Attorneys for accused mass murderer Bryan Kohberger have boldly demanded that an upcoming evidentiary hearing be open to the public.
Kohberger is accused of stabbing to death Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Kaylee Goncalves in November 2022. The four were all University of Idaho students and thus became known as the "Idaho 4". The three girls were all roommates who shared a house they rented. Chapin was dating Kernodle and was visiting her the night of he was killed.
Kohberger has denied killing the students and his attorneys plan to challenge DNA evidence collected through Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG), CourtTV reported. IGG utilizes publicly available DNA profiles from genealogical databases. Authorities create family trees, eventually narrowing down a suspect pool based on their own,suspect DNA sample.
The technique was famously used to catch the Golden State Serial killer decades after his last victim was killed. In that case, investigators homed in on a DNA profile of a person who appeared to be related to the killer, livescience.com reported. In that case, the majority of searching was done on GEDmatch, an open-source genealogy website.
However, the technique is still a relatively new tool for law enforcement. Kohberger's attorneys plan to challenge the evidence in a hearing Jan. 23 and they are demanding that the proceedings be open to the public.
"The way in which the IGG material was accessed and used is a matter warranting public disclosure and should not be shielded from the public's right to know," Kohberger's attorney, Elisa Massoth, said in the filing according to CourtTV. "Mr. Kohberger has the right to a public trial and the public has the right to know how genetic information was used in this case."
