The family of alleged Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger released their first public statement on Sunday in an effort to "support his presumption of innocence."
Kohberger, 28 years old, was arrested at his family home in Pennsylvania on Friday for the deadly stabbings of four University of Idaho students on November 13. The statement was issued by his public defender, Jason A. LaBar, on behalf of his parents and sister.
Idaho College Murders Suspect's Family Expresses Support For Him
According to NY Post, the Kohbergers stated, "As a family, we will continue to love and support our son and brother as the judicial process unfolds."
The family offered their condolences to the four victims, students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, stating, "There are no suitable words to describe our sorrow, and we pray for them every day."
Their remark follows LaBar's assertion that Koberger "is anxious to be exonerated of these charges and looks forward to swiftly settling these concerns."
Washington State University Ph.D. student Kohberger is now in Pennsylvania and will be extradited to Idaho shortly after waiving his right to an extradition hearing. Once Kohberger appears in court in Idaho, officials can lawfully disclose his probable cause affidavit, which should shed light on the circumstances behind his arrest. According to police, he acted alone.
Early on Friday morning, a SWAT squad apprehended the suspected killer at his parents' house in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. He and his father had traveled to Pennsylvania from Kohberger's apartment in Pullman, Washington, just miles from the Moscow, Idaho residence where four University of Idaho students were discovered killed.
Police tracked Kohberger's travels across the nation as he traveled with his father from Washington State University, where he was a Ph.D. candidate and teaching assistant in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, to their home in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
In addition to four charges of first-degree murder, he has been charged with burglary. Latah County, Idaho, prosecutor Bill Thompson stated on Friday that investigators suspect Kohberger broke into the off-campus house of the students "with the purpose to commit murder."
Authorities have stated that Idaho state law prohibits them from disclosing any information until Tuesday, the day of Kohberger's extradition hearing, as per NY Daily News.
Classmates Claim Bryan Kohberger's Personality Changed
Meanwhile, former classmates of a Ph.D. student in criminology accused of murdering four University of Idaho students have characterized him as a socially awkward, bullied, and intellectually bright high school student who underwent a personality change.
According to the Washington State University website, Kohberger is a doctorate student in the department of criminal justice and criminology at Pullman, Washington, which is located around 14 kilometers west of Moscow, where the slain students resided.
In the aftermath of the breakthrough arrest some seven weeks after the violent stabbings, Kohberger's former friends and associates have provided information about his personality and supposedly difficult history, which included heroin use and weight issues.
Despite his difficulties, Kohberger was a highly clever student who maintained consistently high grades, The Independent reported. A former colleague said that Kohberger was frequently rejected and tormented by ladies, leading her to conclude that his suspected involvement in the Moscow incident was ultimately motivated by his personal anguish.
Related Article: Idaho College Murders Suspect Revelations: Did Bryan Kohberger's Father Help Him Escape The Crime?
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