Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger’s alibi that he was driving around looking at the moon and stars has been deemed too vague by prosecutors. They are now requesting that the judge deny any further requests from his defense to call witnesses other than the defendant himself to prove he wasn’t at the King Road home at the time of the stabbings that killed University of Idaho students Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, their housemate Xana Kernodle, and her visiting boyfriend Ethan Chapin. The prosecution argues that the defendant’s alibi offers nothing new beyond driving around rural areas during the early morning hours of November 13, 2022.
Despite the prosecution’s concerns, defense attorney Edwina Elcox believes that it is up to the defense to determine what is relevant to the case and that Kohberger has a constitutional right to mount a defense. She characterizes the prosecution’s filing as a temper tantrum and notes that the defendant has already been given more time than legally entitled to provide his alibi. Kohberger’s lawyers had previously filed an alibi claiming he was simply driving around in the early morning hours of the day of the murders, but prosecutors argue that this alibi lacks specificity.
More than a year after the murders, Kohberger’s lawyers filed an alibi with the court claiming he was simply driving around, which experts agree is lacking in specificity. Former prosecutor turned defense attorney David Gelman argues that the defendant has provided no specifics about his location at the time of the murders, nor has he named witnesses to support his alibi claim. Prosecutors are pushing back against the defense’s plan to call an expert on cellphone data to support their alibi claim, as they argue that the vague alibi should not be allowed. This sets the stage for a legal battle between prosecutors and Kohberger’s defense team.
Last month, a judge allowed the defense to resume its survey of potential jurors as part of Kohberger’s attempt to prove jury bias and argue for a change of venue. The survey had been temporarily halted after alarmed county residents called police due to concerns about the survey. The prosecutors allege that Kohberger is the masked man who entered a house near the University of Idaho campus and killed four undergraduate students. Kohberger, a Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University, faces four charges of first-degree murder and a felony burglary count. A probable cause affidavit connected to his arrest warrant alleges that his DNA was found on a knife sheath under Mogen’s body.
If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty. Prosecutors are working to establish that he was present at the crime scene and are pushing back against the defense’s attempts to present a vague alibi without specific details or witnesses. The legal battle between prosecutors and the defense team continues as Kohberger maintains his innocence in the murders of the University of Idaho students.
