Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students last year, has been indicted
- The suspect's indictment was on charges of murder and burglary
- Kohberger remains in prison without bond
The suspect in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in November last year, Bryan Kohberger, has been indicted on charges of murder and burglary.
Kohberger is a Ph.D. criminology student from the same university as the victims and is set to appear for arraignment on Monday to enter a plea. Prosecutors previously charged the 28-year-old suspect on the charges, but the indictment allows the case to move directly to a higher-level court in Moscow, Idaho.
The University of Idaho Killing Suspect Indicted
The indictment issued by the grand jury was also on the same charges that the suspect was initially charged with. However, Latah County Court Deputy Clerk Charlotte Mansil said on Wednesday that Kohberger could face more charges if filed.
Mansil added that Kohberger was indicted on the original charges and noted that the hearing scheduled for the end of June was vacated. She noted it would be held in person on May 22 at 9:00 a.m. local time in Courtroom 3, as per USA Today.
Authorities revealed that DNA evidence left at the crime scene tied Kohberger to the killings of the victims, identified as 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, 21-year-old Madison Mogen, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, and 20-year-old Xana Kernodle. Another roommate was the one who discovered the bodies of the victims on Nov. 13 last year.
In the state of Idaho, defendants who face direct charges from prosecutors are required to undergo a preliminary hearing. There, a judge will publicly hear evidence in the case and decide whether there is enough to move to a trial. However, an indictment by a grand jury allows prosecutors to skip that public hearing entirely.
Court officials on Monday said that the suspect would appear before a new judge as his case was transferred from county to district court. He is expected to enter a plea to the charges given to him related to the stabbing murders.
Brutal Stabbing Deaths
The situation prevents the suspect from fighting against the evidence that the prosecution has against him. It also allows the two surviving housemates of the victims and other potential witnesses to skip testimony under cross-examination prior to trial, according to Fox News.
The indictment was somewhat expected as in January, prominent Boise defense attorney Edwina Elcox said that it could be announced at any time after a grand jury was chosen behind closed doors.
Authorities initially arrested Kohberger for the murders in December last year that occurred inside a home just outside of their university's main campus. The stabbing deaths prompted officials to conduct a weeks-long search for a potential suspect.
The surrounding community and the campus were filled with anxiety and fear until Kohberger was taken into custody. Authorities found the suspect at his parents' home in Pennsylvania, where an attorney for the defendant said that he went for the holidays, said CNN.
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