The judge ruled on Thursday that prosecutors could seek the death penalty. Brian Coberger If he is found guilty of the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho students.
Judge Stephen Hippler’s decision comes after Coberger’s lawyer asked the court to ban the sentence to diagnose autism.
The prosecutor previously filed the court, Death penalty If a conviction is secured.
The court’s attorneys argued that Kohberger’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) “reduces his negligence, negates the retaliatory and deterrent forces of the death penalty, and puts him at an unacceptable risk of being falsely convicted and sentenced.”
They added that it could be considered a cruel and unusual punishment, which is prohibited in the 8th amendment The United States Constitution.
Hippler said Kohberger’s lawyers were unable to demonstrate that ASD is equivalent to intellectual disability for the purpose of exemption from the death penalty, and there is no national consensus on exposing individuals with ASD to the death penalty, the AP reported.
“ASD could be a mitigation factor to weigh against aggravating factors when determining whether a defendant should receive the death penalty, but that is not (a) post-mortem disqualification,” Hippler said.
The 30-year-old has been charged with four counts First-degree murder Madison Morgen’s death, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; Ethan Chapin, 20, was stabbed at a home on an off-campus in Moscow, Idaho, around 4am on November 13, 2022.
Authorities are paying attention to suspicious behavior, like Kohberger, who allegedly turned off the phone before driving around the house and changed his license plate a few days after the murder.
However, authorities claim that they have important evidence – Kohberger’s DNA in the sheath of a Ka-bar knife under Morgen’s body.
Former Criminology PhD student is charged with felony robbery, Fox News Digital It was reported previously.
The judge entered into a plea of innocence in May 2023, but the trial is not expected to begin until August 11th.
Michael Ruiz and the Associated Press of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
