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Is Bryan Kohberger getting death threats? Idaho suspect wears bulletproof vest on way to Moscow jail

Recent footage of Bryan Kohberger landing in Pullman, Washington showed law enforcement placing a bulletproof vest and helmet on him

This article is based on sources and MEAWW cannot verify this information independently.

MOSCOW, IDAHO: Authorities escorting quadruple murder suspect Bryan Kohberger put a protective helmet and bulletproof vest on the alleged killer before taking him to jail. This caused many to wonder if he was receiving death threats.

Sheriff's deputies fitted the protective gear on Kohberger, 28, after he disembarked from a flight at a regional airport near Moscow, Idaho. The suspect was then driven away in an armed pick-up truck, per a video posted to Twitter by NewsNation correspondent Robert Sherman. The 28-year-old criminology student at Washington State University is suspected of killing four University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen at their rented accommodation on November 13, 2022. Kohberger was arrested at his family home in Pennsylvania on December 30. The suspect waived his extradition rights on Tuesday, January 3, and was taken to Idaho the following day.

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Recent footage of Kohberger landing in Pullman, Washington showed law enforcement placing a bulletproof vest and helmet on him. Sherman also revealed that "security is amped up in this case." The NewsNation correspondent tweeted, "Video of the plane officials used to extradite #BryanKohberger back to Idaho landing in Pullman, WA. Law enforcement then appears to place a bulletproof vest and helmet on him before driving off. We’ve been told security is amped up in this case."

The new video caused many to wonder why Kohberger was given protective gear, with some saying it was possibly due to death threats.

"Do you know what the helmet would be for??" one asked on Twitter.

"So he doesn’t get shot?" another responded.

"This is not uncommon," someone else offered. "[In] high profile cases most of the defendants are secured with a bulletproof vest and possible helmet for the fear someone may go after them. Not only is it for his safety but everyone wants answers. You can’t get that if he’s dead."

"I live here and our airport is tiny, there aren’t any back entrances just one road so people know the route he has to take," another explained. "There are also a lot of guns out here, so this doesn’t seem extreme. Why not just add a helmet if it could ensure some answers?" they added.

After landing in Pullman, Washington, Kohberger was transported to Latah County Jail in Idaho, where he was booked for four counts of murder and one count of burglary, per jail records. The suspect is expected to make an initial court appearance on Thursday, December 5. According to a statement from Kohberger's attorney in the extradition case, the alleged killer is "eager to be exonerated" and was "looking forward to resolving these matters as promptly as possible." There was a heavy media presence outside Latah County Jail as the suspect arrived. One video posted by NBC correspondent Angela Palermo showed the police convoy of vehicles heading to the building. The windows of the pick-up carrying Kohberger were reportedly covered.

There aren't many details of the arrest released to the public at the time of publication. The alleged motive of the murders is unknown and it's unclear whether Kohberger was known to the victims. The reasons behind his arrest are expected to be made public on the probable-cause warrant as the suspect appears in court in Idaho. Michael Mancuso, the first assistant district attorney of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, where Kohberger was initially held, said it was a "quirk" of Idaho's state law that the affidavit had remained sealed until this point. Mancuso told the media he "definitely" believed "one of the main reasons the defendant chose to waive extradition and hurry his return back to Idaho was the need to know what was in those documents," Newsweek reported.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.