Prosecutors Challenge Bryan Kohberger’s Alibi in Idaho Student Murders Case

Prosecutors in Idaho are pushing back against the alibi presented by attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, arguing that the defense has failed to provide enough detail required under state law in the high-profile University of Idaho murders case.

Kohberger, 29, is accused of killing four University of Idaho students — Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, during the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

At the time, Kohberger was a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University and lived in Pullman, Washington, just a short drive from the crime scene. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

According to a recent court filing, defense attorney Anne C. Taylor claimed Kohberger was driving alone during the timeframe of the killings and was nowhere near the residence where the four students were found dead.

The filing stated that Kohberger often drove late at night to hike, run, or look at the moon and stars. His attorneys said he traveled through areas south of Pullman and west of Moscow, including Wawawai Park, during the early morning hours in question.

However, prosecutors argued that the alibi lacks the “specificity required” under Idaho law, which requires defendants to identify the exact locations where they claim to have been, along with witnesses who can support those claims.

In their response, prosecutors said the defense had not presented any meaningful new information beyond mentioning Wawawai Park.

“The defendant is offering nothing new to his initial alibi that he was simply driving around during the morning hours,” prosecutors stated in the filing.

The prosecution also challenged the defense’s reliance on cellphone data. While Kohberger’s attorneys suggested phone records could support his claim that he was not near the victims’ home at the time of the killings, prosecutors said the phone stopped reporting to the cellular network before the murders occurred and did not reconnect until afterward.

Investigators previously stated that DNA evidence recovered from a knife sheath found at the scene played a major role in linking Kohberger to the case. Authorities have also alleged that his cellphone pinged near the victims’ residence multiple times in the months leading up to the killings.

According to investigators, many of those cellphone connections occurred late at night or during the early morning hours.

Prosecutors emphasized that the defense has already had extensive time to provide a detailed alibi and requested that the court prevent any additional attempts to revise or expand the claim moving forward.

If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty.