CARA WHO? Bryan Kohberger's lawyer Anne Taylor claims to have never met Xana Kernodle's mother
This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.
MOSCOW, IDAHO: Recently released court records reveal Bryan Kohberger's public defender Anne Taylor told the judge that she had no conflicts of interest that would prevent her from defending the Idaho murder suspect.
In a closed-door court proceeding in late January, public defender Taylor informed Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall that she had never spoken to the mother of murder victim Xana Xana Kernodle and had never given legal counsel to her.
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'Heartbroken' and 'betrayed'
Taylor was said to have represented Cara Kernodle, Xana's mother, in a felony drug case out of Kootenai County. Cara told NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield that she felt "heartbroken" and "betrayed" when Taylor left her case to represent Kohberger. She also claimed to have given Taylor "power of attorney," as reported by Foxnews.
No connection with Cara Kernodle
Taylor informed the judge at the January hearing that her name always appears on the Kootenai County Public Defender's Office letterhead, regardless of whether she is the acting attorney or not, because she is the office's lead public defense. She claimed to have had no connection with Cara Kernodle and insisted she never met her and never gave her legal counsel regarding a 2017 misdemeanor case or a felony drug charge, as reported by Independent.
According to Taylor, the ISB Bar Counsel's Office and the prosecutors in Kohberger's case concurred that there is no conflict as long as Kohberger agrees to Taylor continuing on his case. Kohberger assured the judge that he was content with Taylor's representation. Taylor is a public defender for Kootenai County in Idaho but was hired to represent Kohberger in Moscow owing to her experience in handling capital murder cases, as reported by DailyMail.
Kohberger's arrest
Kohberger was captured on December 30 at his parents' house in eastern Pennsylvania, more than 2,000 miles from Moscow. He was taken to the Latah County Prison on January 4 in the late afternoon following his extradition from Pennsylvania. Kohberger is accused of killing Xana Kernodle, 20, her flatmate Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, also 20, who lived nearby and was staying the night. The judge has imposed a gag order in the case. Kohberger waived his right to an urgent preliminary hearing on January 12. As a result, his hearing will now begin on June 26, as MEAWW reported earlier.