Idaho Murders: 5 Key Evidence Against Brian Kochberger

MOSCOW, Idaho – He is still only an accused – and must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. But the case against Brian Kochberger for Quadruple Murder in Idaho seems strong.

We are left with much that we do not know, and there is much more investigation and evidence to come. But with the recent release of the arrest warrant affidavit, here’s how the prosecution’s evidence stacks up.

knife sheath DNA

At present, this is the only direct, and not indirect, evidence. In the absence of the knife itself, the presence of a sheath corresponding to the same knife that was wounded (a fact that will need to be proven), found literally next to the body of one of the victims, will be difficult to refute. .

Yes, as some have suggested, Kochberger could have claimed that someone stole or found his knife. Besides being contrived, this is unlikely to convince, because the way this hypothetical person handled Ka-Bar – squeezing, sweating, and possibly even spilling their own blood – before and during the attacks would probably confuse any DNA Kochberger. Notably, the affidavit explicitly states that only “a single source of male DNA (suspect profile)” was found on the scabbard.

What if the DNA on the knife came from a spatter of Kochberger’s own blood? Then even this weak defense flies out of the window.

For now, DNA is the backbone. It is no coincidence that the probable cause affidavits, written in chronological order, end with a DNA match with Kochberger’s father. It was at this point that the investigators realized that it was time to close the case.

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video in the car

The license plate was not obtained from the video. However, Koberger’s car not only matches the make and model of the car filmed near the scene, but also matches the movement of his mobile phone before and after the murder. For example, there is this sequence that occurs when the vehicle is being tracked leaving the scene of an accident and after Kochberger’s phone has apparently been turned off:

Could Kochberger claim that it was not his car? Of course. But why then does it exactly match the movements of his cell phone?

And now that the task force has the car, it may very well provide additional evidence – no matter how hard he tries to clean it.

CONNECTED: Shocking court documents show police began suspecting Kochberger less than 2 weeks after the Idaho murders.

Digital phone forensics

As with a car, the echoes that Kochberger’s phone sends to nearby cell towers are indirect rather than direct. But given the movement of his car, that would be hard to disprove.

Besides, what possible reason could Kochberger have for having his phone in close proximity to the victims’ homes 12 times in the months leading up to the murders—11 of them late at night?

Could he claim that someone else had his phone? This will require him to identify the person (unlikely). Could he claim that he lost his phone or that it was stolen? Sure, but why didn’t he report it and cancel it? And if so, how to explain that the phone’s actions continued to follow the pattern of its own use (calling family, for example)?

Or: could he claim that he was in this particular cell, but not near the victims’ house?

In addition to having to explain why he was regularly in the area 10 miles from his home in the middle of the night, there is also this: according to a recent interview with Steve Gonsalves, the father of the victim Caylee Gonsalves, Kohberger was at times so close to the home of the victims that his phone was picking up their WiFi.

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eyewitness

Much has been said about Dylan Mortensen’s delay in calling the police. What was somewhat overlooked, however, was what her descriptions of his height, build, and “thick eyebrows” supported, as Kochberger became a suspect.

If you doubt that, consider this: On November 29, about two weeks after the murders, two different Washington State University campus police officers discovered Kochberger’s car as a replacement for the Hyundai Elantra the task force was looking for. They or a member of the task force would then look at a photo of the owner of the vehicle. Now ask yourself: Would Kochberger be in custody if Dylan described him as 5ft 3in and very overweight? And even if that were the case, would the case be anything close to convincing?

Dylan’s description of the suspect’s path as he left the house also matches a hidden trail found at the scene—important evidence if it matches Kochberger’s.

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Koberger Internet Publications

Without a clear motive, which may never be known, the prosecution could present Kochberger’s previous posts on Reddit in which he tried to question the perpetrators about what it was like. to commit crimes, what steps did they take to avoid capture, how did they prepare, etc., including questions such as “Why did you choose this particular victim or target and not others?” and “How did you approach your victim or target?”

For their final presentation to the jury, prosecutors are making an effort to create a compelling narrative—a story that explains what the defendant did and why he did it. Adding in Kochberger’s strong interest in crime – and the creepy questions he previously asked in his Reddit poll – suggests a possible motive in the possible absence of one trial.

As noted, there is much more investigation and likely more evidence to come (such as the steps taken by Kochberger after the murder, such as wearing surgical gloves and hiding his trash). There will also be a lot of criminal proceedings. And then there are the defenses that can be glimpsed during the course of the investigation (more on all of this in the next article).

But as of this writing, the task force seems to have done their job. And now to the accusation.

CONNECTED: A social media video fueled rumors that the Idaho students who killed the suspect visited the victims’ memorial.

CONNECTED: Idaho murder victim’s father wants Brian Kochberger to know he won’t be ‘on the planet for that long’