Bryan Kohberger’s public defender once represented a relative of not one but two Idaho murders victims.
Court records obtained by Inside Edition reportedly show that Chief of the Kootenai Public Defender’s Office Anne Taylor was the attorney for slain University of Idaho student Madison Mogen’s stepmother as recently as June 2022.
Earlier this week, the Idaho Statesman revealed that Ms Taylor also represented Cara Denise Northington — Xana Kernodle’s mother — before recusing herself to take on Mr Kohberger’s quadruple murder case.
Mr Kohberger is accused of brutally stabbing Kernodle, Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Ethan Chapin on 13 November in the college town of Moscow.
He was arrested on 30 December at his parent’s home in Pennsylvania before he was extradited to Idaho on 5 January.
The records also reveal that Ms Taylor was Benjamin Mogen’s legal counsel in late 2020, and represented his wife Korie Hatrock in the summer of 2022.
Mr Mogen pleaded guilty to drug charges at the time and received a three-month prison sentence. Ms Hatrock pleaded guilty to one charge of felony drug but it is unclear whether she served any time in prison, per Inside.
In an interview with NewsNation on Wednesday night, Ms Northington spoke out over the sense of “betrayal” she feels after her attorney stepped down from her case, saying she had given Ms Taylor power of attorney over her.
“I’d already signed over power of attorney so that she could help me with getting into rehab and whatnot,” said Ms Northington, who has a long history of brushes with the law. “I trusted her. She pretended that she was wanting to help me. And to find out that she’s representing him – I can’t even convey how betrayed I feel.”
Ms Taylor is one of 13 qualified public defenders in the state to represent clients in a potential death penalty case, per the Statesman.
The Independent reached out to Ms Taylor’s office for comment. Currently, a gag order prevents law enforcement officials, the defence and prosecution teams, attorneys representing survivors, witnesses or the victims’ family members from speaking out about the high-profile case.
The murder case will next be heard in court on 26 June, when Mr Kohberger is scheduled to appear at his preliminary status hearing.
Last week, records were unsealed of a search warrant executed at Mr Kohberger’s apartment in Pullman on 30 December, the same day of his arrest.
A record of evidence recovered during the apartment search was unsealed, revealing the seizure of 15 items including hairs, receipts, a computer tower, a disposable glove and items with peculiar stains.
The affidavit, released on 5 January, gave new details about what led investigators to the suspect but still offered no connection between the victims and Mr Kohberger.
The bombshell documents did reveal that investigators believe Mr Kohberger may have stalked the student home in the run-up to the mass murder, with cellphone data placing him around the property 12 times before 13 November.
Until his next hearing, Mr Kohberger will be held behind bars at Latah County Jail after he was ordered to be held on no bail for a second time.
If convicted at trial, he is facing life in prison or the death penalty.
