Moscow, Idaho – The graduate student accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, Bryan Kohberger, is planning to provide witness testimony suggesting that his cellphone data does not place him at the scene of the murders. In a recent court filing by his attorney, Anne Taylor, Kohberger plans to assert his alibi that he was out driving at the time of the killings to support his innocence.
According to court documents, Kohberger’s cellphone was allegedly tracked on a highway away from the town where the murders took place that night. However, the defense aims to counter this claim with testimony from a cell-tower expert who will argue that Kohberger’s phone was situated in a different location, potentially refuting the prosecution’s narrative.
The tragedy unfolded early in the morning of November 13, 2022, when Kohberger, 29, allegedly stabbed 20-year-olds Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, as well as 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves in their off-campus residence. The search for the culprit spanned nearly seven weeks, causing widespread concern in the neighboring college towns of Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Washington.
Authorities eventually arrested Kohberger, a criminal justice student at Washington State University in Pullman, at his family’s home in Pennsylvania at the end of December. Subsequently, he was indicted by a grand jury and has maintained his innocence since then, pleading not guilty to four counts of murder and one count of burglary in May.
The charges against Kohberger were based on DNA evidence linking him to a button snap on a knife sheath found at the crime scene. Prosecutors also seized items from his home and car, alleging that his physical appearance matched a description provided by a surviving roommate of the intruder.
Furthermore, authorities claimed that Kohberger’s cellphone records showed his proximity to the victims’ house on several occasions before the incident. Surveillance footage also captured a car resembling Kohberger’s passing the victims’ residence multiple times, with his phone later signaling his presence on a highway heading back towards Pullman.
Despite these incriminating findings, Kohberger’s defense team plans to introduce evidence showing that his mobile device was not on the highway where the prosecution alleges he was located. His attorney, Anne Taylor, stated in the filing that Kohberger frequently went for nighttime drives to engage in activities like hiking or stargazing, presenting an alternative explanation for his whereabouts on the night of the murders.
As the case continues to unfold, the next hearing is scheduled for May 14, with a trial date yet to be determined. The conflicting accounts and evidence surrounding the investigation highlight the complexity of the legal proceedings and the challenge of determining the truth in a devastating crime that has shaken the community.