Pro Bryan Kohberger social media group banned for violating 'code of conduct' but many others still exist
MOSCOW, IDAHO: A Reddit channel for social media users who reportedly support the prime suspect in the infamous Idaho murder case, Bryan Kohberger, has been banned. Kohberger, 28, was accused of breaking into a rental home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours of November 13 and brutally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kernodle's boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20.
The PhD candidate in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at WSU (Washington State University) has since been slapped with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He is yet to enter a plea, but a lawyer who previously represented him in Pennsylvania where he was arrested on December 30 at his parents' home, said he was "eager to be exonerated."
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Kohberger and his 'fans'
Since Kohberger was detained, people claiming to be his fans have defended him on various social media platforms. One woman reportedly is said to have sent love letters to him. Recently, a subreddit called "Brynation" was banned for repeatedly violating Reddit's Moderator Code of Conduct, according to a message on the site. It did not provide any additional detail of how the code, which says moderators must uphold Reddit's content policy and follow other rules, was violated.
Several groups have spread "justice for Kohberger" messages on social media, including Facebook. One such group, called "Justice for Bryan Kohberger," still remains active and has more than 3500 'fans'. "It's about whether or not you can prove you're innocent. If you can't prove you're innocent, then you're considered guilty. It's been flipped: Now it's guilty until proven innocent," the group's description reads according to Newsweek. The group quoted, Ronald Jones, a man who was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a woman.
Retired sergeant speaks
"These groups have always been around, it just seems there are more of them because of the Internet," Joseph Giacalone, a retired New York Police Department sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice told the outlet. "Most, if not all, are part of what we call the true crime community whose interest is piqued. I don't think there is anything wrong with that nor would I be concerned." Giacalone said he views members of such groups as online "defense attorneys."
"They'll examine everything available to try and prove that the case against him is weak," he said. "All I can say is we only know a tiny bit of the evidence that has tied him to the crime due to all the gag orders. So there is a strong possibility that they might end up disappointed."
A criminologist and author of 'Why We Love Serial Killers,' Scott Bonn, told the outlet that there is a "spectrum" when it comes to individuals who fantasize about or hero-worship killers and alleged killers. "On one hand, there's healthy curiosity, but then on the other hand, it can also become an obsession," Bonn said. "This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, there have been cases, such as Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker back in the 1980s, he actually married one of his groupies," he said. "And of course, Charles Manson and Ted Bundy and others had legions of groupies."