Accused Murderer Claims He Was Out for a Routine Drive During University of Idaho Student Murders

A man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in November has claimed he was out for a routine drive when the killings occurred. Bryan Kohberger, 28, was indicted in May on four counts of murder and other charges in connection with the stabbing deaths of the four students who were found dead in a home off-campus on Nov. 13.

In a motion filed Wednesday by his attorneys, Kohberger said he was out driving late Nov. 12 and into the next day. His attorneys wrote in court documents that “Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone.” The motion was in response to a request by the prosecution for an alibi of his whereabouts on the night of the murder.

The victims of the murder were Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old from Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, from Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, from Rathdrum, Idaho.

Kohberger’s attorneys have objected to the prosecution’s request for an alibi, and the case is ongoing. The court documents filed by Kohberger’s attorneys provide insight into the defense’s strategy, as they attempt to prove that Kohberger was not present at the time of the murders. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 8.