The family of the man arrested for the quadruple murder of students from the University of Idaho spoke out for the first time since his arrest.
Moscow Police Chief James Fry, on Friday, confirmed the arrest of 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, who was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania on December 30, for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, on November 13, 2022.
In a statement released by Kohberger’s lawyer, Jason A. LaBar, the suspect’s family, including his father, Michael Kohberger, 67, his mother, Marianne Kohberger, 62, and the suspect’s sister, Amanda, wrote that they deeply cared about the four families who lost their children that morning.
The statement went on to say that there were no words to express their sadness adequately and that they were praying for the families daily. They expressed their support for the suspect, saying they would let the legal process unfold, but they would continue to support their son and brother.
The family said that they had cooperated with the police throughout the investigation in their attempts to find the truth. They would continue to promote his presumption of innocence and not judge him based on unknown facts, therefore, making erroneous assumptions.
The Kohbergers asked for privacy as they and the victim’s families moved forward through the justice system.
According to the family lawyer, LaBar, the Kohberger family is “shocked” and don’t believe that their son committed the murders.
Speaking during the Friday press conference, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson confirmed the charges against Kohberger, saying he was being charged with four first-degree murder counts and one felony burglary count for breaking into the house where the four students were found.
During their investigations, police announced that they were searching for the driver of a white Hyundai Elantra that was seen near the student’s home on the night of their brutal murders.
Police Chief Fry said that law enforcement officers had recovered a Hyundai Elantra from the home where they found Kohberger in Pennsylvania.
Kohberger was a student at the Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. According to the college website, the suspect is a PhD student in the Criminal Justice and Criminology department.
Washington State University is only eight miles away from the house where the students were stabbed to death. The students were killed in an off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13.
A few months ago, Kohberger, using the username Criminology_Student, posted on Reddit asking ex-cons to participate in his research project, which sought to understand how decision-making while committing a crime is influenced by psychological and emotional traits. The study aimed to understand the story behind the ex-con’s most recent crime, especially their thoughts and feelings during the experience.
