Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho murders, is expected to attend a court session today, May 22, for his arraignment and to enter a plea regarding first-degree murder charges.
Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing three women – Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 – and one man – Ethan Chapin, 20 – in their university home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning of November 13, 2022.
He was indicted last week by a grand jury on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. The 28-year-old graduate student is set to appear in a Latah County courtroom for an arraignment hearing in front of District Judge John Judge. His alleged victims’ parents have vowed to attend.
If he enters a not guilty plea on Monday, a proper trial date will then be set.
Two other female roommates in the house at the time of the killings were unharmed. One of those women reported hearing someone crying in a victim’s bedroom at 4 am. Subsequently, she witnessed a masked man, dressed in black, walking out of the house.
These witnesses will only testify in court if Kohberger enters a not guilty plea and the trial proceeds.
During a recent interview with GMA, Goncalves’ father expressed the family’s determination to be present in court for the hearing and to scrutinize every piece of evidence.
In another interview, he emphasized the family’s commitment to ensuring the accountability of his daughter’s murderer.
Goncalves’ mother stressed the importance of the family being united and strong during the proceedings.
Kohberger was subsequently arrested in Pennsylvania six weeks after the crime while visiting his family and then flown to Idaho to face charges.
He was pursuing a Ph.D. degree in criminal justice at Washington State University, approximately 10 miles from the University of Idaho campus. Last week, it was disclosed that he had broken into the apartment of a female colleague and installed security cameras to spy on her when she sought assistance.
The alleged incident occurred months before the killings. Kohberger is suspected of breaking into the property, rearranging items but not stealing anything, leading his colleague to contact him instead of the police.
Authorities have not disclosed the motive behind Kohberger’s actions but are confident of his responsibility for all four killings.
Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall issued a gag order on January 4, prohibiting investigators, law enforcement, and attorneys from discussing the Moscow murders with the media or the public.
