Last November, 4 College of Idaho college students had been discovered stabbed to dying at a rental home in Moscow, mere hours after posting smiling images collectively on Instagram.
The case shocked the small faculty city and drew media consideration from the world over, but for almost seven weeks there seemed to be no suspect within the case.
Then, on 30 December, Bryan Kohberger – a PhD scholar in criminology at Washington State College (WSU) – was out of the blue arrested and charged with their murders.
In Could, a grand jury indicted MrKohberger on 4 counts of first-degree homicide and one housebreaking cost, successfully rerouting the case on to the state’s felony courtroom stage and permitting prosecutors to skip the preliminary listening to course of.
After months of unanswered questions, the grieving kinfolk of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin confronted their youngsters’s accused killer in courtroom, just for Mr Kohberger to refuse to enter a plea on the homicide prices.
Prosecutors have now introduced their intentions to hunt the dying penalty within the case.
On Tuesday, the accused killer is showing again in Latah County Court docket the place Decide John Decide will hear arguments on a number of motions filed by the defence together with asking the courtroom to order prosecutors to show over extra proof in regards to the DNA tying Mr Kohberger to the murders and particulars in regards to the grand jury which returned an indictment in opposition to him.
So how did we get right here?
Right here’s a timeline of the case to date:
Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, took this photograph collectively hours earlier than they died
(Instagram/Kaylee Goncalves)
12 November – ‘One fortunate lady’
At 8.57pm native time on 12 November, Goncalves posted for the final time on Instagram.
It was an image of herself and the three different slain college students standing collectively arm-in-arm on the porch of a home.
The two different roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke who lived on the residence with Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle on King Highway are additionally within the photograph.
“One fortunate lady to be surrounded by these folks on a regular basis,” Goncalve wrote within the caption.
That night time, Chapin and Kernodle went to a celebration collectively on the college campus, whereas Mogen and Goncalves went to a bar on the town.
13 November, 1.41am – Victims final seen alive in footage
Within the early hours of Sunday morning, Mogen and Goncalves had been seen stopping by an area meals truck for a late-night bit to eat.
Twitch footage seen by The Independent captured the 2 finest buddies arriving on the meals truck at round 1.41am.
Officers later mentioned that Mogen and Goncalves “used a non-public social gathering” for a journey residence from the downtown space after visiting the meals truck. The driver dropped them off at their residence at round 1.45am.
In the meantime, Chapin and Kernodle had been seen on the Sigma Chi fraternity home, and in addition returned residence across the identical time.
The two different surviving roommates had additionally been out on Saturday night time and returned to the property at round 1am, police mentioned.
Goncalves’s sister revealed that a number of calls had been created from the telephones of Goncalves and Mogen to the telephone of Goncalves’ former longtime boyfriend between 2.26am and a pair of.52am.
Between the 2 finest buddies, 10 calls had been made, however none had been answered.
13 November, 2.44am – Suspect’s automobile is noticed
Not lengthy after, based on courtroom paperwork launched by Latah County prosecutors, a automobile matching the outline of Bryan Kohberger’s Hyudai sedan was recorded on surveillance cameras at Washington State College, the place the 28-year-old is a crimonology graduate scholar.
Ten minutes later, the automobile was noticed heading in the direction of SR 270, a highway which connects the city of Pullman, Washington, to close by Moscow, Idaho.
At roughly the identical time the sedan was probably heading in the direction of Moscow, Mr Kohberger’s mobile phone pinged off towers close to the his condo in Pullman, and later confirmed on cell towers in Idaho within the hours instantly after murders.
13 November, 3am to 4am – Murders
Officers imagine the scholars had been killed a while between 3am and 4am on Sunday 13 November).
All 4 had been stabbed to dying with an “edged weapon reminiscent of a knife” – although the homicide weapon has not been discovered.
There was no signal of compelled entry, the door seemed to be unlocked and nothing appears to have been taken.
The two different roommates had been residence on the time of the assault however had been unhurt. Police mentioned that they weren’t essentially witnesses to the incident, there was no hostage state of affairs and so they seem to have slept by the murders.
Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt mentioned the victims had been “probably sleeping” once they had been killed, as all 4 had been present in mattress, and had been stabbed a number of occasions.
In response to the Latah County data, the automobile showing to be Mr Kohberger’s car was seen on numerous surveillance cameras close to the scholars’ residence between 3.29 and 4.20am, earlier than showing as soon as once more in Pullman at 5.25 close to the WSU campus.
13 November, midday – Investigation begins
Legislation enforcement officers arrived on the home at 11.58am on Sunday after getting a 911 name from the mobile phone of one of many surviving roommates (although police refused to substantiate who).
Officers mentioned that the roommates awakened on the Sunday and referred to as some unidentified buddies to the house as a result of they believed that one of many victims on the second flooring “had handed out and was not waking up”.
The 4 victims had been found stabbed to dying of their beds on the second and third flooring of the home.
16 November – Post-mortem findings launched
Post-mortem findings for the victims had been launched on Thursday, formally ruling their deaths homicides by stabbing.
Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt confirmed that every sufferer was stabbed a number of occasions with a “massive knife”, describing their wounds as “fairly intensive” and revealing that they bled out inside their scholar residence.
She mentioned the autopsies confirmed that the victims had been killed “early within the morning, someday after 2am, however nonetheless through the night time” however that it was not been attainable to find out from the accidents the order during which the victims had been attacked.
DNA samples and nail clippings had been additionally taken from the crime scene with the coroner saying that it’s “attainable” that the exams may flip up DNA from folks in addition to the victims.
An area prosecutor revealed that investigators had been exploring the chance that a couple of killer is answerable for the killings, whereas officers had been reportedly looking for a military-style Ka-Bar knife believed to be the homicide weapon.
7 December – Police search a white automobile
An preliminary breakthrough appeared to return when police introduced that they had been searching for the proprietor and occupants of a white Hyundai Elantra that was noticed close to the crime scene “within the early morning hours” on the day of the murders.
Detectives didn’t reveal whether or not the proprietor of the white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra is believed to be a suspect however mentioned that “the occupant(s) of [the] car might have crucial info to share relating to this case.” The licence plate is unknown.
The automobile was “within the fast space” of the rental residence on King Highway within the early hours of 13 November. The murders are thought to have taken place between 3am and 4am.
The improvement was shortly linked in on-line sleuth communities to body-camera footage from a separate incident on the night time of the killings, which police mentioned stemmed from an alcohol offence simply earlier than 3am.
Officers would later shut down hypothesis across the video, telling The Independent on 8 December that the incident on the body-camera footage was under no circumstances linked to the murders and the white automobile within the background was not the identical one they had been looking for details about.
15 December – Two key visitors stops
As police closed in Bryan Kohberger, the graduate scholar made his means throughout the nation along with his father, driving from Washington to spend the vacations with household in Pennsylvania.
By then, officers later revealed, police had been on to the 28-year-old, and Indiana police pulled the pair over twice throughout their journey.
The stops got here on the request of the FBI who had been looking for pictures of the suspect’s fingers as a part of the investigation into the quadruple murder of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin again in Moscow, Idaho.
It’s not clear why pictures of Mr Kohberger’s fingers had been necessary to the investigation or if the officers managed to acquire something of curiosity by finishing up the stops on 15 December.
30 December, early morning – Mountain raid
Lastly, at round 1.30am native time on 30 December, native police and FBI swooped on a house in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, close to ski resorts within the Pocono Mountains and arrested a 28-year-old criminology graduate scholar named Bryan Christopher Kohberger.
In response to experiences, the property seemed to be Mr Kohberger’s mother and father’ home in a gated group. A white Hyundai Elantra was additionally seized.
NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin mentioned that the suspect “requested if anybody else was arrested” and had a “quiet, clean stare”, citing inside sources.
30 December, 8am – Information breaks
Later that day the Moscow Police Division and prosecutors held their first press convention since 23 November, revealing that Mr Kohberger had been charged with 4 counts of first diploma homicide.
They declined to provide particulars on how he had come to be arrested and charged however mentioned they nonetheless needed to listen to from members of the general public who might have details about what occurred.
In the meantime, a number of insiders have offered essential particulars to the media. One legislation enforcement official advised CNN that Mr Kohberger was recognized by genetic testing that linked DNA on the crime scene to his kinfolk.
Sources say authorities then confirmed that Mr Kohberger owned a white Hyundai Elantra just like the one noticed close to the crime scene on the night time of the murders.
Investigators reportedly tracked Mr Kohberger as he drove extra han 2,000 miles from Washington state to Pennsylvania, the place he was surveilled for days earlier than being taken into custody.
31 December – Fees filed
Shorly after his arrest, Mr Kohberger was charged with 4 counts of first-degree homicide, in addition to felony housebreaking. However the authorized course of didn’t finish there.
4 January – The suspect returns to Idaho
The 28-year-old arrived in Moscow within the late night, the place a bunch of officers walked the suspect right into a ready truck.
Mr Kohberger seemed to be carrying physique armour as police led him into custody. On 4 Decide, the choose additionally issued a gag order, banning investigators, legislation enforcement personnel, attorneys, and members of each the prosecution and the defence from sharing any new details about the investigation or the suspect earlier than a verdict is reached at trial.
Consequently Moscow Police Division, which had been sharing updates on the investigation, mentioned in a press release that it’s going to now not be speaking with the general public or the media relating to the case.
5 January – Kohberger seems in courtroom
After weeks of investigations, police and group members alike lastly received what they needed: a suspect, in Idaho courtroom, going through prices for the 4 College of Idaho murders.
Mr Kohberger appeared in a Latah County courtroom for the primary time, the place he heard the costs in opposition to him, had his bail rights revoked, and confronted down crying relations of his alleged slain victims.
12 January – Kohberger waives preliminary listening to
Mr Kohberger appeared in Latah County Courthouse with cuts on his face as he waived his proper to a speedy trial on prices of murdering the 4 Idaho college students.
Mr Kohberger’s public defender Anne Taylor then requested that his subsequent courtroom date be pushed again till June.
The prosecution agreed to the request and the choose scheduled the preliminary listening to for the week starting 26 June.
19 January – Idaho police unseal search warrants
Police investigating the homicide of 4 Idaho college students seized a string of things from suspect Mr Kohberger’s condo, together with attainable hair strands, a disposable glove, objects with pink and brown stains and a pc, based on a newly unsealed search warrant.
Police mentioned that one of many objects discovered on the suspect’s condo at close by Washington State College was a “attainable animal hair strand.” Within the paperwork, investigators mentioned one merchandise had a “assortment of darkish pink” recognizing, and {that a} pillow had a “reddish/brown stain” on it.
The software additionally said that the homicide scene close to the College of Idaho campus the place the victims had been found had a considerable amount of the victims’ blood “together with spatter and castoff” blood.
28 February – Search warrant reveals objects seized in Pennsylvania
The search warrant software was filed in Pennsylvania’s Monroe County courtroom on 29 December, the day earlier than Mr Kohberger’s arrest. It accepted a search of the household residence, the adjoining storage and the suspect’s automobile.
It allowed investigators to gather “blood, or different bodily fluid or supplies and objects with blood” – however the record of seizures doesn’t point out any such objects.
Investigators seized 9 objects: one Defiant-brand silver flashlight, 4 medical-style gloves, a big white t-shirt, a pair of black and white measurement 13 Nike footwear and a pair of black Beneath Armor shorts. Additionally they took a buccal swab, probably from Mr Kohberger.
27 March – Prosecutors reveal officer is beneath ‘inner affairs investigation’
In a submitting, authorities disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady record that might doubtlessly have an effect on the continued legal proceedings in opposition to Mr Kohberger, the one suspect within the case.
“ …the State has turn into conscious of potential Brady/Giglio materials associated to one of many officers concerned within the above-referenced case,” the submitting said.
Beneath Brady legislation, investigators are answerable for disclosing exculpatory info to defence counsel. In the meantime, Giglio materials conveys info that might doubtlessly point out {that a} witness isn’t credible, based on the Nationwide Affiliation for Civilian Oversight of Legislation Enforcement.
The scope of the record and the position of the officer within the homicide investigation weren’t instantly clear. The proof talked about within the current submitting was submitted in digicam to the courtroom on 24 March, however its content material stays sealed on the request of prosecutors.
5 Could – Kohberger’s belongings take a look at constructive for blood
Court docket paperwork, launched by Washington authorities confirmed that a number of objects taken from the 28-year-old Washington State College criminology PhD scholar’s condo in Pullman had been examined for the presence of blood.
Whereas most objects got here again damaging, two objects had been constructive.
These objects had been a mattress cowl on the mattress and an uncased pillow, each of which had been described as having seen “reddish brown stains”. The paperwork didn’t reveal who the blood belongs to.
13 Could – Victims’ households settle for posthumous levels
Six months after the victims had been killed of their sleep at their off-campus residence in Moscow, their family members acquired the awards throughout two separate ceremonies.
Goncalves’ 4 siblings acquired their sister’s normal research diploma whereas Mogen’s mother and father got her advertising diploma. Kernodle’s household accepted her certificates in advertising at a earlier personal ceremony whereas Chapin’s award in sports activities, recreation and administration was mailed to his mother and father.
16 Could – Kohberger indicted by grand jury over Idaho murders
A grand jury indicted MrKohberger on prices of housebreaking and 4 counts of homicide, permitting the events to skip the beforehand deliberate 26 June preliminary listening to.
Every homicide rely states that he “did wilfully, unlawfully, intentionally, with premeditation and with malice aforethought, kill and homicide” every of the victims by stabbing.
The record of witnesses who testified earlier than the grand jury is sealed. Mr Kohberger’s indictment signifies that the jurors empanelled on the grand jury believed there was sufficient proof in opposition to him for the case to proceed to trial.
22 Could – Kohberger refuses to enter plea
Mr Kohberger refused to enter a plea in Latah County District Court docket, prompting the choose to make one on his behalf.
His lawyer mentioned that he was “standing silent” on the costs.
A number of members of Kaylee Goncalves’ household had been current within the courtroom, going through the person accused of killing their 21-year-old daughter as he declined to enter a plea.
The choose set Mr Kohberger’s trial date for two October 2023 following requests by Kohberger’s lawyer and the state. The trial is predicted to take round six weeks.
26 June – Prosecutors search dying penalty
Latah County Prosecutor Invoice Thompson filed a discover of his intent to hunt the dying penalty in courtroom in Moscow, Idaho, citing 5 “aggravating circumstances” that might warrant the utmost sentence of capital punishment being sought.
These circumstances embrace that the homicide was “particularly heinous, atrocious or merciless, manifesting distinctive depravity” and that the defendant confirmed “utter disregard for human life”.
“The State provides this discover primarily based on the truth that it has not recognized or been supplied with any mitigating circumstances enough to ban the triers of reality from contemplating all penalties approved by the Idaho legislature together with the opportunity of a capital sentence,” prosecutors wrote within the submitting.
“Consequently, contemplating all proof at present identified to the State, the State is compelled to file this discover of intent to hunt the dying penalty.”
