New court filings in the Idaho student murders case could severely handicap suspect Bryan Kohberger’s defense, according to legal experts – he allegedly purchased a Ka-Bar knife on Amazon months before the murders and then shopped for a replacement days after they took place.
Bryan Kohberger, a 30-year-old former criminology Ph.D. student, is accused of using a large, bladed weapon to kill four University of Idaho undergrads – Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20.
According to Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt, all four victims died with multiple stab wounds. At least two of them were so intoxicated at the time of the attack that they were unable to resist at all, prosecutors wrote in court filings.
Under Mogen’s body, police found a Ka-Bar knife sheath, stamped with a United States Marine Corps logo and allegedly containing Kohberger’s DNA on the snap.
Prosecutors revealed in court filings this week that he allegedly bought a Ka-Bar, a sheath and a sharpener on Amazon in March 2022, months before the murders. Then, in the weeks after the murders, his Amazon app “click activity” allegedly shows he was browsing for a replacement.
Experts say the shopping list will be difficult for the defense to explain away, especially based on the timing and the specific details about what Kohberger was allegedly looking at.
