Judge maintains death penalty as possible punishment for Bryan Kohberger despite autism diagnosis
- On April 24, 2025, a judge decided that prosecutors may pursue the death penalty against 30-year-old Bryan Kohberger if he is found guilty of the 2022 fatal stabbings of four students from the University of Idaho in Moscow.
- This ruling follows Kohberger's recent diagnosis of mild autism spectrum disorder, which his attorneys argued should exempt him from capital punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
- The judge found Kohberger's autism was not equivalent to an intellectual disability, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent that only intellectual disability precludes the death penalty, though autism may mitigate sentencing.
- The defense wrote that Kohberger's autism reduces his culpability and risks wrongful conviction, while prosecutors linked Kohberger to the crime via DNA on a knife sheath found at the scene of the Nov. 13, 2022 murders.
- Kohberger's trial, set to begin in August 2025 in Boise, Idaho, will determine his guilt and sentencing, with the death penalty remaining a possible punishment despite his autism diagnosis.
186 Articles
186 Articles
Judge Rules Death Penalty Still an Option for Bryan Kohberger Despite Autism Diagnosis
In a significant legal decision, an Idaho judge has ruled that prosecutors can pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger if he is convicted of the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students. This decision comes despite Kohberger’s recent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Kohberger, 30, is accused of fatally stabbing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves at an off-campus residence in Moscow, Id…
Judge rules on death penalty in University of Idaho murders case
A judge ruled Thursday that prosecutors can pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger if he is convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, despite the defendant’s recent autism diagnosis.
TikTok says a woman named Rochelle Boring is throwing heart hands at guadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger in court
Accused quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger has an alleged fangirl, according to TikTok: a woman several posts say is named Rochelle Boring who, at a recent Kohberger court appearance, threw heart hands and made kissy faces at Kohberger when someone took her picture. Otherwise, it’s unclear who she is. It’s also uncertain whether she made those expressions at Kohberger or perhaps at the camera. TikTok is certain, however, that Kohberger — accused…
Major ruling in Idaho murders case l FOX 10 Talks
A judge ruled that prosecutors can pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger if he is convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, despite the defendant’s recent autism diagnosis, the Associated Press reported. Jurors will also be able to see text messages the two surviving roommates sent around the time of the attack, after 4 a.m., when one reported seeing a masked man in the house, the judge said. FOX 10's Ron Hoon,…


Judge keeps death penalty on the table for Bryan Kohberger regardless of autism diagnosis
Bryan Kohberger, charged with the stabbing deaths of four Idaho college students in 2022, will not be spared from the death penalty regardless of his recent autism diagnosis, a judge ruled. Judge Steven Hippler ruled that Kohberger is not disqualified…
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