(NewsNation) — The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November is expected to appear in an Idaho courtroom for the first time Thursday facing four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary.
Bryan Kohberger’s return to the state also means that the court can unseal the probable cause affidavit, which will have information about what led to Kohberger’s arrest.
The 28-year-old doctoral student at Washington State University arrived in Moscow on Wednesday evening after flying under armed guard from Pennsylvania. He was then taken to the Latah County Jail in Moscow.
The public release of court documents could shed some light on Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson’s reasons for accusing Kohberger in the Nov. 13 stabbing deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin and answer key questions about how authorities built a case against him.
Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ home in eastern Pennsylvania last week and agreed to be extradited to Idaho. His attorney Jason LaBar said Kohberger was eager to be exonerated and described him as “an ordinary guy.” The attorney said that Kohberger would be represented by the chief public defender in Idaho’s Kootenai County upon his return to the state.
He appeared in court Tuesday where he waived extradition, telling the judge he is not on any medication that would impact his decision-making. Kohberger nodded to his family seated in the front row. His mother cried as his sister comforted her.
The Moscow Police Department also announced a Latah County judge issued a gag order in the case, barring law enforcement personnel and attorneys from talking about it.
Meanwhile, Kohberger apparently stayed in Pullman, Washington, through the end of the semester at WSU. Then he drove across country to his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, accompanied by his father. They were in a white Hyundai Elantra.
While driving through Indiana, Kohberger was pulled over twice on the same day — first by a Hancock County Sheriff’s deputy and a few minutes later by an Indiana state trooper.
Body camera video of the first stop released by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office shows Kohberger behind the wheel and his father in the passenger seat on Dec. 15. Both men told the law enforcement officer that they were traveling from WSU before the officer sent them on their way with a warning for following too closely.
The Indiana State Police released bodycam footage of the second stop. The agency said that at the time, there was no information available to the trooper that would have identified Kohberger as a suspect in the killings. Kohberger was again given a warning for following too closely.
Tune into the NewsNation Special Report: Idaho Murder Mystery on Sunday at 9 PM EST/8 PM CST. Senior National correspondent Brian Entin will be LIVE in Moscow, Idaho sharing stories from a community on edge amid the desperate search for a killer.
