Accused killer Bryan Kohberger appeared in court on Friday, just six weeks before his scheduled trial for the murder of four University of Idaho students. The defense team had motioned to stay the proceedings, claiming a failure in the jury selection process, but the judge denied their request. The defense also raised concerns about the jury selection questionnaires and requested additional evidence related to a DNA sample found on a knife sheath at the crime scene. Meanwhile, a family member of one of the victims, Kaylee Goncalves, was seen wearing a t-shirt promoting the firing squad death penalty, which Kohberger could face if convicted.

During the hearing, the defense raised questions about the DNA evidence, specifically requesting more information about DNA samples from three unidentified males found at the crime scene. Defense attorney Anne Taylor argued that the prosecution had provided the DNA discovery for the knife sheath but not the other samples. Prosecutors, on the other hand, maintained that they had given the defense all the evidence they had received from the lab and could not produce evidence that did not exist.

The four victims, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, were found stabbed to death at an off-campus home in Moscow on November 13, 2022. Kohberger, a Ph.D. criminology student at Washington State University, was arrested in late December following a six-week investigation. In May, he was indicted on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary.

The prosecution has alleged that DNA evidence connects Kohberger to the crime scene. Investigators collected trash from Kohberger's family home in Pennsylvania and obtained his father's DNA profile, which was found to be a familial match to the DNA on the knife sheath. A DNA sample taken from Bryan Kohberger himself after his arrest was also found to be a near-match to the DNA on the sheath.

In court filings, Kohberger's defense team argued that he is innocent and provided an alibi, claiming he was out driving alone at the time of the murders. However, criminal defense attorney Joe Tamburino called this a weak argument, stating that an alibi defense requires specific details about the time, place, and witnesses.

The judge denied the defense's request to delay the trial, allowing it to proceed as scheduled in October. Prosecutors have stated that if Kohberger is convicted, they will seek the death penalty. The case has garnered significant attention, with family members of the victims attending the court hearing and one wearing a t-shirt promoting the firing squad death penalty.