Bryan Kohberger’s lawyers have filed a new alibi claiming that cell phone data will show he was miles away from the scene of the crime when four college students were killed in an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho. According to court documents, Kohberger was out driving in the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, in an area south of Pullman, Washington, west of Moscow, including Wawawai Park. Pullman is about 10 miles west of Moscow, and Wawawai Park is approximately a 40-minute drive from the murder scene where University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed.
The defense argues that Kohberger’s demanding academic schedule as a criminology student forced him to engage in his outdoor hobbies, such as hiking and running, at night. An expert witness in cell phone data is expected to testify that Kohberger’s mobile device was located south of Pullman, Washington, and west of Moscow, Idaho on the night of November 13, 2022, and did not travel east on the Moscow-Pullman Highway. This evidence would suggest that Kohberger’s phone was not in the vicinity of the murders as previously alleged by prosecutors, who claimed his car was seen on video driving near the victims’ home on the morning of the killings.
Prosecutors have accused Kohberger of breaking into the off-campus house around 4 a.m. and murdering the four students inside. At the time of the murders, Kohberger was a PhD student at Washington State University in Pullman, located about 9 miles west of Moscow. Following a seven-week manhunt, he was apprehended during a raid on his family’s home in Pennsylvania, where his white Hyundai Elantra was also found. The defense team has consistently argued that the evidence against Kohberger is insufficient, with a previous attempt to have the case dismissed being denied.
Kohberger’s attorneys have been accused of filing multiple motions to delay the trial, with the next motion hearing scheduled for May 14th. During this hearing, the judge will consider the defense’s request for a change of venue and their motion to compel additional discovery from the state. The defense claims to have further evidence supporting Kohberger’s alibi, which they are prepared to present once they receive the requested information. They argue that this information is critical to proving Kohberger’s innocence and claim that exculpatory evidence may have been either not preserved or withheld during the investigation.
The defense’s case hinges on the alibi that Kohberger was driving in a different location at the time of the murders, supported by cell phone data placing him miles away from Moscow, Idaho. They allege that his phone did not travel to the scene of the crime or to the area captured on video near the victims’ home, contradicting the prosecution’s claims. As the legal battle continues, Kohberger remains in custody awaiting trial, with his defense team working to secure the evidence they believe is crucial to exonerating their client. The upcoming motion hearing will play a significant role in determining the course of the trial and whether the defense’s alibi evidence will be allowed to be presented in court.
