A judge on Monday entered not guilty pleas for 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, the man who has been accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death last November.
Last fall, Kohberger was charged with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21. All four girls were University of Idaho students who were found dead inside a home near campus.
The former graduate student from Washington State University was studying criminology at the time of the killings.
When asked for his plea to counts of murder and burglary, Kohberger remained silent. His attorney rose and said, “Your honor, we are standing silent.” The judge in Latah County District Court then entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
The trial, which is set to begin on October 2, is anticipated to run for approximately six weeks. Prosecutors have a deadline of 60 days from Monday to formally declare whether they intend to pursue the death penalty in this particular case.
Kohberger has been in police custody since late December, when he was apprehended at his parents’ residence in Pennsylvania.
Investigators established a connection between Kohberger and the crime scene after DNA found on a tan leather knife sheath and discovered next to one of the victims, matched DNA from trash recovered at Kohberger’s family residence, as stated in the affidavit.
The affidavit mentioned that the roommate of the victims who survived the attack, provided a description of a man similar to Kohberger, including details about his height, weight and distinctive bushy eyebrows. The roommate informed investigators that she had seen a man fitting that description dressed in black on the morning of the assault.
Upon his arrest, Kohberger waived extradition and was transported back to Idaho, where he was booked into Latah County Jail on the charges for which he had been indicted.
Court records indicate that the identities of the witnesses who testified before the grand jury are currently sealed.
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