BOISE, Idaho — In newly released court document, prosecutors are highlighting strikingly personal details — including an academic paper defendant Bryan Kohberger submitted in 2020 while studying criminology.
The 12-page paper outlines a fictional investigation into the stabbing death of a “white female who is approximately 35 years of age.” In it, Kohberger lists step-by-step procedures a crime scene investigator should follow — including methods to prevent contamination and the spread of DNA, such as wearing gloves and covering one’s face and shoes.
He wrote, “I must ensure myself and my fellow crime scene personnel are wearing gloves and other protective equipment as to avoid contaminating the scene with latent fingerprints.”
As for face coverings — the state also revealed new evidence it plans to present at trial. That includes a purchase record from Dick’s Sporting Goods that prosecutors say shows Kohberger bought a black balaclava — the same type of mask described by a surviving roommate. In this police sketch, she claims she saw a man wearing a black ski mask inside the King Road home the night of the killings.
The state is also including surveillance footage and business records from Costco and Albertsons, which they say show Kohberger’s vehicle and activity around noon the day after the murders.
To help the jury understand the layout of the home where the killings occurred, prosecutors are asking to use a 3D rendering of the crime scene — rather than a to-scale model, as previously proposed.
The defense objects, saying the rendering could mislead the jury.
Also in question — whether Kohberger’s behavior and physical demeanor can be discussed in front of the jury.
Defense attorneys say Kohberger has autism spectrum disorder and a coordination disorder that may explain how he appears in court. But the state argues that evidence is irrelevant, was only recently disclosed, and could unfairly influence the jury’s perception.
“The defendant’s appearance and behaviors in front of a jury are not material or relevant,” prosecutors wrote.
Finally, there’s debate over specific wording allowed during trial.
Kohberger is charged with killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, but his attorneys don’t want prosecutors to refer to him as a “murderer” in front of the jury.
And when it comes to some of the state’s strongest evidence — the DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene — the defense is asking the court to prohibit use of the terms “touch DNA” or “contact DNA,” arguing those phrases could mislead the jury, since trace DNA could scientifically be present even if Kohberger never touched the item.
The murder weapon has never been found, but prosecutors say Kohberger searched Amazon for a replacement after the killings. The state has filed a motion to exclude that Amazon click activity from trial, arguing the presented data is incomplete and misleading.
