Bryan Kohberger’s trial is DELAYED as Idaho murders suspect waives his right to a speedy trial

Bryan Kohberger, a quadruple murder suspect in Idaho, had his trial postponed indefinitely in October after waiving his right to a speedy trial.

Kohberger, 28, sat in a court in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss various matters. He was due to appear in court in the coming months in connection with the grizzly murder of four college students.

No date had been set for the future trial, which could now be months or even years away.

He faces four first-degree murder charges for the Nov. 13 murders of Maddie Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at their off-campus home near the University of Idaho .

Despite wanting to find a solution as soon as possible, tThe prosecution made no objection and agreed that TThis was the best option at the moment.

Former criminology student chose to ‘keep silent’ at his arraignment and not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf

(L-R) Housemates Dylan Mortensen, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen (on Kaylee’s shoulders) Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Bethany Funke

The defense said they were not ready to set a new trial date.

A hearing is still scheduled for September 1, where a new trial date will be discussed.

The defense is expected to file appeals of the grand jury indictment, as well as motions related to courtroom cameras and witness statements, according to Idaho News 6.

This comes a week after his last appearance in court last Friday, when Judge John Judge Kohberger set the Sept. 15 deadline to make the decision.

During the all-day hearing, relatives of murdered University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves allegedly mocked Kohberger with a pro-death penalty T-shirt.

At the hearing, the alleged quadruple killer’s defense team justified the alibi presented this month – that he was driving alone on the night of the murders – and addressed the techniques used by authorities to extract DNA evidence. collect.

According to investigative reporter Kevin Fixler, one of Goncalves’ relatives wore a t-shirt advertising the death penalty by firing squad during a lull in the proceedings.

In June, prosecutors indicated they would seek the death penalty against Kohberger, and the country’s struggle to obtain lethal injection drugs could mean he could be executed by firing squad.

Fixler added that Kohberger appeared “relaxed” during the proceedings, even grinning when witnesses joked about scientific terms during the hearing.

Goncalves’ family shared an emotional message on a Facebook page hours before the hearing, expressing fears that Kohberger’s trial would be delayed.

“Please pray for our family today,” they wrote. “We want to complete this process. Just the thought that it could take years is death to me.’

“We are concerned that he will waive his right to a speedy trial,” the statement read. “If he does, the trial won’t start on October 2, and there’s a good chance it won’t happen for years.”

Although the hearing was closed to the media and the public, the victims’ families were allowed to attend via Zoom.

The defense has so far focused on investigating the process by which detectives identified Kohberger as a suspect.

Detectives relied on genetic genealogy to build their case against him, using genetic genealogy to build a DNA profile from the DNA left at the scene in a mesh case.

The FBI tracked down Kohberger by tracing his distant relatives through genetic genealogy databases – then secretly collected a sample of his father’s DNA to confirm his identity.

Police say DNA found on a knife sheath left at the Idaho murder scene is a “statistical match” to a cheek swab taken from the suspect after his arrest.

A DNA sample left on the casing is “at least 5.37 octillion times more likely to be seen if (the) defendant is the source than if an unrelated individual chosen at random from the general population is the source is,” the prosecutors said in the file.

At previous hearings, prosecutors have insisted that Kohberger provide witnesses who could support an alibi. However, his defense said that “there is no specific witness at this time who can say exactly where Kohberger was” on the night of the murders.

Kohberger’s lawyers claim he had a habit of going out alone at night,’ and he did so on the night of the murders.

One of the surviving housemates who was not attacked also said she had seen the killer and that he had “bushy eyebrows” – another characteristic of Kohberger’s appearance.

“He was out and driving in the late night and early morning hours of November 12 to 13, 2022,” lawyers said, adding that he “does not claim to be at a specific location at any specific time.”

Prosecutors have demanded more details about his alleged alibi, saying “driving in the area” does not exonerate him and instead puts him at the scene.

Kohberger’s lawyers claim he had a habit of going out alone at night, which he did on the night of the murders.

His team has also called for prosecutors to be forced to disclose the DNA profiles they will use in court.

The defense has also filed a request to postpone the court proceedings to allow time to investigate potential procedural issues with the grand jury, which indicted him in May.

In addition to pushing for his alibi, prosecutors also responded with a request that DNA profiles be kept protected, while also filing motions on issues in the timeline of Kohberger’s upcoming trial.

Prosecutors will put down a slew of evidence about the alleged crimes, including his DNA police say they found on a knife scabbard left at the horrific site.

The other key piece of evidence that prosecutors hope will convince a jury is Kohberger’s white Hyundai Elantra car, which was reportedly seen on CCTV footage in the area.

One of the surviving housemates who was not attacked also said she had seen the killer and that he had “bushy eyebrows” – another characteristic of Kohberger’s appearance.