State of Idaho v. Bryan C. Kohberger

CASE SUMMARY & BACKGROUND

A high-profile criminal prosecution involving the brutal stabbing deaths of four university students with a military-style KA-BAR knife in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022. The FBI and local law enforcement identified criminology PhD student Bryan Kohberger using Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) to analyze single-source touch DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene. Initially pursuing the death penalty, the case resulted in four consecutive life sentences without parole after Kohberger entered a guilty plea in July 2025. In July 2026, the defendant initiated post-conviction relief proceedings to withdraw his plea and seek a retrial. (Ada County Case No. CR01-24-31665, formerly Latah County Case No. CR29-22-2805)