Prosecutors in Idaho have submitted disputed DNA evidence to the court in the case against murder suspect Bryan Kohberger, who is facing four first-degree murder charges and a burglary count in the November 2022 massacre of four university students. Kohberger is seeking the evidence in hopes of challenging the charges. The DNA evidence in question was obtained through investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) and allegedly confirms a match between a DNA sample found on a knife sheath at the crime scene and Kohberger’s cheek swab.
The victims, identified as Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were all undergraduate students at the University of Idaho. Two other housemates survived the attack. According to court documents, one of the survivors reported seeing a masked man matching Kohberger’s description leaving the scene.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson stated in a filing that his office had submitted the IGG information to the court. The defense has been requesting access to this evidence during the discovery process. In October, Judge John Judge ordered the prosecution to share the evidence with the defense for an in-camera review, where the judge will privately inspect the evidence and determine what, if any, should be disclosed to the defense.
Kohberger, who attended Washington State University, allegedly drove a white Hyundai Elantra, the same type of car identified as the suspect vehicle. Phone records suggest he stalked the victims’ home multiple times before the murders and drove by again hours after. Kohberger is currently held without bail and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
