Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho student murders, filed a motion to unseal a briefing and hearing on investigative genetic genealogy, which his defense disputes. Judge Steven Hippler denied the motion, citing concerns about exposing the jury pool to potentially inadmissible evidence. The case is highly publicized and was moved from Latah County to Ada County due to concerns about a fair trial in the smaller county.
Judge Steven Hippler denied Bryan Kohberger 's motion to unseal a briefing and hearing on investigative genetic genealogy on Wednesday. The defense disputes the use of this technique in the Idaho student murders case. 'As the State points out, there is no dispute this is a high-profile case, particularly in Idaho,' Judge Hippler wrote in his order. 'It was transferred to Ada County from Latah County on Defendant's motion to change venue.
Defendant argued in that motion that the small size of the jury and the extensive, inflammatory media coverage prevented him from receiving a fair trial in Latah County. While Ada County has a larger jury pool to pull from than Latah County, the State is concerned that the risk of exposing that jury pool to evidence - particularly evidence that may not be deemed admissible at trial – remains significant.'This ruling was one of 12 suppression motions filed by Kohberger's defense scheduled to be heard Thursday. It marks the first time Kohberger has been back in court in over two months. During a previous hearing, his defense team requested sanctions against prosecutors for 'inadequate disclosures' during the discovery process. Kohberger did not appear in person at a closed-door hearing earlier this week. His defense team is seeking to exclude expert witnesses from the case.Kohberger's legal team is challenging the legality of search warrants issued in the case, arguing that probable cause was primarily established through the use of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG). They believe this violates Kohberger's Fourth Amendment rights. IGG allows police to build a suspect's family tree by comparing crime scene DNA to public databases of voluntarily submitted DNA. Kohberger's defense also contends that the search warrants were overly broad, especially during searches of electronic devices like his phone, laptop, and online accounts.The hearing will also address a motion to compel discovery, where Kohberger's defense claims it hasn't received all reports, research, and data that prosecution expert witnesses will rely on during trial. The court has set aside Friday if all motions are not covered by the close of business Thursday. Kohberger faces four charges of first-degree murder and felony burglary for the stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The four students were killed in a home invasion attack on November 13, 2022.Prosecutors allege Kohberger entered the home while some students were asleep and killed them with a large knife. Two housemates survived, one who told police she saw a masked man with 'bushy eyebrows' leave the home after hearing sounds of a struggle. Police found a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen's body containing Kohberger's DNA. Kohberger drove a white Hyundai Elantra, the same make and model investigators identified as the suspect's vehicle, and allegedly turned off his phone before and after the crime scene, according to an affidavit. Police claim he stalked the victims' home a dozen times before the murders and drove by once more hours afterward.At the time of the murders, Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University, about 10 miles across the state line. A judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf at his arraignment in May 2023. Kohberger is being held without bail and could face the death penalty if convicted
Bryan Kohberger Idaho Murders Investigative Genetic Genealogy Search Warrants Fourth Amendment Court Hearing
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