A judge ruled on Wednesday that the death penalty will remain a possibility for Bryan Kohberger, the man charged with murder in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.
Kohberger, 30, is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. The four were found fatally stabbed in a rental home near the university's campus in Moscow on November 13, 2022.
Kohberger, then a graduate student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania about six weeks after the killings. He stood silent when asked to enter a plea last year, prompting a judge to enter not-guilty pleas on his behalf. Prosecutors announced last year that they intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted in the case.
His defense team have been working to remove it as an option since. In September, they filed 12 motions seeking to remove the death penalty as an option based on different factors, which were argued before Judge Steven Hippler on November 7.
Their arguments included claims that it is cruel to make condemned inmates sit for decades on death row awaiting execution; that Idaho's death penalty laws violates an international treaty prohibiting the torture of prisoners; and that Idaho law does not do a sufficient job of narrowing down who is eligible for the death penalty.
Hippler was not swayed by the arguments, and denied all of the motions in a 55-page ruling dated Tuesday.
"The Court concludes relief in Defendant's favor is not warranted on any of the motions," the judge wrote in the ruling.
Newsweek has contacted Kohberger's attorney and the Latah County Prosecutor's Office for comment via email.
The Goncalves family said they were "overjoyed" by Hippler's decision in a statement that criticized the judge who had been handling the case before it was moved to Ada County in September.
"We finally have a Judge who we believe is prepared, thoughtful and understands the process," the family said. "There is a level of seriousness that has not been present for a long time. So today when we heard of the motions being denied in regards to the Death Penalty we were overjoyed."
The family added: "Justice is moving forward and one day in the not so distant future hopefully it will be served."
The Goncalves family have been contacted for further comment via social media.
Investigators said they linked Kohberger to the crime from DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene, surveillance videos and cellphone data. Kohberger's attorneys have provided details about his alibi in court documents, saying he was out driving alone the night of the killings.
Kohberger's trial is scheduled to begin on August 11, 2025, and is expected to last about three months.
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