Bryan Kohberger’s defense team on Thursday suggested there are “alternate perpetrators” and wants to include the theory during the trial.
During Thursday’s pre-trial hearing, Judge Steven Hippler revealed that Kohberger’s defense team made a filing which suggested an alternate suspect. Kohberger is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 13, 2022 deaths of University of Idaho students Xana Kernodle, 20, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
Hippler did not rule on whether he is going to allow Kohberger’s defense team to present the “alternate perpetrators” theory during trial, but he asked for more evidence supporting their claim.
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“Provide me with whatever actual evidence you have that supports those allegations, rather than just allegations. And two, provide for me, how it is you believe that what you were offering is admissible?” Hippler said. “It seemed to me much of what you had put in there was fairly…potentially fairly objectionable in terms of…admissibility. So, I would like to see that.”
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A hearing on the matter is scheduled for June 18. Hippler set a May 23 deadline for Kohberger’s defense team to submit evidence supporting their theory of alternate suspects.
Former homicide detective and Fox News contributor Ted Williams told Fox News Digital that the legal maneuver by Kohberger’s defense team is a “Hail Mary.”
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“This is a last-minute Hail Mary on the part of the defense to point the fingers at another suspect or suspects. They haven’t in open court named that suspect,” Williams said.
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Timeline of Nov. 13, 2022:
- 4 a.m.: Suspect arrives at house
- Between 4 and 4:17: Time of murders
- 4:19: Roommate calls three victims; no one answers
- 4:22 to 4:24: Surviving roommates text each other from inside house
- 4:27: Roommate calls victims again; no one answers
- 4:32: Roommate texts Goncalves ‘Pls answer’
- 10:23: Surviving roommate texts victims; no one answers
- 11:39: Roommate calls her father
- 12 p.m.: 911 call placed from roommate’s phone.
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The former homicide detective said he thinks Kohberger’s defense team is presenting the possibility of another suspect in order to instill reasonable doubt in the eyes of jury members.
“When it gets before the jury, even if they can just get one juror and create reasonable doubt, that one juror could hang this trial and they’re doing all that they could to not have a guilty verdict against Bryan Kohberger,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kohberger’s attorney for comment.
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