LATAH COUNTY, Idaho — Bryan Kohberger of Chestnuthill Township is accused of killing four college students at the University of Idaho last fall.
Kohberger and his attorneys have now formally given an alibi.
An alibi is a claim or a piece of evidence that puts someone somewhere other than the scene of a crime. Kohberger puts himself behind the wheel of his car, which has been central to the University of Idaho murder investigation.
A prosecutor here in our area says that alibi helps the prosecution more than it helps Kohberger.
Luzerne County prosecutor Jarrett Ferentino is talking about the alibi Kohberger has now officially submitted to the court in the University of Idaho murder case.
"The defense may be putting forth this alibi because Bryan Kohberger is asking them to. But again, it is an ambiguous alibi at best, and to me, it is stronger to the prosecution's theory of this case rather than supportive of the defense," Ferentino said.
Ferentino says it's not much of an alibi at all. Kohberger says he was out driving alone in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, when those four college students were murdered inside their off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho.
According to the court filing, driving alone at night is something Kohberger has a habit of doing.
"As a prosecutor, I'm looking at what aspects of what Mr. Kohberger has committed to is consistent with my case. Here it is—he was up, he was out, he was alone, he was in that Hyundai Elantra. All of a sudden, these are the kind of things that, as a prosecutor, when you can show that Elantra was in the proximity of King Road; his cell phone supports that information, nobody else was with Bryan Kohberger at that time. His alibi is hurting him," Ferentino explained.
Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra has been at the center of the case since the early days of the investigation.
And now, with his alibi, Kohberger puts himself in the driver's seat.
"You've painted yourself into quite a corner there. It's a curious alibi. I don't know if that's the kind of alibi that will carry the day," Ferentino added.
In the court papers filed this week, Kohberger's defense attorney wrote that they're presenting this alibi to allow them to talk about it at trial. They hope some of the witnesses for the prosecution can corroborate that Kohberger was out driving alone that night.