During the arraignment on Monday in Moscow, Idaho, Bryan Kohberger, the suspect charged with the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students last November, remained silent in court as a judge entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf.
Kohberger, 28, faces four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary in connection with the killings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, all aged between 20 and 21.
The not-guilty pleas were entered after Kohberger chose to exercise his right to remain silent in court, according to reports from NewsNation’s Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin and Idaho Statesman reporter Angela Palermo, who were present at the arraignment. Family members of Mogen and Goncalves were also in attendance.
Last week, Kohberger was indicted in the case, leading to the cancellation of the preliminary hearing scheduled for June 26. A trial date has now been set for October 2. Prosecutors have a 60-day window to announce whether they intend to pursue the death penalty, told NBC.
On November 13, 2022, Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle, and Chapin, who were all close friends and students at the University of Idaho, were fatally stabbed on the second and third floors of an off-campus residence in Moscow. The authorities believe the murders occurred between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m., as stated in the probable cause affidavit.
Kohberger was apprehended based on DNA evidence found on a knife sheath left at the crime scene, surveillance footage, and cell phone pings. The affidavit indicates that he was linked to the location where the students were slain. At the time of the murders, Kohberger was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, which is approximately eight miles away from the crime scene in Moscow.
In a memo released on February 24, the University of Idaho announced plans to demolish the house where the students were killed. The property, located at 1122 King Road in Moscow, was donated to the university by the owner. The decision to demolish the house is seen as a step toward healing and removing the physical reminder of the tragic crime that deeply affected the community.
