Welcome to this special edition video brought to you by Commentary Creations, where Delaware County criminal defense attorney Enrique Latoison, also known as ‘your 3-minute lawyer’, offers his legal perspective on recent cases. Today, we focus on the case of Bryan Kohberger, who stands accused of first-degree murder in Idaho in connection with the deaths of four college students. Given the complexity of the case, this video will be the first of several discussions.
Bryan Kohberger is an interesting figure: he was pursuing a doctorate in criminology when he was accused of these shocking murders. Despite his field of study, he seems to have made mistakes that could be considered nonsensical, especially for someone with a background in criminology.
As we dive into the case, we see a substantial amount of evidence compiled by the police. I’d like to refer to this as ‘the big three or four’. Firstly, we have forensic evidence. The authorities have found DNA on a knife sheath located inside the residence where the murders occurred, which has been linked to Mr. Kohberger.
Secondly, there’s cell phone tracking. As a defense attorney, I always remind people that in today’s digital age, your phone is essentially a tracking device. The authorities can trace where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing, and what you’ve been searching for. Interestingly, in Mr. Kohberger’s case, even though his phone was turned off for a couple of hours, this absence of cell phone activity can appear suspicious.
The third piece of evidence is the eyewitness testimony, which is supplemented with surveillance footage. One of the surviving roommates described the intruder as a tall individual with bushy eyebrows, a description that matches Mr. Kohberger. Moreover, surveillance cameras captured a white Hyundai, similar to his, moving around the area.
These pieces of evidence seem to paint a picture that doesn’t favor Mr. Kohberger. Given that Idaho practices the death penalty, I predict this case may result in a guilty plea or a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. However, due to a current gag order, the prosecutors are limited in what they can reveal about the case.
From a defense attorney’s perspective, there are aspects of the case that give me pause. One would expect that a crime of this nature would leave traces of blood and DNA from the victims inside the suspect’s car and home. However, no such evidence has been presented as yet. Although there was mention of a stained pillow, it has not been confirmed that it contains the victims’ DNA. I anticipate that the prosecution will unveil more evidence, possibly including blood evidence, in the future.
It’s important to remember that we are still in the early stages of this case, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June. For those interested in understanding what a preliminary hearing entails, you can check out my video on the topic, where I explain the process in the context of Pennsylvania law.
Stay tuned for more videos where I’ll delve deeper into the Bryan Kohberger case. This is Enrique Latoison, your 3-minute lawyer, thanking you for tuning in.
