Idaho judge denies Bryan Kohberger defense motion to suppress key evidence

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Bryan Kohberger can face death penalty if convicted in students’ murders, judge rules

Chanley Painter joins ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss judge’s death penalty ruling in Idaho college murder case. 

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A judge has denied Idaho college murders suspect Bryan Kohberger’s motions to suppress key evidence collected during search warrants, dealing his defense team a severe, but expected blow.

Kohberger’s defense team brought up two DNA samples from unidentified males at the King Road home where he is accused of killing four University of Idaho undergrads, as part of their effort to have his arrest warrants thrown out.

Two unidentified male blood samples, one on a handrail and one on a glove outside, were recovered by investigators after the stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncavles, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. Neither matched Kohberger, and they came from different subjects.

With the sources of both in question, defense attorney Anne Taylor told Ada County Judge Steven Hippler at a hearing last month that it could mean Kohberger, 30, is not related to the crime at all.

IDAHO SUSPECT BRYAN KOHBERGER’S BLOODY NEW DEFENSE CLAIM COULD FALL APART UNDER SIMPLE THEORY, PROFILER SAYS

Bryan Kohberger appears in court in Moscow, Idaho on Thursday, October 26, 2023. Kohberger appeared in court today in an attempt to overturn his grand jury indictment for the 2022 murders of four college students in their home. (Kai Eiselein/Pool)

But in the pretrial stage, the judge seemed unconvinced that the presence of two other DNA samples would be a reason to throw out probable cause for Kohberger’s arrest. Detectives made another damning find — a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen’s body.

“His DNA is still on the knife sheath, though,” Hippler told Taylor in court. “That’s the problem, counsel.”

Judge Hippler also denied Kohberger a Frank’s hearing, which would have allowed his attorneys to challenge how police conducted the investigation which resulted in Kohberger’s arrest in December 2022.

IDAHO SUSPECT BRYAN KOHBERGER’S BLOODY NEW DEFENSE CLAIM COULD FALL APART UNDER SIMPLE THEORY, PROFILER SAYS

Map showing Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger’s movement on the morning of Nov. 13 after four University of Idaho students were stabbed in their home. (Latah County Sheriff’s Office/Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice at Washington State University at the time of the murders. The University of Idaho is only 10 miles away from WSU.

Kohberger is charged with murdering four University of Idaho students in their off-campus home in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022. 

A nearly two-month investigation led police to finally nab Kohberger at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania.

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Prior to the SWAT raid on the home, Kohberger and his dad were stopped twice by Indiana law enforcement on a cross-country drive home to Pennsylvania from his apartment in Pullman, Washington, about 10 miles from the crime scene.

Kohberger’s trial is scheduled to start in August.

If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com