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Idaho murders: Bryan Kohberger initially agreed to speak to law enforcement before invoking Right to Counsel

Bryan Kohberger is in custody at the Monroe County Correctional Facility until the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 3

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MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA: Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho murders has initially decided to waive his Miranda right and agreed to speak with law enforcement after his arrest. Jason LaBar, chief public defender for Monroe County, representing the man charged with quadruple murder revealed that he then chose against it and invoked his right to counsel and went ahead with counsel.

The attorney who is foreseeing his extradition hearing in Pennsylvania added, “He’s calm. He’s fully aware. It’s obvious he’s very intelligent… He already has a Master’s. It shouldn’t shock anyone that he’s intelligent.” The 28-year-old faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in the killings of Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin at a home close to campus in November, last year. The accused is in custody at the Monroe County Correctional Facility, until the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, January 3. Kohberger is a student at Washington State University, in Pullman, and is pursuing his PhD in criminal justice and criminology.

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LaBar told Law&Crime that the suspect talked with police personnel for about 15 minutes at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks after his arrest on last Friday morning. When Bryan Kohberger was asked whether he understands what was going on or not, he responded by saying, “yes, certainly I’m aware of what’s going on. I’m 10 miles away from this.” During this conversation, he asked for an attorney. Earlier, Kohberger’s family released a statement through LaBar, which read, “First and foremost we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them.”

It further said, “We will continue to let the legal process unfold, and as a family, we will love and support our son and brother. We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions.” Kohberger had arrived in Pennsylvania in mid-December. LaBar said that Kohberger's father flew to Washington to make the drive back with his son, which was a planned trip, way before the start of the school year. The attorney shared that the duo left Pullman sometime between December 13 and December 16, according to Law&Crime.

This was decided to avoid incoming snowstorms. “Bryan isn’t denying he was in Pullman through mid-December,” said LaBar. According to him, Kohberger said that he assumes law enforcement has access to his GPS data via his mobile phone. The attorney told that Kohberger will likely be represented by a public defender in Idaho since his parents cannot afford a lawyer.