Judge lifts gag order in Bryan Kohberger murder case after his guilty plea
An Idaho judge opened a path for the release of more information in the murder case against Bryan Kohberger, the man who pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students.
Judge Steven Hippler lifted the longstanding gag order on July 17, clearing the way for attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement agents and others involved in the high-profile cases to speak with the media.
Hippler said the order was no longer necessary since Kohberger's guilty plea means the case will not go to trial. The sweeping order had been in place since 2023 and was challenged by dozens of news organizations claiming it violated the First Amendment rights of a free press.
Earlier in July, Kohberger, 30, pleaded guilty to the killings and accepted a plea deal consisting of four consecutive life sentences. The plea agreement, which has divided the families of the victims, allowed Kohberger to avoid the death penalty and what would have been a highly publicized trial.
Prosecutors said Kohberger, who was a criminal justice student at the time of the murders, had long planned the attack that killed Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20. The students were found dead in a rental house near the University of Idaho campus on Nov. 13, 2022.
Investigators said DNA evidence, cell phone records and surveillance footage tied Kohberger to the stabbings that shocked the campus community and horrified the residents of Moscow, a quiet college town in northern Idaho.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for late July.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)