Words That Can't Be Said: The Idaho Murder Trial

A big decision has been made in the upcoming murder trial of Bryan Kohberger. The judge has said that the words "psychopath" and "sociopath" can't be used. This is because the defense team thinks these words could unfairly influence the jury. The trial is about the deaths of four University of Idaho students in 2022. The judge, Steven Hippler, is setting the rules for a trial that will start in August and could last three months. The defense team wanted to exclude many pieces of evidence. They argued that certain phrases and evidence could prejudice the jury against their client. However, the judge did not agree to exclude all of their requests. For example, the defense wanted to exclude the phrase "touch" or "contact" DNA, but the judge refused. He advised the attorneys not to underestimate the jury's intelligence. Kohberger has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. The defense team also wanted to exclude Kohberger's Amazon purchase history, which allegedly shows him buying the knife used in the murders. The judge allowed this evidence but said the defense could argue that someone else might have used his account. The defense team also wanted to exclude any mention of Kohberger's autism-related characteristics. They argued that jurors might confuse these characteristics with a lack of remorse. The judge agreed that these characteristics could not be used as an aggravating factor in the death penalty phase. However, he said the defense could discuss Kohberger's autism spectrum disorder during the trial to help jurors understand his testimony. Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 at his parents' house in Pennsylvania. Detectives used various pieces of evidence, including camera footage, cellphone records, and DNA from a genealogy website, to build their case. The defense plans to introduce their own cellphone records to prove Kohberger's location on the night of the murders. The trial will take place in Boise, not Moscow, where the murders occurred. This decision was made because of the high emotions and extensive media coverage in the Moscow community. The judge noted that while some coverage was neutral, much of it was sensationalized and prejudicial to Kohberger.