ADA COUNTY, Idaho — A judge has denied multiple motions by Bryan Kohberger’s defense team to toss out key evidence for his trial – including DNA evidence and digital records.
Kohberger is charged in the murders of Mount Vernon native Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, who were stabbed to death in the early morning of Nov. 13, 2022, at a rental home near the University of Idaho.
According to court documents, Kohberger’s defense argued that his rights were violated when DNA was taken from the crime scene and then analyzed using investigative genetic genealogy (IGG).
On Wednesday, an Ada County judge ruled that wasn’t the case.
The documents state that there is “no reasonable expectation of privacy in identity” and his team “did not prove that his DNA was tested for anything other than identifying purposes”, and “even if the DNA analysis revealed sensitive personal details, there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in crime scene DNA.”
The court also denied motions to suppress digital evidence gathered from Kohberger’s accounts with Google, Apple, Amazon, and his cellphone data, stating the search warrants to obtain the information.
Police also say that Kohberger’s phone pinged near the victims’ home over a dozen times before the murders.
Kohberger has not entered a plea, and his trial is expected for June, though it has been pushed back several times over the years.
The death penalty could be on the table for him if he is found guilty.
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