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An Idaho judge abruptly halted Bryan Kohberger’s hearing on Thursday after an expert witness for the defense showed social media posts in the Moscow courtroom.
Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, was back in court as his defense team fights to relocate his murder trial, arguing a “mob mentality” has formed against him in Latah County.
The third defense witness was Brian Edelman, co-founder of California-based jury consultancy Trial Innovations, who was hired to conduct a survey of prospective jurors in Latah County.
During his presentation, Edelman showed a screen recording of him scrolling through the Facebook post results that appeared when he searched “Moscow murders.”
Kohberger is charged with the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed to death in an off-campus student home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13 2022.
Police said they linked Kohberger to the murders that rocked the college town through DNA found on a knife sheath, cellphone data, an eyewitness account, and his white Hyundai Elantra.
In a motion filed last week, Kohberger’s lawyers surveyed potential jurors in Latah County who said there could be violence in the local area if he is found not guilty.
Potential jurors said “there would likely be a riot” and “they’d burn the courthouse down”. Prosecutors accused Kohberger’s team of using flawed survey data in its requests to move the trial, and argued the victims’ families will be affected if the case is moved.
