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July 27, 2023 · 11:42 am

Could you produce an alibi in the middle of the night?

Much of the last week or so involving the Idaho 4 case has been centered around whether defendant Bryan Kohberger would be able to produce an airtight alibi. That is for his whereabouts during the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

Of course it was during that time period that four University of Idaho students were brutally murdered in their off-campus home at 1122 King Road.

As it turns out this week, Kohberger and his defense team did not give a clear-cut alibi as to where the defendant was during the time period in question.

Instead, Kohberger’s defense team put out a response in a two-page court document that their client has evidence to corroborate he in fact was at a location other than where the murders took place. Lead attorney Anne Taylor and her team concluded by noting that such details will at a later date (assuming they mean the trial) be provided pursuant to discovery and evidentiary rules along with the necessary statutory requirements.

So, this begs the question of could you produce an alibi in the middle of the night if asked to by a court of law, the police and so on?

Given authorities think the murders took place somewhere in the 4 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. time period of Nov. 13, many want to know where the former Washington State University teaching assistant was at that time and in the hours leading up to then and immediately after.

Face it; most people are either home in bed or at least home during that time period, coming or going to work, at work, or perhaps coming in from a very late night out.

Being able to produce an alibi, especially in the event you do not live with anyone, could be a tricky proposition. As such, some may suspect you in fact did do something that you should not have done.

While four students were murdered in the home on Nov. 13, two others survived.

Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke were lucky enough to live and tell their stories. Well, tell a portion of their stories or more apt story.

It was Mortensen in a PCA to authorities who said she was awoken no less than three times during the night to noise in the home. She ultimately reported that she saw a figure clad in dark clothing and wearing a mask walk right by her second floor bedroom door as she looked out one final time.

As for Funke, we’ve not been given much in the way of what she might have seen or heard. It stands to reason such details will come out at trial.

Online rumors have speculated that Funke may in fact have exculpatory information that could help Kohberger back up his reported innocence. Once again, such details if true will have to wait until the trial.

In the meantime, ask yourself if you would have no problem whatsoever producing a firm alibi during that time of the day if asked to do so.

Odds are many people would not find it quite as easy as they might think.

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July 26, 2023 · 11:17 am

Time for Facebook to say no more bullying

Having been a journalist for 34 years now, I’ve seen a lot in my professional lifetime.

While I have covered many events and been a part of countless things that made me proud, there have been some other things that I do not relish having witnessed or been present for in some capacity.

The murders last November of four University of Idaho students at an off-campus home in Moscow has been riveting, mind-boggling, and most of all sad. The case has garnered attention not only in this country but a number of others as seen by the social media interest.

When it comes to the social media interest, I have seen the good and bad that social networking has brought to the case.

One of the bad things it has done is opened up a door for bullying.

Yes, there are some out there who have turned a blind eye to online bullying as it relates to this tragic case.

A group calling itself University of Idaho Murders – Case Discussion has what it says is more than 222,000 members in its ranks. Honestly, I’d be surprised if it is in the several thousands. Whenever I would check in on the group I’d see pretty much the same several dozen or so individuals posting again and again and again.

As a member of this group for a number of months, I found myself giving my two cents on these tragic deaths and what I think happened, how the case may turn out and so on. Trust me, with more than three decades in the news business, I have as thick a coat of skin as pretty much anyone out there. I can handle the jabs, barbs and more. I’ve been told to get a life, that in fact I was not a journalist, that I was a Bryan Kohberger fan boy and more.

In recent weeks, there had been a notable uptick in bullying, sarcasm, the inability to act like adults, have common decency for one another and more.

Just this week, someone posted this drawing (below) of what a female killer supposedly looked like. The inference among other things was that there were some crazy women in this particular FB group. Sorry, but I do not find this funny in the least. Four students are dead, their families will never be the same and more. You think this kind of commenting/depiction is somehow humorous? Yet, the administrator (Alina Smith) let it fly. Thankfully, FB has since taken the comment down. There have been countless other comments and images that did not come down that were crude to say the least and yet Ms. Smith let them stay up. Why might you ask? At the end of the day, anything that painted an individual seeking a fair trial for the defendant was ridiculed and more. If it supported convicting and even sending Kohberger to death, it got a warm round of applause. This is not even to mention the administration getting donations for coffee etc. from a number of its members. While the thought may have come with good intentions, no one should be here to profit off this tragedy.

Thankfully, I have decided to move on from this particular group.

I’m far from perfect and have not always made the best choices in life.

A few choices I did get right in recent times was joining some other Idaho 4 groups.

Groups such as Justice for Bryan Kohberger and Idaho 4 All Respect No Hate Discussion welcomed me in with open arms. I’d like to think with more than three decades of covering news that I can bring some valuable insight to these groups as we discuss this tragedy. On the flip side of the coin, I’ve met online some amazing people to date in both of these groups. We may not all always see entirely eye to eye on the case, but there is no bullying, intimidation, sarcastic laugh emojis when you try and give your viewpoint and more.

Moving forward, I hope Facebook looks at the University of Idaho Murders – Case Discussion and says enough is enough.

At the end of the day, no one should be left to feel bullied, harassed, intimidated and more because they want to give an opinion on a case that has impacted all of us in some form or another.

With that in mind, hopefully we all can have respectful conversations moving forward. I will also do better on my end to understand where some people are coming from with opinions etc. I may not necessarily agree with. We all want justice for Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

I know at least in the groups I’m in now that respect is and will continue to be the law of the land.

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July 25, 2023 · 9:50 pm

Should Dylan and Bethany figure on testifying?

The clamor over the last few days is would defendant Bryan Kohberger come forward with an alibi for his whereabouts last Nov. 13, 2022 in the early morning hours. That is when four University of Idaho students were slain at 1122 King Road?

In the news over the last 24 hours, it was reported that Kohberger’s defense counsel, according to FOX News, “continues investigating and preparing his case.” His lawyers also said they have “[e]vidence corroborating” the suspect being at a location other than the crime scene at 1122 King Road in Moscow — an off-campus house where three of the four victims lived — when the murders occurred on Nov. 13, 2022.

So, those already thinking Kohberger is guilty and convicting him in the world of social media, obviously will not like the above response. They will simply say this is Kohberger’s team directly or indirectly saying he in fact has no alibi.

If you stop for a moment and put your commonsense thinking cap on, how many people in such a position would have their own alibi clad in stone?

Most people in the time frame authorities allege the murders took place (4-4:30 p.m. ish) would either be at home asleep, coming in from a very late night out on the town, going to or from a job or in fact working and so on. The idea that an individual would be able to clearly put forth an alibi is not as simple as it may seem.

With that in mind, you either think it is conceivable he did what he stands accused of or you think it is not possible he was close to 1122 King Road when the quadruple killings took place.

In wondering if Kohberger will get called by the defense to testify in his own behalf, I would say chances of that are slim to none now. Of course, things can always change as time goes by. It is important to keep in mind that if he would choose to get up on the stand, he opens himself up to a lot of potential cross-examination by prosecutors.

While it is highly unlikely Kohberger comes up with a detailed alibi or testifies in his own behalf, I would bet survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke will end up on the witness stand when we get to the trial. That trial is slated to begin Oct. 2 as of now.

It was Mortensen in the PCA stating she was frozen in place after seeing a figure in dark clothes and a mask walk right by the outside of her second floor bedroom sometime between 4 ish – 4:30 ish a.m. Just down the hall from that room is where the bodies of tenant Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin were found deceased. One floor up, both Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were also discovered dead.

What Mortensen and Funke may know from that carnage will likely be questioned at the trial by lead defense attorney Anne Taylor and her team.

As I have repeatedly said, I’m not accusing either of taking part in the tragic killings. I do, however, think one or both know more than they have let on.

If you were the defense team and you get to call Mortensen and Funke to the stand under penalty for lying, what one question would you want either of them to answer?

Among questions I would have:

  • What did you see and hear while the murders were taking place?
  • Have you ever met or had multiple encounters with Bryan Kohberger?
  • Have there ever been illegal drugs in the home during your time there?
  • Is there anyone you can think of who’d want to hurt any of your roommates?
  • Did you see or hear/talk to any of the deceased when they first got home early that morning? If so, how did such discussions go?
  • Why did you wait close to eight hours before calling 9-1-1?
  • Are either of you friends with Emma Bailey or Demetrius Robinson?

Safe to say we are likely in for quite a trial.

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July 23, 2023 · 2:11 pm

What is your biggest question involving the Idaho 4 killings?

We all have questions involving the tragic quadruple murders of four University of Idaho students last November.

Whether you follow the case regularly or check in here and there, odds are you wonder about differing aspects of the case.

To say this is a puzzling case would be an understatement.

Thankfully, it is not everyday that four young and healthy adults are slain in a matter of minutes in their off-campus rental home. What went down that morning at 1122 King Road is still a mystery to many of us following the case.

With that in mind, here are but a few of the questions I have still some eight months later:

  • Did Bryan Kohberger do it? – I have gone back and forth on this one for months. Part of me says he’s involved in some manner. Whether there on a drug deal gone sour or part of a bigger plan to take out four young adults, one could argue there are too many coincidences for BK not to have played some role here. On the other side of the coin, he could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, it is a possibility. The touch DNA on the sheath left behind will be argued in court when the defense team brings in its own DNA experts. As for the phone pinging and vehicle reportedly at and around the home, it sure does not look good. Having said such a thing, a good defense attorney can explain away these things. Yes, I believe Anne Taylor is such an attorney. Time will tell if the jurors buy what she and her team are selling.
  • Where were the two surviving roommates? – One of the top questions I hear and see from online sleuths would be where were Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke during this tragedy? According to the PCA released a few months back, Mortensen was in a second floor bedroom (down a ways from victim Xana Kernodle and right below the third floor room of victim Maddie Mogen) and opened her door on three different occasions. As such, one can interpret that she was not asleep in the lead up to and the actual killings. If she has been sound asleep, she’d not reported seeing a figure in black and with a mask on pass by her door after opening it the final time. Let me ask you, is it common for masked individuals to be in your home between 4 ish and 4:30 ish a.m.? If you say yes, I question the kind of home and environment you live in. Seeing such a figure should have set off alarm bells in this young woman’s head. If nothing else, go check on your fellow roommates once the coast was clear to do so. If you could not wake any of them after knocking on their bedroom doors several times and texts or calls went unanswered, by all means call 911. Part two, was Funke sleeping through all this terror? There are reports she and Mortensen were in factor texting one another during the time period in question. While police reportedly confiscated both their phones, were burner phones in play by any chance?
  • How could none of the neighbors not seen or heard anything? – I went to 1122 King Road back in late May. Walking around the outside of the home and through the immediate neighborhood, it is much more compact than what you may gather from TV or online pics and video. So, how could NO ONE nearby not heard or seen anything? I get it is a college neighborhood and that can mean young adults passed out from a Saturday night of partying etc. Still, you mean to tell me absolutely no one nearby heard any screams, saw people coming and going at the home etc.? Sorry, but I think one or more people know something and are afraid to or purposelhy won’t come forward for any number of reasons.
  • Were drugs the motive for these deaths? – Last; one of if not the touchiest subjects along with the two surviving roommates would be the possibility of drugs being in play. We know for a fact that the stepmom of Maddie Mogen and the biological mom of Kernodle have drugs pasts and records. It is also know the defendant has a drug past. So, it is by no means a wild stretch of the mind to think these deaths involved drugs in some manner. Anyone kind enough to read my posts these last few months knows I have harped on the Moscow Police Department narrative of BK stalking one or more of the female victims. Put your commonsense thinking caps on folks. If you are going to stalk one or more college women, why on Earth try and break into a home full of healthy and fit young individuals in the middle of the night? You are playing with fire that there could be multiple people awake in the home, a gun could be there, a dog and more. If you had a fixation on one or more of these young college ladies, would you not try and kidnap them at the perfect opportunity? This could be walking to and from class, out for a jog, going to or from the grocery store etc. It makes little to no sense to try and break in the home at 4 ish in the morning and grab them. And please don’t tell me that BK was trying to emulate Bundy or some other notable killer. Given all the tragic and twisted terror Bundy created decades ago, BK is no TB.

As we await trial down the road, what questions do you have about the case?

Please feel free to share them here and thank you for reading.

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July 21, 2023 · 9:28 pm

Are Dylan and Bethany being treated unfairly?

As we just recently passed the eight month anniversary of the killings of four University of Idaho students at 1122 King Road on Nov. 13, 2022, the story still remains fresh in the minds of many.

One of the central focal points of this tragedy continues to be the two young women who were not killed in the early morning hours of Nov. 13. That would be Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.

As I said in another of my recent posts, I’m happy that the two were not also killed on that tragic morning. We could have been talking about six deaths instead of four had things played out differently.

With that in mind, here we are only a few months away from the tragic one year anniversary and with any hope at all a trial before that.

It stands to reason that one or both ladies will be called to be testify when we get to trial point in this case.

Keep in mind it was Mortensen in the PCA who said she saw an individual clad in black and wearing a mask with bushy eyebrows walk right by her second floor bedroom. So stunned by the sight, Mortensen said she went into a frozen state of shock. Heck, most people would be startled to some degree to see such a thing in a home they figured they’re safe in.

Meantime, it was assumed that Funke slept through all the horror one and two floors above her. While that may well be the case, one might also question the story given all the terror that went down in such a short span of time on the second and third floors of 1122 King Road.

So, being the only two tenants of the house to emerge alive, one may question if Mortensen and Funke have been untreated unfairly by some in the media, some in town and so on.

I think it is important to find a healthy balance here. No one should have to be in a home where one and let alone four of their friends are murdered in cold blood and be expected to emerge unscathed. On the flip side of the coin, it is only natural that authorities and the public in general would have questions of the two survivors.

There have been photos of late on social media of Funke in particular out and about in California. Among them was at a San Francisco Giants game and with friends in San Diego. Yes, a long distance from Moscow, Idaho where she was a student less than a year ago.

Now, I have zero issue with both Funke and Mortensen going about living their lives. As long as they truthfully testify at trial if called upon to do so, we can’t expect much more out of them.

Having said this, is it fair for people to snap pictures of them out in public months later? What I am asking simply is are they both hands off or do people have a right to be curious?

Unless it is proven down the road that one or both had a hand in the killings of their friends, both women should be allowed to go about living their lives.

With that in mind, do you think the ladies are fair game for pictures and respectful public comment when seen out and about? If not, why do you think the two key figures who’ve lived through a quadruple murder should be hands off?

Share your thoughts here and thank you as always for reading.

Photo credit: The Independent

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July 20, 2023 · 10:10 pm

Random attack or something more sinister?

The murders of four University of Idaho students last November continues to garner a fair amount of coverage and dialogue.

Given how heinous the killings were, many following the case will stay right with it through the trial and until a verdict is reached.

If alleged killer Bryan Kohberger goes on trial as scheduled Oct. 2 or even should it be delayed, one of the big focuses will be a motive.

So, do you think the alleged killer stalked and scoped out this home and one or more of the female residents in particular? Or, are you of the mindset that this was a random attack that could have happened at any number of other off-campus house rentals in Moscow?

For me, I do buy into the theory that this was a planned attack. My question, however, is who planned the attack and of course ultimately carried it out?

While some buy into the stalker theory and that Kohberger was fixated on one or more of the young women in the home, others see something different.

When it comes to my theories, I still lean towards the theory that this was either a drug deal gone bad or a drug hit. I can’t to this day get the words out of my mind when Maddie tells Kaylee as they walk in downtown Moscow that she told Adam (believed to be the bartender at the Corner Club) everything. I seriously doubt that was a conversation regarding boys. To me, it involved something much more sinister.

If you do not like the drug angle here, what about something starting the tragic chain of events when Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were at the food truck (pictured above) before heading home?

While ordering food, Goncalves seems to be pretty in control of herself. Looking at Mogen, it is rather clear she is drunk or on something as she looks like she’s going to stumble a time or two. Hey, nothing wrong with living it up in college. I’m simply saying that I am happy both young ladies were driven home and did not attempt to make the short drive from the truck to 1122 King Road.

In the event you have seen the well-circulated video of Mogen and Goncalves at the food truck, there is a point in the video where Mogen angrily points her finger at a male subject behind her and her best friend KG.

Now, what was said to get Mogen so fired up? Did something happen earlier at the Corner Club bar to lead to this verbal altercation?

Once Goncalves and Mogen have their orders, off they go. A male subject does in fact follow them, at least that is until the video cuts out.

Yes, there has been a ton of speculation these last eight months on who the person or persons might be responsible in the deaths of Mogen, Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.

While I am not big on the term conspiracy theorist, I do believe the four deaths were planned to some degree and carried out by more than one individual. Could BK be involved? He absolutely could, Could others (possibly fellow U of I students) have had it in for the four or at least one or more and the others sadly were collateral damage? By all means that is a possibility.

As we inch a little closer to trial, don’t be shocked if there are a few twists and turns along the way.

With that in mind, do you think this was a random killing (s) or something much more sinister?

Photo credit: Daily Mail

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July 19, 2023 · 9:22 pm

What might Dylan and Bethany know?

If you know the Idaho 4, you’ve have heard of Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke.

The two were the surviving roommates from the house of horrors on Nov. 13, 2022 known as 1122 King Road.

I want to make it crystal clear before going any further that I am delighted both Mortensen and Funke survived the bloodshed. Imagine for a moment if they had not and we would be talking about an entire home full of tenants being wiped out.

Now, given both survived, questions continue to surface on what the two may know about that fateful early morning when Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and guest Ethan Chapin were slain on two different floors.

As stated in the probable cause affidavit, Mortensen claimed she saw a black clothed figure with a mask on and bushy eyebrows pass right by her second floor bedroom sometime around 4:15-4:25 a.m. From there, it is assumed the suspect then exited the home through the kitchen slider door. Mortensen reportedly went into a state of frozen shock and locked her bedroom door.

It was not until 11:58 that morning a 9-1-1 call was placed to local authorities. The call claimed there was an unresponsive tenant and help was sent. Of course we now know that Moscow Police located two bodies on the second floor and two on the top floor. All had been stabbed to death in one degree or another.

Again, thankfully both Mortensen and Funke survived.

So, what might one or both may know about the murders?

If you are in certain Facebook chat groups, you are not even remotely allowed to question the whereabouts, actions or even in-actions of both young women. Nope, it is hands off and don’t you dare send any negative or even questionable vibes their way.

Well, I have questions given this is a quadruple murder investigation and we are led to believe that both women were home at the time!

Among them:

  • How could you not hear screams and more? – Given Mortensen was in the bedroom below where Mogen and Goncalves died and the Boise native was only yards away from Kernodle’s second floor bedroom, how could she not hear anything unusual? Yes, any of us who were in college and lived in dorms or rentals know things get can a little wild, especially on a Saturday night. Even having thrown that fact into the mix, I find it hard to believe Mortensen did not hear more than the reported crying she stated hearing coming from Kernodle’s room. Sorry, but I am not buying what the MPD and prosecutors are selling.
  • Where was Funke during all of this? – Funke, who reportedly has since transferred out of the University of Idaho to another school, was said to be sleeping in her first floor bedroom, when this all went down. You could make an argument it would be harder for her to hear things, especially if she might have had earbuds in, been passed out etc. The fact that the defense team wanted to talk to Funke the other month raises my curiosity. What does the defense think Funke might be able to do for their client?
  • Would an immediate 9-1-1- call made a difference? – As everyone else it seems has done for eight months, I am speculating with the following. I think once we get to trial and have a relaxed gag order we will know a lot more. So, my speculation is that Kernodle did not die instantly like one, two or all three others may have. Given it is assumed Kernodle put up the biggest fight of the four victims, I speculate that the cries Mortensen said she heard coming from that bedroom was Xana in pain and calling out for help. A neighbor’s audio system reportedly picks up a thud from that side of the 1122 King Road home around 4:17 a.m. or so (we do not know the precise timeline in much of this case even now). My thought is the thud is Kernodle trying to get up and passing out from losing blood. I speculate she bled to death in her room. Much like one of the two deceased teachers in the Uvalde shooting last year, what if help had gotten there sooner? The difference between Uvalde and Moscow is that in the former, police and EMT’s were already on the scene but police stood around as more died before finally killing the shooter. In Moscow, once the coast was clear for Mortensen to go check on Kernodle after hearing crying, time could have made a difference. Stopping the bleeding and getting the victim stabilized before transport to a hospital would have been critical. Kernodle may well have passed in the home anyhow, but I will always wonder if she would have had a fighting chance with a much sooner 9-1-1 call.

Again, some will read this and call it victim shaming. No, these are legit things to think about.

What Mortensen and Funke know about that early morning needs to be gone over with a fine tooth comb when we get to trial. Not doing so would be a disservice to the four deceased among other things.

So, would you have questions for both survivors if given the chance to ask them?

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July 18, 2023 · 9:26 pm

Does Idaho have a strong case against Kohberger?

In looking 8 months back now at the murders of the four University of Idaho students and the arrest just before New Year’s Day of this year of 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger in Pennsylvania, where does the case stand?

While the targeted start date of the trial is Monday, Oct. 2, don’t be shocked if that gets pushed back by weeks or even into 2024.

So, with what you know now from media reports and other such sources, how strong of a case would you say Idaho has against the defendant?

In looking at the case to date, there are arguments for both sides to make that they should feel confident getting the verdict they want at the end of the day.

With that in mind, let’s look at both sides and what they have going for them.

Prosecution –

  • The state is leaning on the touch DNA it said it found on the knife sheath left behind by the killer/s. The sheath reportedly had touch DNA on the snap portion and was found in bed with victims Maddie Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. After testing was done, the state is quite confident that touch DNA belongs to none other than Kohberger. So, what defense will the defense literally put up against such evidence? My guess is they go the O.J. route like Simpson’s team did several decades ago during the trial of the century. Lead defense attorney Anne Taylor will call upon the experts she brings in to refute the touch DNA. Will her efforts be successful? Time of course will tell.
  • Look for prosecutors to also go after the pinging on Kohberger’s phone both before and after murders. They will try and convince the jury that Kohberger was stalking one or more of the female residents at 1122 King Road. He supposedly shut his phone off for a sizable period time leading up to, during, and shortly after the murders. Will a jury see such inactivity on the cell phone as one piece of the he’s guilty puzzle to fill in?
  • Prosecutors will also highlight his vehicle supposedly being spotted in the area of the crimes. Much like the cell phone matter, the state will go hard on the white Elantra being seen very close to the home not only the morning of the murders, but others points in time. It will be up to the defense to refute this. One argument could be BK was in fact in the area but that does not mean he entered the home and murdered four college students.
  • Finally, the state will focus in on allegations that BK stalked one or more of the women for months leading up to the killings. The state may or may not have phone or social media evidence that will back this up. Of course any such evidence would make it more difficult for the defense say that their client had no knowledge of or interaction with one or more of the women in the home.

Defense –

  • What will it take for BK’s team to win him a not guilty verdict or at the very least a mistrial and back to square one? One of the best arguments for the defense is that up to now and perhaps even once a trial is underway is no one has come forward to clearly say they saw Kohberger either commit the murders or for that matter be inside the home on Nov. 13, 2022. One of two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, who was on the second floor a short ways away from the room of victim Xana Kernodle, said she saw a masked figure with bushy eyebrows walk past her. The walk left her in a reported frozen state of shock. So, how many men for example in Idaho have bushy eyebrows? Translation is the state won’t get too far if it tries to say that was Kohberger who Mortensen spotted.
  • In questioning and even discrediting one or both roommates, the defense needs to walk a fine line when it comes to calling one or both survivors (Bethany Funke was the other one) to the witness stand. While Mortensen’s description of what she saw and heard is shaky at best, you do not want to come across as victim-shaming. Doing so could upset some or many on the jury panel. Even with that to think about, by all means the defense should call the two survivors to the stand. Mortensen especially has some things to answer to in terms of what she supposedly saw and heard, why she did not go check on Xana Kernodle only yards away from her when safe to do so and more.
  • Given this is a death penalty case, the state will have to prove even more so that it has the right guy. While the sentencing of guilt and the actual handing out of the sentence are two different things. know that the jury will likely demand even more proof that BK is the guy and not someone else. All the defense needs to do is plant a seed of doubt in the mind of one juror and we could end up back at square one as jurors gather and debate the final verdict.

If I was on the jury and asked to vote as of today, my vote would be NOT guilty.

That does not mean BK did not do it…. I just do not have enough hardcore evidence to send the man to his impending death.

With that thought in mind, would you convict if on the jury and the vote was today?

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July 16, 2023 · 12:55 pm

Do you side with prosecution or the defense as of now?

We are a few months out if not longer from the trial of the Idaho 4 beginning.

While the trial date of Oct. 2 remains, there is a good chance that date will be pushed back for any number of reasons. As such, a trial could be on hold until well into 2024.

With that in mind, one could argue that a verdict now in the minds of the people is a waste of time.

We likely do not have all of the state’s evidence, nor do we know the line of defense those defending Bryan Kohberger will take.

If I was on the jury and the trial was going on now, these are the key areas of focus for me:

  1. DNA on the knife sheath – The biggest hurdle for the defense team to climb is the reported touch DNA of the defendant found on the knife sheath in the bedroom of victim Maddie Mogen. Making a clear argument to the jurors on why they should discredit what is to now the state’s key piece of evidence is a big challenge. If Kohberger had nothing to do with the killings, why is his touch DNA reportedly on an item inches away from one of the victims in her bed? My guess is the defense will bring in its own DNA experts to try and explain in a clear manner to the jury why they should consider discrediting this find. I as a juror would need a clear explanation as to why this key find is not the smoking gun.
  2. Where is the 9-1-1 call? – If you follow murder cases or even other such tragic events, you know it is not at all uncommon for any 9-1-1 calls to be released to the public in a timely manner. We are now past the eight-month date of these killings and still no such call has been released to the public. All indications from the Moscow Police Department are that such a call was placed around noon on Nov. 13, 2022. There have been debates about whether the call came from outside or inside of the home at 1122 King Road and also if it was from a friend of the victims or one of the two surviving roommates. While the state has argued it can’t release the call now, many of us find it suspect to say the least. The same can be said for not releasing any toxicology reports on the four victims. Although the victims were not killed in say an auto accident and drunk driving was suspected, there should still have been toxicology tests done on the four. Not releasing them to the public once again fuels speculation and rumors.
  3. What is the motive? – Maybe the biggest question many of us following the case have is what the motive is. I was one of many having bought into the stalker narrative put out there by the Moscow Police Department and others early on. If you stop and put your rational thinking cap on, such a motive becomes less obvious by the week. I don’t want to beat a dead horse having noted this several times before, but breaking into a home armed only with a knife and not knowing what is waiting for you on the inside doesn’t make logical sense. How would the killer not know if several of the women had boyfriends/male buddies crashing there for the night? Be honest, would you break into someone’s home with multiple vehicles in the lot and take your chances with only a knife if you had a thing for one of the women there? I stand by my belief that this involved way more than stalking. Sadly, I think if the truth comes out we will find drugs were in play. That is NOT to say the four victims were big drug users/sellers etc. On the flip side of the coin, please don’t tell me some (not the majority) college kids do not have interactions with drugs to some degree. If you believe that they do not, I have ocean property in Nebraska I’d like to sell you.

As we await a trial down the road, could you convict Kohberger with the evidence we have to date if you were asked to offer a verdict today?

Photo credit: 6ABC

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July 15, 2023 · 12:23 pm

The most absurd things in the case to date

Sadly, we reached the eight-month milestone this week in the deaths of the Idaho 4.

When Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were murdered back on Nov. 13, 2022, little did we know this case would take its share of turns, speculation and more.

Yes, many murder cases are not all that cut and dry. There always seem to be a few twists and turns as they proceed to trial and even once the trial gets underway until it finishes.

I will say as both a journalist and an observer in general of notable crime cases that this case has become more confusing as the months go by.

Yes, I thought it was pretty safe to assume we had a 28-year-old stalker on our hands when Bryan Kohberger was first arrested and even for a while after that.

Flash-forward many months later and I feel it is much more involved than this.

IMO, this case will ultimately prove to show drugs were in play in some manner and that is what led to the deaths of these four University of Idaho students.

As we await a scheduled trial Oct. 2, though the date could well get pushed back to later in the year or even 2024, here are the 3 most absurd things I’ve found to date:

  1. IT IS COMMON TO SEE MASKED PEOPLE IN YOUR HOME AROUND 4 A.M. – When one of the two surviving roommates had her info in the probable cause affidavit released, it was noted that she saw a masked figure pass by her. Dylan Mortensen also reportedly went into a state of frozen shock if you will and closed her second floor bedroom door. Now, while I am grateful Mortensen did not end up a murder victim, her story has bothered me from day one. While her version of events that early morning may ultimately pan out, they are strange to say the least. The mask thing is what intrigues me and how so many of Mortensen’s defenders think it is perfectly normal to see a masked individual in your home around 4 a.m. I have heard from her defenders that such an individual could be one of the U of I frat guys playing a prank, COVID was still around at the time and the person was simply protecting themselves and so on. First, I doubt such a prank is going to take place at that time of the day given the potential risk it involves. Suppose one of the residents has a gun in the home and in a moment of fright in seeing a masked figure they pull the trigger. Would you wear a mask in someone’s home at that time of day in mostly if not all dark conditions for any reason other than you were trying to conceal a portion of your face? Second, how many college kids do you know wearing COVID masks in a home around 4 in the morning? Please, if you know such people, send them my way so I can interview them. Obviously this individual was trying to shield their identity IMO. Mortensen should have had alarm bells going off in her head whether she was totally sober, a little drunk, on something and so on. Sorry, but I’m not buying what the mask is normal at 4 ish in the morning in a home crowd is selling.
  2. STALKING IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE MOTIVE IN PLAY – How many individuals do you know brazen enough to walk into a strange home in the middle of the night armed with only a knife? Keep in mind there were multiple vehicles in the parking lot at 1122 King Road when the killings took place. While I would only consider taking a life in self-defense, I sure as heck would not go into a home with only a knife, not knowing what is on the other side of the door. If a gun had been used in this tragedy I would be more willing to buy the stalking angle. The killer had no idea (unless tipped off by someone) who was there that night, how many guys may have been crashing there and so on. So, you mean to tell me the defendant just strolled in there because he had an obsession with one or more of the females in the home? If this were the case, why not kidnap them? You would have ample opportunities to do this. It could be on her way to or from class, while leaving or going to a business, out for a jog or walk and so on. Unless you are already a member of the Bryan Kohberger is guilty club, you’re leaving all options on the table, including a drug hit or a drug deal gone bad.
  3. KOHBERGER CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL IN MOSCOW – While I hope I am wrong on this one, it is becoming less obvious that the defendant can get a fair trial in the town of 25,000 or so. All one has to do is go on social media and look at some of the Facebook discussion groups for instance. Some of them are loaded up with people ready to see this guy pass away following a conviction. If this were the Old West, some would have already done away with BK. Look, I want to see justice for the Idaho 4 as much as anyone. Getting to that point means we have a fair trial and the defendant is afforded all his Constitutional rights. I know that social media and the courtroom are two entirely different things. Even with that in mind, it is appalling at some of the comments I’ve read over these last number of months. For some on social media, it is guilty until proven innocent. Here is breaking news for these people frothing at the mouth for a death penalty being carried out, the defense only needs to put a sliver of doubt in the minds of the jury for there to be a mistrial or even a not guilty verdict. It is up to the state of Idaho to 100 percent convince 12 men/women that Kohberger is the only killer and that he murdered these four students. While I know we are likely to see more evidence at trial, right now I could not convict BK on what I have seen and heard. Doesn’t mean he’s not guilty, I just would not be doing my job as a member of the jury if I convicted him right now.

So, what have you found to be questionable, strange and even absurd in this case to date?

Share your thoughts and let’s talk.

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