Idaho College Murders: Bryan Kohberger's Defense Team to Reveal Potential Alibi

Court documents filed on behalf of Bryan Kohberger—who has been accused of killing four University of Idaho students—said evidence showing he had a possible alibi will soon be introduced.

By Gabrielle Chung Jul 26, 2023 8:16 PMTags
Watch: Idaho Murders: Judge Enters Plea for Bryan Kohberger

Bryan Kohberger may have a possible alibi for the night four University of Idaho students were murdered, according to his defense team.

The 28-year-old has been accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours of Nov. 13.

But in court documents filed on July 24 and obtained by E! News, his counsel said they plan on disclosing evidence "corroborating Mr. Kohberger being at a location other than the King Road address" as they continue to investigate and prepare for his case.

"A defendant's denial of the charges against him does not constitute an alibi, but as soon as he offers evidence that he was at some place other than where the crime of which he is charged was committed, he is raising the alibi defense," public defender Anne Taylor wrote in the docs. "It is anticipated this evidence may be offered by way of cross-examination of witnesses produced by the State as well as calling expert witnesses."

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The filing comes three months after a criminal investigator working for Kohberger's legal team claimed in separate court documents that a roommate of Goncalves, Mogen and Kernodle who was asleep during the killings had "information material to the charges against Mr. Kohberger."

In the April filing, obtained by E! News, the investigator alleged the information the roommate has is "exculpatory" to Kohberger—meaning it could help his defense—and that "it is necessary to subpoena this witness because the witness' testimony is material and necessary to this case."

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However, an attorney for the roommate argued in another filing that the investigator's claims are "conclusory" and have no merit.

Kohberger was arrested in December and charged with four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary. Authorities took him into custody after DNA found on the button snap of a knife sheath near Goncalves and Mogen's bodies allegedly matched with DNA sample taken from the trash at the Pennsylvania home of Kohberger's parents, according to an affidavit obtained by E! News in January.

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A judge entered not guilty pleas on all charges on Kohberger's behalf when the Washington State University criminology student stood silent during an arraignment on May 22.

Previously, a public defender representing Kohberger in Pennsylvania—where he was arrested before being extradited to Idaho—said his client believes he'll be exonerated.

"He said this is not him," Jason LaBar told Today on Jan. 3. "He believes he's going to be exonerated. That's what he believes, those were his words."

(E! and Today are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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