(Scypre.com) – The legal team representing Bryan Kohberger, who is a suspect in the Idaho college student murders, has raised concerns about the proceedings. Instead of challenging the expert witness called by the defense during the trial, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson took an unusual step by alerting the FBI to investigate her.
This decision came after the expert, Gabriella Vargas, provided testimony related to DNA evidence on August 18. Kohberger’s defense team claimed that days later, FBI agents visited Vargas to question her about her testimony and the contents of her declaration. Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s lead defense attorney, expressed concern that this investigation could impact her client’s due process rights.
Thompson submitted a sealed explanation for the FBI’s involvement, but some details have emerged during court proceedings. According to Thompson, he became aware through colleagues that Vargas might have been retracting or revising some of her courtroom statements.
This prompted Thompson to request the FBI’s involvement to clarify the situation. Vargas reportedly stated that she may have agreed to or signed her declaration without fully reading it.
The expert testimony also encountered issues related to PowerPoint slides, leading prosecutors to request a delay in cross-examination during an August 23 hearing.
This incident resurfaced when Thompson chose not to cross-examine Vargas and another DNA expert. Tracy Walder, a former FBI agent, noted that such a decision is unusual in legal proceedings.
Bryan Kohberger is facing charges in connection with the murders of four college students who were stabbed to death during a home invasion attack on November 13, 2022. He was pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University at the time.
The victims, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were all close friends in their early twenties. Kohberger was arrested on December 30, 2022, at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, where the alleged suspect vehicle was seized, and familial DNA was found in the trash. Prosecutors claim this DNA matches a sample recovered from a knife sheath found under one of the victims, Madison Mogen.
Bryan Kohberger faces four charges of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, with the possibility of facing the death penalty if convicted. Judge John Judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger’s behalf during his arraignment in May. The trial, initially scheduled for October, has been postponed after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial last month.