Moscow, ID — A judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors may seek the death penalty in the case against Bryan Kohberger, the man charged with the 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, despite his recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Kohberger, 30, faces charges in the killings of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, who were found dead in an off-campus rental home in Moscow on November 13, 2022. A graduate student in criminal justice at Washington State University at the time, Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania weeks later. Authorities linked him to the scene through DNA found on a knife sheath.
Defense attorneys had asked Judge Steven Hippler to rule out capital punishment due to Kohberger’s ASD diagnosis, arguing it would violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. They also claimed the disorder diminished his culpability and presented a higher risk of wrongful conviction.
However, the judge concluded that under current U.S. Supreme Court precedent, autism alone does not meet the legal threshold to disqualify a defendant from the death penalty. Intellectual disability is the only mental condition currently exempt under federal law.
“ASD may be a mitigating factor to consider during sentencing, but it is not a categorical bar to capital punishment,” Hippler wrote in his decision.
The trial is scheduled to begin August 11.
In related rulings, the judge determined that jurors may hear parts of the 911 call placed several hours after the attack, as well as text messages sent by surviving roommates around the time of the crime. However, secondhand statements made on the call by someone not present during the events will be excluded.
Autopsies revealed that the four victims were likely asleep when the attack began. Some had defensive wounds and each sustained multiple stab wounds.
The case has drawn national attention, and the families of the victims have voiced strong support for the death penalty. Steve and Kristi Goncalves, parents of Kaylee Goncalves, said the nature of the crime warrants the maximum sentence.
“If he did anything like he did to our daughter to the others, then he deserves to die,” Kristi Goncalves said.
Background:
Kohberger was diagnosed with Level 1 ASD without intellectual or language impairment following a neuropsychological evaluation. His legal team continues to challenge elements of the prosecution’s case, including the admissibility of certain evidence and procedural matters related to the handling of discovery.
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