Kohberger waives Monroe County extradition hearing
STROUDSBURG — Crowds gathered on a rainy morning in the Pocono Mountains in anticipation of Bryan Christopher Kohberger's courthouse appearance that was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Kohberger, who was arrested at a home in the West End of Monroe County on Thursday, has not yet been charged in Idaho in relation to allegations he killed four University of Idaho students.
Tuesday's hearing was related to his extradition from Pennsylvania to Idaho. During the appearance, which lasted about 10 minutes, Kohberger waived his right to an extradition hearing. Read on for a recap of the day's events in downtown Stroudsburg.
Who is Bryan Kohberger?What we know about the Poconos man arrested in the slaying of 4 University of Idaho students
Major news outlets set up shop in Monroe County
News crews from CNN, Court TV, ABC, and numerous other outlets crowded Courthouse Square setting up tents on the grass across from the entrance of the courthouse.
Elena Munro, co-owner of Seventh Street Coffee noticed an uptick of traffic in her quaint shop.
“A lot of reporters and their staffing crew have been coming in. They’ve been very nice, they’re using the bathroom, drying off and using the WIFI. Most of our traffic is from the courthouse anyway. It’s not like the street closure really affected us too much. If anything, it’s more traffic for the morning.”
@poconorecord Pocono Record is on the scene at the #bryankohberger hearing at Courthouse Square in #stroudsburg ♬ original sound - PoconoRecord
Murno did notice local TV reporters from outlets such as WNEP and WFMZ.
Staff at the PennStroud at the corner of Main and North 7th streets near Courthouse Square said reporters had checked out from the hotel Tuesday morning.
Road closures in Stroudsburg impact locals
Roads were closed in Stroudsburg Borough near the Courthouse due to the anticipated increase in media presence.
Not all business owners welcomed the onslaught of traffic and road closures.
Amanda Beam, owner of Pocono Soap, said the weekend was busier, but she suspects it was more to do with tourists and visitors as opposed to anything to do with the hearing.
“Today is absolutely dead. This has absolutely halted business for us. It’s very inconvenient,” Beam said.
Quiet Pocono Mountains draws media attention after Kohberger arrest
Court TV legal corespondent Julia Jenaé hasn’t visited the Poconos, a popular vacation destination, since she was a child.
“It’s still beautiful. I hate to be here for something like this, but wow, this is intense.”
Jenaé, who is based in Atlanta, normally thinks of the Poconos as a calm, quiet getaway.
“It’s almost private in a sense when you think about busy cities. It’s intense to see how many people (newscasters) were able to get here when this all happen over a holiday weekend.”
She added that traffic into Indian Mountain Lakes Community, where Kohberger was apprehended early Friday, was backed up upwards of a mile due to traffic once the news had broke.
“I haven’t seen anything quite like that recently." Jenaé continued. "It makes me think of Casey Anthony, and those kind of cases where people just descend on it because they’re so interested. It just reminds me that this has been a high priority for a lot of people online. They’re very interested in this case.”
Kohberger waives hearing
By 2:30 p.m., reporters and onlookers were ushered into the Monroe County Courthouse ahead of Kohberger's hearing.
The defense team took its place on the right side of a packed courtroom. A designated reporters' section was completely filled by 3:20 p.m. and courthouse staff had to add additional sections in the back of the room.
Kohberger's parents and two sisters arrived at around 3 p.m. and were seen to console each other. Public Defender Jason LaBar could be seen debriefing the family ahead of Kohberger's arrival in court. The prosecution team, police officers and other law enforcement as well as spectators were seated on the left side of the room.
The family released a statement via Kohberger's attorney on Sunday voicing sympathy for the families of the four slain University of Idaho students, the Associated Press reported.
His parents, Michael and Maryann, and his two older sisters, Amanda and Melissa, said in the statement that they “care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them.”
Kohberger entered the Monroe County courtroom at around 3:24 p.m., dressed in a red jumpsuit.
Besides the occasional whisper, the courtroom was nearly silent.
Kohberger looked back at the throng of reporters before acknowledging his family with a nod. He was seen to be looking to his mother while listening to his legal team.
Judge Margherita Patti Worthington entered the courtroom at 3:30 p.m. Worthington reminded everyone present that the hearing was strictly about extradition and not about the actual crime.
Worthington debriefed Kohberger on what rights he was giving up by waiving extradition, and explained his option to turn it down, as well as what would happen after his arrival in Idaho.
When asked whether his waiving was voluntary or coerced, Kohberger acknowledged that he made the decision voluntarily, and that he was not coerced or manipulated. He also acknowledged that extradition was in his best interest and that he was of sound mind and body.
The court accepted his waiver after he signed it. Kohberger looked back at his family once more before he was escorted out. His mother covered her face as she left he courtroom.
By 3:40 p.m., sheriffs deputies addressed cameras in the courthouse hallway to note that proceedings had finished. Kohberger waived his extradition hearing, as expected. The move was hinted at by his public defender over the weekend.
Several deputies, some wearing green Kevlar vests over their uniforms, escorted Kohberger from the courtroom and through the halls by 3:45 p.m.
'Close to home'
At the press conference following Kohberger’s extradition hearing, state police and Monroe County District Attorney Michael Mancuso thanked all parties involved with apprehending Kohberger.
Little information was available regarding Kohberger’s transportation to Idaho, though police did confirm he would be transported within 10 calendar days.
“We have safety concerns any time you move somebody from a secure prison to another place. There won’t be an announcement from the state police in terms of those logistics, but they are being worked on right now,” PSP Commissioner Colonel Robert Evanchick said.
Members of the press attempted to raise questions about the details of the case in Idaho, posing queries about whether he knew the victims or not, though Pennsylvania authorities only discussed the details of Kohberger’s arrest.
A group of East Stroudsburg University students who spent time in Courthouse Square during the chaos of the day expressed both interest and concern about the case and the victims involved.
“It’s sad because they were just graduating, they were just starting their lives, they were just branching out, they were just coming out of college, and now someone just decided ‘Let me take your life,’” Xiomara Torres, 20, said.
When asked about Kohberger’s arrest in the Poconos, Mancuso, who expressed sympathy for the victims, said “I was surprised. Really, Monroe County, of all places? It hits close to home. It’s a normal human reaction, I think, under the circumstances.”
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Crowds gather in Pocono Mountains for Idaho murders hearing
