Bryan Kohberger: Idaho suspect became agitated and SMILED after judge told him he faced death penalty
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MOSCOW, IDAHO: America's most infamous alleged mass murderer Bryan Kohberger smiles during a court appearance as prosecutors revealed their bombshell quadruple Idaho students murder case against him. Kohberger, 28, has been accused of fatally stabbing University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in their off-campus three-story rented home on November 13, 2022. Kohberger was arrested in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, on Friday, December 30.
However, at one point during his court appearance in Moscow, on Thursday, January 5, Kohberger was pictured smiling at his lawyer Anne Taylor. The 28-year-old remained impassive but briefly became agitated when the final count was read. Judge Megan Marshall denied him bail and told him he was facing the death penalty as Kohberger smiled at his defense attorney. Prosecutors added how Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath at the scene and how his white Hyundai Elantra helped connect the dots. It is believed the weapon used to stab the students to death was a fixed-blade Ka-Bar-style knife.
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Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath close to the bodies of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at the murder scene. The sheath is described as 'tan leather' with the USMC (United States Marines Corps) and 'KA-BAR' insignia stitched on its exterior, reported Daily Mail. According to Moscow PD Officer Brett Payne revealed in a document, "I noticed what appeared to be a tan leather knife sheath laying on the bed next to Mogen's right side (when viewed from the door)." "The Idaho state lab later located a single source of male DNA (suspect Profile) left on the button snap of the knife sheath."
The documents also described how surviving roommate, Dylan Mortensen allegedly saw a masked man believed to be Kohbegrer in the hallway of their shared housing unit on the night of the killings. Mortensen heard what she believed to be her roommate's cries, left her room and saw a man in a black mask with bushy eyebrows and went back inside her room, and locked herself, reported the source. It is unclear why Mortensen did not call the cops right away.
The heartbroken family of Kaylee Goncalves was also present in court, with her tearful mother shaking her head and sobbing as the homicide charge related to her daughter was read out. After the hearing, their family attorney told reporters, "It was an emotional moment for the family seeing the defendant for the first time and the family will be in this for the long haul." Kohberger has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of burglary in the four University of Idaho students' murders. He will return to court for a status hearing on January 12.