Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger smiled during a brief court appearance today, that came as police and prosecutors revealed their bombshell case against him, including how his DNA was found on a knife sheath at the scene.
Kohberger, 28, was denied bail today (January 5, 2023) during a brief court appearance in Moscow shortly after an affidavit detailing prosecutors’ case against him was shared online.
Kohberger spent most of the 10-minute hearing looking directly at Judge Megan Marshall as she read him his rights and the five counts and answered ‘yes’ when asked if he understood each count.
At one point, Kohberger was pictured smiling at his lawyer Anne Taylor.
It is unclear what prompted the grin, which comes six days after he shot to notoriety as America’s most infamous alleged mass-murderer.
Kohberger remained impassive throughout but briefly began rocking back and forth as the judge told him he was facing the death penalty. He will return to court on January 12 for a status hearing.
Friday’s papers included details on how Kohberger’s DNA was found on a knife sheath close to the bodies of Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.
The documents also detailed how a surviving roommate, Dylan Mortensen, came face-to-face with a masked man believed to be Kohbegrer in the hallway of their shared home around the time of the killings, shortly after 4am on November 13.
Mortensen heard what she believed to be her roommates cries, left her room and saw a man in a black mask with bushy eyebrows. She froze with fear, and watched as he walked past, then waited six hours before calling cops.
Further details on Kohberger’s alleged stalking of his victims was shared.
His phone was found to have been in the vicinity of their Moscow home 12 times before the November murders, starting in mid-August.
The family of Kaylee Goncalves were also in court, with her mother shaking her head and sobbing as the homicide charge related to her daughter was read out.
Kohberger has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of burglary for the November 13 massacre.
If convicted, he is facing the death penalty for the murders of Idaho students Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
