Accused murderer Brian Kohberger enters an Idaho courtroom
Latah County prosecutors this week disclosed information about an “internal affairs investigation” against an officer in the case against accused killer Brian Kohberger.
Brian Kohberger, 28, accused of fatally stabbing Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; 21-year-old Madison Mogen of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernadle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho, on Nov. 13.
Murder victims from left: Kylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernadle, Maddie Mogen
According to court documents, Kohberger’s DNA was found on a brown leather knife sheath left on Maddie Mogen’s bed on the 3rd floor of the King Road residence.
“The envelope was later processed and stamped with ‘ka-bar’ ‘USMC’ and the United States Marine Corps eagle globe and anchor emblem on its exterior,” Idaho police officer Brett Payne wrote in a 19-page affidavit. “An Idaho State lab later found a single source of male DNA (suspicious profile) left on the button snap of a knife sheath.”
Search warrants unsealed by Pennsylvania revealed several items seized by law enforcement from Brian Kohberger’s parents’ home during the Dec. 30 raid.
Officers recovered black gloves, a Glock, a knife (possibly a murder weapon?), black masks, a ‘green leafy substance’ in a plastic bag and other items.
Police recovered parts of Brian Kohberger’s white Hyundai Elantra.
Tire irons, shovel, floor mat, door panel, seat and seat cushions, headrests, seatbelt, brake pedal, gas pedal, band-aid and other items were seized from the vehicle.
Prosecutors sent Kohberger’s public defender on Monday “potential Brady/Giglio material” related to the officer.
“Brady material refers to information that could be exculpatory to a defendant, meaning it proves his or her innocence. Giglio material refers to information that could impeach the credibility of a witness — in this case, the officer who worked on the Kohberger case,” Fox News reported.
A judge issued a protective order to hide the material from the public so it’s unclear if the officer’s misconduct was related to Kohberger’s case.
NBC News reported:
Idaho prosecutors on Monday disclosed evidence to Brian Kohberger’s legal team that they say includes an internal affairs investigation of an officer who was part of the University of Idaho murder case.
The state filed a request for a protective order to keep the investigation out of the public eye, saying it wanted to expose the investigation as “potential Brady/Giglio material.” It’s unclear what the internal affairs investigation involved, when it was launched or how central the officer was to the college murder investigation.
Prosecutors made Monday’s disclosure under state Brady law obligations that require the prosecution to disclose evidence that could be beneficial in a suspect’s case. According to Cornell Law School, Brady material may include evidence that contradicts the credibility of a witness.
More on the Brady/Giglio material from NewsNation:
Kohberger could face a firing squad because Idaho’s governor signed a new law that brought back the legal method of capital punishment.
Click here to read and analyze the affidavit of probable cause.
Click here to read the unsealed search warrant at Brian Kohberger’s Pullman, Washington apartment.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26 at 9 a.m.