The defense team for Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the Idaho student murders, has introduced a new element into the case: unidentified male DNA found at the crime scene. This discovery, they argue, points to the possibility of other suspects. Could this be a legitimate lead, or a calculated tactic to create doubt? Veteran criminal profiler John Kelly, founder of STALK Inc., suggests the latter, proposing that Kohberger, a criminology student at the time of the murders, might have planted the DNA to mislead investigators. Kelly points to Kohberger's reported question upon arrest – "Who else did you arrest?" – as potentially indicating a planned diversion. He speculates that Kohberger, given his academic background, would be familiar with crime scene staging techniques.
Bryan Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Pennsylvania. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
However, defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden offers an alternative explanation for Kohberger's question, suggesting it stemmed from concern for his father, who had been with him on a cross-country drive and had been subject to two police stops. Bodycam footage from one stop reveals Kohberger and his father giving a somewhat unclear account of their travels. The two unidentified male DNA samples, one from a handrail and the other from a glove found outside the house, do not match Kohberger and belong to different individuals. Defense attorney Anne Taylor argued before Judge Steven Hippler that this evidence casts doubt on Kohberger's involvement. While the judge remained unconvinced that the DNA evidence alone invalidates probable cause for arrest, given the presence of a Ka-Bar knife sheath with Kohberger's DNA found at the scene, legal experts acknowledge it could introduce reasonable doubt during the trial.
Bryan Kohberger during an Indiana police stop. (Hancock County Police Department)
The defense's focus on the unidentified DNA raises questions. Is it a genuine attempt to identify other potential perpetrators, or a strategic maneuver to deflect attention from Kohberger? Boise-based defense attorney Edwina Elcox suggests the defense may be attempting to “muddy the waters.” Even the presence of the knife sheath, a key piece of evidence for the prosecution, has been questioned by Kelly, who suggests it too could have been planted. He posits that the "USMC" marking on the sheath could be a deliberate attempt to implicate someone with military connections. However, the prosecution contends that DNA recovered from the sheath's snap matches a sample taken from Kohberger's family home. The trial, scheduled for later this year, will ultimately determine the significance of this evidence and whether it leads to reasonable doubt or reinforces the prosecution's case against Kohberger.
Final Instagram photo of the victims. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
Defense lawyer Anne Taylor at a hearing for Bryan Kohberger. (Idaho Judicial Branch)
The house at 1122 King Road in Moscow, Idaho. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Bryan Kohberger at the Latah County Courthouse. (August Frank-Pool/Getty Images)
