Ada County Judge Steven Hippler denied the defense’s request to allow an expert testimony about Bryan Kohberger’s autism diagnosis in his murder trial. The defense argued that this diagnosis would explain his courtroom behavior and physical demeanor throughout the trial. Kohberger’s attorneys argued that the jury’s bias against his behavior may impact his right to a fair trial.
“Attorneys, however, will still be allowed to question prospective jurors about the potential bias behavior associated with his diagnosis,” wrote the Idaho Statesman.
Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Kohberger was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University at the time of the crime.
Hippler will additionally allow a major piece of testimony in Kohberger’s murder trial. One of the surviving roommates will be allowed to testify that she saw an intruder with “bushy eyebrows” the night of the murder, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Hippler said that the roommate’s testimony is “highly relevant” to the case, as she is “the only eyewitness to the intruder responsible for the homicides” in his order on the defendant’s motion to keep the testimony hidden.
Hippler will allow Rylene Nowlin, a manager at Idaho State Police crime lab, to testify about the transfer of DNA and how it may have been found on a knife sheath that investigators found at the crime scene.
The prosecution said in a public court filing that, while there is strong evidence that their client’s DNA was found on the knife sheath, it may have been planted.
However, Hippler disagreed. Nowlin will be able to testify based on expertise the likelihood that the DNA sample was directly transferred to the sheath.
An FBI forensic accountant found that Kohberger stopped using his debit card after Nov. 13, the date of the murders, and only conducted ATM withdrawals after that point in time. Before Nov. 13, Kohberger had regularly been using his debit card, according to the Lewiston Tribune.
On another issue, Hippler will decide which of Kohberger’s family members will be allowed in the courtroom during the trial during a hearing scheduled for May 15.
Jury selection is set to begin in late July, with the trial expected to start Aug. 11.
The prosecution intends to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is found guilty, which the defense has tried twice to remove from the trial according to the Idaho Statesman. Hippler has denied these requests both times.
Rebekah Brown can be reached at [email protected].