan Kohberger is slammed for new request to court: ‘I want to look my best’

Bryan Kohberger’s defense has requested that he be allowed to remove his prison uniform and instead wear a suit and tie to his upcoming court appearance.

Families of the four students who were brutally murdered have protested the grant. One mother said: ‘It makes [her] ‘sick’ to see the man accused of killing her daughter looking his best, ‘with a new haircut.’

The suspect in the 2022 stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students will appear in court later this week after repeatedly wearing professional attire during the hearing.

The last time he wore prison garb was at his arraignment in May 2023.

In a motion filed Friday, Kohberger’s attorneys formally requested that he be allowed to remain without prison garb in public.

Families of the four students he murdered have opposed the grant. One mother said: ‘It makes [her] sick’ to see the man accused of killing her daughter in a suit. Pictured are victims Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20,

‘During the short time between [Kohberger’s] transportation to Ada County and the drafting of this motion [Kohberger’s] The defense team is aware of at least 900 media reports… focusing on [Kohberger’s] “Recent booking photo with facial hair,” one section reads.

‘As recorded in the minutes of the hearing on the change of venue, the experts’ statement is that public interest will not diminish.

This testimony remains accurate given the extensive media coverage over the past five days.

‘Much of the media coverage and social media posts focus on [Kohberger’s] “Appearance,” is the documented requirement.

‘Authorize [Kohberger’s] ‘Wearing casual clothing at all public hearings is one way to reduce the potential for bias.’

‘Plain clothes’ refers to suits, rather than the traditional prison overalls.

“This request is due to the public nature of the case and the widespread dissemination of images of Mr. Kohberger,” Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s lead attorney, wrote at one point. “As such, avoiding coverage in prison garb is one of the things that can reduce prejudice.”

‘During the short time between [Kohberger’s] transportation to Ada County and the drafting of this motion [Kohberger’s] The defense team is aware of at least 900 media reports… focusing on [Kohberger’s] ‘recent booking photo with facial hair’, it says in one section

A spokesman for the state courts confirmed that pre-trial cases are usually in the hands of the judge.

The family of victim Kaylee Goncalves, who was 21 when she was murdered, has publicly opposed the exemption that previously allowed their daughter’s suspected killer to disguise herself.

“It makes me sick to see him sitting there in his suit… and all dolled up with a new haircut,” Kristi Goncalves, her mother, told NewsNation in 2023.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the Ada County Jail where Kohberger is being held, does not provide clothing other than jail garb for court appearances, a sheriff’s office spokesman said. The Seattle Times.

And while the case is now before a new judge in that district, it is likely the exceptions will remain in place, the spokesperson said.

Kohberger will attend the status conference in Boise on Thursday. The hearing will be streamed live on YouTube.

The family of victim Kaylee Goncalves has publicly opposed the exemption that allows their daughter’s alleged killer to dress up in the past. “It makes me sick to see him sitting there in his suit … all dressed up and a new haircut,” Kristi Goncalves (left), her mother, said in 2023

The last time Kohberger wore a prison uniform was at his arraignment in May 2023. His attorneys say a person’s appearance in court can influence how jurors determine guilt.

The Public Prosecution Service claims that the killer left behind the sheath of the military knife and that it was found next to the body of one of the victims, on the third floor of the student house.

The DNA reportedly found on the scabbard was later matched to Kohberger’s, they claim, after the FBI checked the sample against genetic genealogy databases and “notified” local police.

A few days later, Kohberger was handcuffed and remains in custody.

After Kohberger’s arrest on December 30, it emerged that DNA samples had been taken directly from the suspect and that these yielded a more concrete “statistical match.”

The defense has accused prosecutors of “completely concealing their case” by trying to keep their method of genetic genealogy secret.

Kohberger has since waived his right to a speedy trial and no date has been set for the trial.

He is accused of killing not only Kaylee, but also her best friend Maddie Mogen, 21, roommate Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20, at their off-campus home at the University of Idaho on Nov. 13, 2022.