It's not everyday that a local college grad is accused of a series of four horrific murders, so I've been interested in the case against Bryan Kohberger. The affidavit of probable cause certainly establishes a prima facie case. Prosecutors have knife sheath DNA found at the scene. There are multiple videos of a car that looks like his in the general area. Numerous cell phone pings have put him in the area. An eyewitness in the house saw someone who looked like him. Based on this evidence, would you vote to convict? I say No.
The strongest piece of evidence is the knife sheath found at the scene with his father's DNA. But how do we know how that knife sheath got there? Is it possible that Kohberger gave that knife to someone or that it was stolen from him? If he was stupid enough to leave that key evidence, why are there no other sources of DNA in the house of on the bodies of his victims?
There are also numerous videos of a white Elantra in the vicinity and Kohberger owns one. So do thousands of other people.
Cell phone pings could be anywhere within a 20-mile radius of the tower. Kohberger lived just 10 miles away.
The eyewitness testimony of someone describing another masked person wearing black in the dark means little more than that the assailant was probably male.
Of course, there could be much stronger evidence than this. But I think the evidence in that affidavit is insufficient for me to0 conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Kohberger is the murderer.
What's your take?
37 comments:
all the evidence appears to be circumstantial, however, there is enough of it to convict him by a jury. guilty as charged. May he rot in hell.
Bernie,
You were a lawyer. You tell us.
Did they only provide enough evidence to get an arrest warrant? Could there be more that will be given to the defense moving forward?
While I certainly believe him to be guilty, our judicial system runs on the premise that one is innocent until proven guilty. A darned good thing, too. The keyboard crusaders, though, want everything wrapped up before the last commercial break.
Of course he’ll be acquitted.
Must be nice to commit a triple homicide and be taken in to custody alive by police.
Too bad black people never experience this privilege.
It may be that the local police found him to be the only hope they had, One big question, Motive? Why, it is always the biggest question in murder.
Of course the media has already assumed this guys guilt, we will see if they can make it stick.
You are right so far they have no smoking gun beyond a reasonable doubt.
Either way he will now need a very good lawyer as a jury in the area will be pre-supposed to find him guilty.
" ... why are there no other sources of DNA in the house of on the bodies of his victims?
... Of course, there could be much stronger evidence than this."
I suspect there is. But I agree with you, based upon the arrest affidavit. I think he's guilty, based upon his attempts to obscure his whereabouts (turning off his cell phone), and his behavior after the murders (carrying garbage to a neighbor's bin while wearing surgical gloves). None of this convicts him, of course. But it makes me think he did it. There's also his lifetime digital/online/social media history. Having attended DeSales, which housed a digital crime lab, Kohberger should know this. The process of that reconstruction takes a long time. But it wasn't needed to arrest him and hold him without bail. It's difficult to believe he could have slaughtered four people in the manner cops described, without leaving more DNA than a single spot on a knife sheath button. If that's all cops have though, I'm not sure I could convict. Fascinating case and the DeSales/Katherine Ramsland aspect is intriguing. May those kids rest in peace.
Despite standard jury instructions that would come from a judge, your “reasonable” is different than mine. Based on what you and the press have revealed so far….guilty.
If they can get in to evidence his prior writings obsessing about “how to get away with the perfect crime” he’ll be on the electric chair
I read some psychiatrist said he might have incell syndrome, I had to look it up. Involuntarily celibacy. Needless to say everyone I saw interviewed said he was an oddball.
FBI Search of Trump's Florida Home Mar-a-Lago Requires An Explanation
your headline on August 10th. Why are you not asking for Biden to explain how a VP has classified documents? Worse off they were in multiple places. I am assuming you are giving this topic great research.
A car that looks like his, an eye witness who says a person who looks like him, and a knife sheath with his father's DNA just happens to be there? That's a lot of coincidental evidence to ignore. But, hey, OJ is still out playing golf.
Don't be surprised to find that this nut job has killed before. He thinks he is smarter than the rest of the world. He killed to find out how it feels to end someone's life. Now he's going to find out what it feels like to get injected with a legal dose of "pentobarbitol", or
maybe a shot of sodium thiopental (in which case he will be unconcious) then a shot of pancuronium bromide to paralyze his muscles, and then potassium chloide to rapidly induce cardiac arrest. Either that or they might let him attend a County Council Meeting in Northampton County and listed to Ron Heckman explain his position on why the County should or should not have a medical center for their employees. Either way, it's Too bad he won't be alive to write about it.
"FBI Search of Trump's Florida Home Mar-a-Lago Requires An Explanation
your headline on August 10th. Why are you not asking for Biden to explain how a VP has classified documents? Worse off they were in multiple places. I am assuming you are giving this topic great research."
Hey asshole, you should know by now that I delete OT comments. I, and not you, decide what I write about. Right now, there are numerous things happening locally (like DeSales grad Kohberger and municipal races) that far outweigh your MAGA love and hatred of everything else. And in case you missed it, I was critical of the Mar A Lago search bc I thought it was overkill.
his attempts to obscure his whereabouts (turning off his cell phone), and his behavior after the murders (carrying garbage to a neighbor's bin while wearing surgical gloves). "
On the surface, that sounds weird. But there are times when a cellphone could be on and be considered out of service. Also, those gloves may very well have just been regular rubber gloves we wear for a deep clean and he may have been cleaning his car bc he was going to be driving his father across the country in it. I have also heard that his social media was "chilling" but to me, they just express the pathos that many teens feel, which is what he was when he wrote those comments.
No question there is a prima facie case, but I have doubts.
“how to get away with the perfect crime”
Why would a criminal justice doctoral student leave DNA? Makes no sense.
Easy there, O.J.
I suspect they'll jailbreak the phone and be able to determine exactly why it stopped pinging (left coverage, airplane mode, powered off). They may also be able to dial in precise locations if he granted any of those permissions for any apps. The car may also have telemetrics depending on year. Fascinating circumstantial case.
"Easy there, O.J."
Actually, the OJ case was stronger, and I would have acquitted there, too.
My initial take is that he thinks he can get away with this after taking all the college courses he attended. Maybe hoping to be some sort of great criminal. Interesting article about him harassing female workers at Seven Sirens Brewing Co. in Bethlehem.
I suspect he couldn’t plan academically for the chaotic scene that comes with *murdering 4 people in cold blood*. If I read it correctly, I think one of the victims grabbed it and he didn’t realize it.
". If I read it correctly, I think one of the victims grabbed it and he didn’t realize it."
I'm sorry, but have not read that anywhere, and unless the victims are sending messages from the grave, there's no way to know.
Interesting article about him harassing female workers at Seven Sirens Brewing Co. in Bethlehem.
Not from the female workers, but the owner, and I have problems with the credibility of that owner. Even if true, being creepy does not make him a murderer.
The problem with the "some other dude" defense is getting a jury to set aside all the other items pointing to him except this "other dude" just happened to get his k-bar knife sheath.
Why would this dude steal a knife sheath when it would be a lot easier to just buy one?
the only other argument would be planting of DNA by the cops.
that leaves the question of why he was picked out of all the other people?
He was a celebrity. If it was an ordinary black guy, LAPD would have dropped a MOAB on the guy…
If that was the case, you woulda have been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
Did this suspect get thrown out of Greek restaurant in Moscow where two victims worked PT?
My daughter tells me that Kohberger was well known at Seven Sirens as the tall creepy dude. She believes he was banned at some point.
"My daughter tells me that Kohberger was well known at Seven Sirens as the tall creepy dude. She believes he was banned at some point."
Who is your daughter? Does she work there? Who are you? Frankly, I'd never go there. I'm told the food and service is horrible.
"Did this suspect get thrown out of Greek restaurant in Moscow where two victims worked PT?"
Have not read that anywhere as anything more than speculation. Have ot heard he was booted.
He was reportedly harassing the female workers and the owner was the one who confronted him about it.
I believe I read it was found on the body of one of the victims.
"I believe I read it was found on the body of one of the victims."
I assume the "it" to which you refer is DNA. The only evidence of record is that DNA was found on a knife sheath at the scene, not on a victim. Of course, if such evidence exists, he's toast.
I've been to Seven Sirens. The food was served from a food truck. It was pretty good. The craft beer was excellent. I don't know much else after two visits. I wasn't really there for food. The service is a beer line. It moved efficiently. I'd give the place 4.5 out of 5 stars for what it is, a craft brewery joint. It's also dog friendly which is cool.
No, I mean the knife sheath was found with the body of the dead person
Bernie this guy manages to live off his parents till now. I took “criminal Justus started in 1976 at LCCC . It’s the only way you would get hired if your relatives were not already a cop. I scored very high number 2 of 114 on test with 14 officers on job from other venues . Panto s never gave me an interview. His HR guy said to me “ your on fire list “ This guy the defendant, hung out , so like civil service board member Dennis O’Connell who engineered my non interviewing, - from Easton did attempt A Ph-D in the subject but moved away after his drinking habits and Mayor Goldsmith locked his access out of the police station . Of coarse I had nothing to do with that personally. Well he’s gone . This murder defendant in this murder thinks he’s so much smarter than the cops are. His attorney will get him a discharge based on mental status and he will go to a mental institution, not jail,if attorneys are any good. That’s my take not being an expert in anything. Greek restaurant in Venue were girls worked my be issue. Just because you don’t know Bernie,doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Yeah, the name alone sounds like a sleaze joint. What level headed woman would even be working there?
Oh ok
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