A judge in Pennsylvania is currently deciding whether several potential witnesses can be legally compelled to testify in the upcoming trial concerning the brutal stabbings of four University of Idaho students. The decision could play a crucial role in how the case against the accused suspect unfolds in court.
These witnesses, who are located in Pennsylvania, may hold critical information relevant to the case. However, the court must determine if they are legally obligated to travel and testify in Idaho, where the murders occurred in November 2022. The legal proceedings aim to address whether the prosecution can enforce out-of-state subpoenas to ensure their appearance during trial.
The outcome of this judicial review will likely influence the scope of evidence presented and the strength of the prosecution’s case.
Hearing Set in Pennsylvania to Determine if Defense Witnesses Must Testify in Bryan Kohberger’s Idaho Murder Trial
Several potential defense witnesses from Bryan Kohberger’s home state of Pennsylvania are expected in court Monday for a key hearing to determine whether they must testify at his upcoming trial.
Kohberger, a former criminal justice graduate student, is scheduled to stand trial starting August 11 in Boise, Idaho. He faces four counts of murder and one count of burglary in connection with the November 2022 stabbings that shocked the small college town of Moscow, Idaho. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Monday’s proceeding is taking place in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and focuses on whether a Monroe County judge will grant a request from Kohberger’s defense team to compel seven individuals to testify at the trial. Although the specific relevance of these witnesses to the case hasn’t been publicly detailed, reports indicate the group includes a jail guard, school employees, a boxing gym owner, and an auto shop worker.
Another potential witness, who informed attorneys she would be traveling, had her hearing postponed to July 7.
Kohberger, 30, was arrested at his parents’ home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, several weeks after the four University of Idaho students—Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves—were found stabbed to death in an off-campus rental house near the university.
In court documents, Kohberger’s defense attorneys have said he was on a solo road trip during the time of the murders, an alibi they may attempt to support using testimony from Pennsylvania-based witnesses.
Kohberger remained silent during his arraignment, leading the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Due to a strict gag order issued in the case, attorneys, investigators, and court officials have been largely prohibited from making public statements about the investigation or trial. When contacted last week, Kohberger’s lead attorney, Anne Taylor, declined to comment on the upcoming hearing or the case overall.
As of now, it remains unclear what role these Pennsylvania witnesses may play in Kohberger’s defense strategy, but Monday’s hearing could be pivotal in shaping the evidence and testimony allowed in the high-profile trial.