Brian Kohbarger, the man accused Four University of Idaho students murdered in 2022He could face the death penalty, a judge has ruled.
Kohbarger's defense team had sought to remove the death penalty because of the potential punishment he could face if convicted, but Ada County Judge Steven Hippler rejected His proposals in his decision Tuesday. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty if Kohbarger is convicted.
Kohbarger's attorneys' arguments included claims that forcing inmates to wait years on death row and the methods available to execute inmates in Idaho are both cruel and unusual punishment. He also argued that Idaho's death penalty laws violate an international treaty banning the torture of prisoners.
Kohlburger Ethan Chapin, Zanna Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves are accused of murder in the stabbing deaths on November 13, 2022. All four were students at the University of Idaho and were killed in a home off campus. kohburger was Arrested in Pennsylvania on December 30, 2022 And he was extradited back to Idaho in January 2023. He has been charged with four counts of first degree murder.
When Kohbarger was asked to enter a plea in court last year, he did not respond, so the judge entered a not guilty plea for him. In September, Kohbarger was booked into a jail in Boise, where he case transferred At the request of the defense.
His trial is scheduled to begin in August 2025.
Goncalves' family said in a statement that they were “very pleased” with the verdict and criticized the judge who was handling the case before the transfer to Boice for “failing to pronounce the names of the victims correctly,” the court said. To fail to make everyone laugh or be entertained by everything in the room. “An absurd proposition or argument that could be raised by the defense.”
“We finally have a judge who is prepared, thoughtful and well-versed in the legal process,” he said. “There is a new level of seriousness that has been absent for too long…Justice is moving forward, and we pray that one day, in the near future, it will be served.”