AG office assisting in Kohberger case

Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho
·2 min read

Apr. 27—The Latah County Prosecutor requested assistance from the Idaho attorney general's office in the prosecution of the Moscow quadruple homicide suspect.

Prosecutor Bill Thompson was granted permission to appoint Deputy Attorney General Jeff Nye and Deputy Attorney General Ingrid Batey in the case of State v Kohberger.

Bryan Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in the November stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Kohberger remains in Latah County Jail as he awaits his June 26 preliminary hearing.

In his petition to Latah County Second District Court, Thompson wrote that he seeks assistance in this case "to utilize the expertise and additional resources of the Office of the Attorney General"

The attorney general office will pay the salaries of Batey and Nye.

Kohberger's defense team is requesting assistance from a surviving roommate who was living at the King Road home in Moscow when the four students were murdered.

According to a Wednesday report from the Idaho Statesman, Kohberger's attorneys requested Bethany Funke travel to Idaho from her home in Nevada to be a material witness at Kohberger's June preliminary hearing.

A criminal investigator working for Kohberger's public defender Anne Taylor said police interviewed Funke several times as part of their investigation into the stabbing deaths.

The investigator, Richard Bitonti, said Funke has information that could disprove Kohberger's guilt.

The Idaho Statesman reported that Funke's attorney, Kelli Anne Viloria, tried to nullify the subpoena, arguing Nevada's law does not allow this kind of action from an out-of-state defendant. She also argued that a preliminary hearing is not the right setting to summon an out-of-state witness.

The two sides struck a compromise that allows Funke to participate in an interview with the Idaho defense counsel instead of traveling to Idaho. This ends the subpoena and the issue is expected to be settled.