Current:Home > FinanceIdaho stabbing suspect says he was out driving alone the night of students' killings-InfoLens
Idaho stabbing suspect says he was out driving alone the night of students' killings
View Date:2024-12-23 14:15:08
The man accused of killing four Idaho college students last year has denied he was present at the house where they were killed.
In new court filings, Bryan Kohberger's attorneys said he was out driving alone that night, and not at the off-campus rental home where Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20, were found fatally stabbed last November. It's the first time Kohberger or his defense team have said anything about his whereabouts.
Kohberger was arrested and charged in the murders of all four after investigators said DNA evidence, cell phone data and surveillance footage linked him to the crimes. In June, court filings revealed the 28-year-old former criminology student was a "statistical match" to DNA pulled off a knife sheath left near one of the victims' bodies.
A police search warrant previously revealed Kohberger's phone was tracked near the students' house at least 12 times in the six months before the attack. Neighborhood security camera videos also helped police identify a car they said was owned by Kohberger. The car was seen on video at least four times in the early morning hours the day of the killings before speeding off, earlier court filings said.
Suspect claims he was driving the night of the killings
In court filings this week, Kohberger's defense attorney claimed he was out driving the night of Nov. 12 and into the morning of Nov. 13.
"Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone. Often he would go for drives at night," the court filing says.
The filing said Kohberger doesn't have a specific witness to corroborate that he was out driving and not at the house, and is not claiming to be at any specific place at a certain time. However, the filing says he "has indicated he anticipates corroborating witnesses."
His defense team said in the filing it is still going over all the evidence and it's too soon to reveal more information about what Kohberger did and where he was that night. The filing was a response to prosecutors pushing in court motions for Kohberger to provide an alibi.
State law says defendants have to notify the court and prosecutors if they plan to present an alibi as part of their defense, including a specific place where they were at the time of the crime and information about corroborating witnesses. "Mr. Kohberger has complied to the extent possible at this time," the court filing says.
DNA PROFILING:How did investigators identify the suspect in the Idaho student killings?
Kohberger could face the death penalty
The students' bodies were found by one of their roommates the on Nov. 13. The killings rocked the community of Moscow, Idaho, near the University of Idaho, and subsequent weeks without any leads on a suspect had people on edge.
Investigators say Kohberger was a Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University across the nearby state line from the University of Idaho.
A judge entered a not guilty plea for Kohberger, and he's expected to go to trial later this fall, though it could be postponed. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Kohberger if he is convicted of the murders.
Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY
veryGood! (471)
Related
- Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal
- Big Brother's Christie Murphy Gives Birth, Welcomes Twins With Wife Jamie Martin
- 9 hospitalized after 200 prisoners rush corrections officers in riot at Southern California prison
- Go Inside Botched Star Dr. Paul Nassif's Jaw-Dropping Bel-Air Mansion
- School workers accused of giving special needs student with digestive issue hot Takis, other abuse
- Florida House votes to loosen child labor laws a year after tougher immigrant employment law enacted
- Yellowstone’s Kevin Costner Introduces Adorable New Family Member
- Score a $598 Tory Burch Dress for $60, a $248 Top for $25, and More Can't-Miss Deals
- American arrested in death of another American at luxury hotel in Ireland
- Maine man who fled to Mexico after hit-and-run killing sentenced to 48 years
Ranking
- The USDA is testing raw milk for the avian flu. Is raw milk safe?
- 'Inflection point': Gov. Ron DeSantis sends Florida National, State Guard to Texas
- Who could replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes? 5 potential candidates for 2025
- Here's why conspiracy theories about Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl are spreading
- NFL coaches diversity report 2024: Gains at head coach, setbacks at offensive coordinator
- NAACP seeks federal probe of Florida county’s jail system following deaths
- Why the FTC is cracking down on location data brokers
- The Best Red Outfits for February’s Big Football Game
Recommendation
-
A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
-
People on parole in Pennsylvania can continue medication for opioid withdrawal under settlement
-
Fun. Friendship. International closeness. NFL's flag football championships come to USA.
-
Georgia Senate passes sports betting bill, but odds dim with as constitutional amendment required
-
Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue and Billy Porter to perform at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
-
Woman receives $135 compensation after UPS package containing son's remains goes missing
-
Go Inside Botched Star Dr. Paul Nassif's Jaw-Dropping Bel-Air Mansion
-
'He died of a broken heart': Married nearly 59 years, he died within hours of his wife