Prosecutors in Idaho Pursue Death Penalty for Bryan Kohberger, Suspect in Brutal Stabbing of Idaho Student
The defendant accused of killing four University of Idaho students last year, Bryan Kohberger, is expected to face the capital sentence, according to prosecutors.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said in a court filing on Monday that no mitigating factors preclude prosecutors from pursuing all statutory punishments, including the death penalty.Â
The statement said, “Therefore, taking into account all evidence currently known to the State, the State is compelled to file this notice of intent to seek the death penalty.”Brutal Stabbing
In late December, weeks after the stabbing killings of Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, whose corpses were discovered by a housemate on Nov. 13, Kohberger, 28, a former criminology student at the neighboring Washington State University, was detained.Brutal Stabbing
About a month after Kohberger officially filed a not-guilty plea to four charges of first-degree murder and one count of burglary, prosecutors announced their intent. State law normally gives prosecutors 60 days to officially inform a defendant of their intent to seek the death sentence. Brutal Stabbing
Idaho’s death penalty statute was recently changed Bryan Kohberger
In accordance with a statute established earlier this year, if Kohberger is found guilty by a jury and given the death penalty, Idaho state authorities may ask to have him put to death by lethal injection or by firing squad. Because Idaho has been unable to get the medications required to carry out lethal injections, which had been the sole authorized means of capital punishment in Idaho, supporters of the legislation claim that death penalties are ineffective in the state. “Brutal Stabbing”
As of today, Idaho is the sixth state to allow firing squad executions. In 2010, a firing squad execution took place in Utah, the last state to do so.
Kohberger wants to prohibit cameras in courtrooms. Bryan Kohberger, an accused murderer from Idaho, wants to prohibit courtroom cameras due to concerns about “mob justice.”
An expert claims that the ‘brutal message’ sent by firing squad killings is
In March, Richard Dieter, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Centre, told USA TODAY that Idaho’s actions are a step backward and convey a “brutal message.”
Dieter said that the use of a firing squad “reverts to older methods of execution” and is, therefore, a cruel and unusual punishment. He continued by saying that Idaho may encounter several legal obstacles.”Brutal Stabbing”
According to Dieter, 18 executions were carried out in the United States last year, all of which involved lethal injections.”I believe this is an attempt by Idaho to put pressure on drug manufacturers and the medical community to provide the medications and knowledge they need to carry out. executions with lethal injections,” Dieter said.
Up to seven of the 18 executions were botched in some way, including the failure of the execution teams to install IV lines, which caused cancellations or hours-long delays, according to Dieter.
According to earlier court documents, Kohberger’s DNA matches.
The grand jury accused Kohberger last month, and his trial is scheduled to begin on October 2.
According to court records submitted this week, DNA from a sample of Kohberger’s cheek has been linked inextricably to DNA found on a knife sheath connected to the killings. Additionally, investigators claimed that they had connected the DNA from Kohberger’s father, who was discovered in the garbage at the family’s Pennsylvania home, to DNA recovered at the murder site.
Kohberger was scheduled to show up in a courthouse in Idaho late on Tuesday for a hearing when a judge is anticipated to hear arguments in support of a number of motions connected to the case. Kohberger’s defense counsel has requested information from the prosecution on his grand jury indictment as well as more DNA evidence that connects him to the killings.”Brutal Stabbing”.