Nov. 7 (UPI) — Attorneys for Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger will ask the court to drop the death penalty sentence if he is found guilty in the 2022 deaths of four University of Idaho students next year.
His defense will argue that the death penalty in Idaho, which includes lethal injection and a firing squad, is arbitrary and unconstitutional. District Judge Steven Hippler has scheduled a four-hour hearing to listen to arguments.
He did, however, deny the hearing testimony from University of Idaho law professor Aliza Cover and Florida medical examiner Barbara Wolf, who were expected to argue for a narrowing of the death penalty for the defense.
Prosecutors charged Kohberger, 29, with four counts of first-degree murder and four counts of felony burglary. They charged that he was involved in the Nov. 22 stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle,20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
Two other females in the residence where the incident took place, were not harmed. His trial is set to begin July 30, 2025.
Kohberger’s defense attorney said earlier that his client, a former Washington State University criminology student, would end up facing a firing squad since the chemical for lethal injection is “not viable” in the state.
He said that would violate his constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment.
