Prosecutors disclosed in recent court filings that a selfie of Bryan Kohberger smiling and making a thumbs-up gesture may be presented as evidence at his murder trial. The selfie, taken at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, allegedly shows Kohberger shortly after the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho students. The photo, time-stamped at 10:31 a.m., could help the jury confirm whether Kohberger matches the description provided by a surviving roommate, who mentioned “bushy eyebrows” as a distinctive feature of the suspect.
The roommate, Dylan Mortensen, recalled seeing a figure in black clothing and a ski mask outside her door in the early hours of Nov. 13. She noted the person’s bushy eyebrows and later cooperated with investigators. Despite some inconsistencies in her statements, prosecutors deem Mortensen a credible witness and argue that photos of Kohberger are relevant to the case.
Kohberger’s defense team is aiming to exclude any references to “bushy eyebrows,” claiming it could prejudice the jury against their client. They also question Mortensen’s recollection, pointing out her possible impairment due to alcohol and fatigue at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, the victim’s families expressed their disgust over the selfie but hope for truth to prevail through the legal process. Kohberger, a former criminal justice doctoral student at Washington State University, maintains his innocence. Prosecutors plan to introduce additional evidence, including Kohberger’s purchase of a knife months before the murders, at the upcoming trial scheduled for August in Boise.
A tan leather knife sheath was found on the bed next to Mogen’s body. According to a report by a Moscow police officer, the sheath was later processed and found to have ‘Ka-Bar’ ‘USMC’ and the United States Marine Corps eagle globe and anchor insignia stamped on the outside. The Idaho state lab discovered a single source of male DNA on the button snap of the knife sheath, which matched the suspect profile of Kohberger, as per investigators. The murder weapon, believed to be a large fixed-blade knife, has not been recovered, as stated by Moscow police.
In a recent court filing, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson mentioned that the defense expert disclosed that Kohberger’s lawyers do not plan to challenge the DNA evidence found on the sheath. The defense intends to argue that the presence of DNA on the sheath does not definitively prove that the Defendant was at the crime scene and suggests that the sheath could have been planted by the real perpetrator, as outlined by Thompson.
Kohberger may face the death penalty if found guilty, but his lawyers are aiming to argue against it, citing his placement on the autism spectrum. They claim that his condition, along with obsessive-compulsive disorder, could lead to misinterpretation of his reactions during the trial. However, prosecutors counter that his autism diagnosis is the mildest form and does not diminish his culpability for the crime.
The defense also responded to prosecutors’ motion seeking to include text messages between surviving roommates Mortensen and Funke as trial evidence. Kohberger’s lawyers contend that the presented texts were selective and provided additional evidence showing the roommates were active on social media and using their phones around the time of the incident. They are requesting the judge to consider the full context of the roommates’ conversations before deciding on the admissibility of the texts at trial.
According to the defense’s filing, the messages exchanged between the surviving roommates should be considered hearsay. The filing states that the roommates texted each other a few times before being in the same bedroom where they were able to communicate verbally and were not asleep for 8 hours.
Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, expressed to NBC News that although initially surprised that 911 wasn’t called sooner, he doesn’t hold the surviving roommates responsible for their actions. He mentioned that upon reviewing all the details, it became clear that the girls went to bed that night sensing something was off but were unaware of the full extent of the situation. Goncalves added that it’s challenging to find positives in the tragic event that led to the death of four people, but acknowledged that the outcome could have been even more devastating.
