The surviving roommate of the four murdered University of Idaho students can testify that the intruder she witnessed had “bushy eyebrows” entering the off-campus home in ski masks. According to the ruling released Friday.
Judge Boise Stephen Hippler gave a green light for brow testimony after a tense hearing between prosecutors and defense fighting over evidence permitted at murder suspect Brian Coberger’s August trial.
Kohberger, 30, has been accused of fatally stabbing 21, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Ethan Chapin, 20 and Ethan Chapin on November 13, 2022, in a house on an off-campus in Moscow, Idaho.
One of the few parts of the in-person witness evidence comes from one of the surviving roommates pointed out in “DMs” and court documents.
Before five separate interviews and the big ju umpire, the DM consistently explained that the intruder had thick “bubbly brows,” saying that Coberger’s defense could unfairly shake up the ju umpire, the ruling said.
The defense argued that the DM was drinking on the night of the brutal murder and was likely exhausted, raising questions about how reliable her testimony is.
They also argued that details could unfairly shake up the Juju judge, as Kohberger is known for his prominent brows.
However, Hippler argued that DM’s testimony was “very relevant.” Because she was the only person to witness the intruder and denied the defense’s claim that testimony could lead to unfair bias.
“There’s nothing confusing about her testimony. Her “bubbly brow” description was consistently clear,” Hippler wrote in the ruling.
“The DM explanation of an intruder with bushy eyebrows does not reasonably force a ju judge to convict the accused just because he may have similar eyebrows.”
Last week, Hippler was on his side with Coberger’s defense, saying prosecutors would not be allowed to assert the ju judges that he deserves death penalty in the University of Idaho quadruple murder, using the autism of the accused murderer Brian Coberger.
The defense also asked the judge not to listen to “inflammatory” conditions for Cobergers, such as “murderers,” “sociopaths,” and “psychopaths.”
The prosecutors ensured that the judges comply with the court rules and that only such types of terms would be used during the closing discussion.
On the horrifying photos of murder victims and the crime scenes the defense said should be kept to a minimum, the judge said he would control them on a case-by-case basis.
“Don’t make a mistake. These murders were horrifying to anyone who did them. And I hope the evidence reflects that,” Hippler said.
He pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and robbery in the murder of four students.
Kohberger, 30, was in the process of completing his PhD. Washington State University’s Criminology school is just 10 miles from where the murder occurred.
