Bryan Kohberger's Lawyers Get Access to Murder House

Bryan Kohberger's legal team has gained access to the home where he allegedly murdered four University of Idaho students in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. The defense indicated they may take photographs, measurements, and drone footage of the house on King Road in Moscow, which is to be demolished Dec. 28 during winter break. The families of some victims had argued the home, now owned by the university, should not be torn down before Kohberger's trial as it's an important piece of evidence. But Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial in late August, delaying the original Oct. 2 trial start date. With another trial date still to be set, the plan is to have the home demolished by the time students return to school in January, per KIVI and KMVT.

Prosecutors say they've matched DNA on a knife sheath found beneath the body of Madison Mogen—who died alongside two housemates, Xana Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves, and Kernodle's boyfriend Ethan Chapin—to a cheek swab taken from 28-year-old Kohberger, who was pursuing a PhD in criminology at the neighboring Washington State University, per Fox News. A surviving housemate has also described seeing a masked man matching Kohberger's description leave the house out a back door. Police say phone records indicate Kohberger drove by the victims' home a dozen times before the murders and once hours afterward. The records also indicate Kohberger turned off his phone before driving to the home to commit the murders, police say.

Kohberger claims he is not guilty and was simply out driving alone, as he often did, at the time of the murders. The FBI visited the home in late October, conducting scans that could allow for visual aids to be used at trial, according to the outlet. Within weeks, the home will be no more. "While we appreciate the emotional connection some family members of the victims may have to this house, it is time for its removal and to allow the collective healing of our community to continue," University President Scott Green said in a statement. "It is the grim reminder of the heinous act that took place there." (More Bryan Kohberger stories.)