New Bryan Kohberger search warrant reveals items seized during Idaho murders arrest in Pennsylvania
Items seized included one defiant silver flashlight and four medical-style gloves, according to court documents
A newly unsealed search warrant has revealed the list of items seized from Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger’s family home in Pennsylvania during his arrest late last year.
The Independent obtained a copy of the warrant on Tuesday, nearly two months after it was executed by Pennsylvania State Police at Mr Kohberger’s parents’ home in Chestnuthill Township on 30 December.
It shows that during their search, investigators seized nine items: one Defiant-brand silver flashlight, four medical-style gloves, a large white t-shirt, a pair of black and white size 13 Nike shoes and a pair of black Under Armor shorts. They also took a buccal swab, possibly from Mr Kohberger.
Mr Kohberger, 28, is currently jailed in Latah County, Idaho, while he awaits trial for the murders of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, who were stabbed to death in an off-campus home on 13 November.
The search warrant application was filed in Pennsylvania’s Monroe County court on 29 December, the day before Mr Kohberger’s arrest. It approves a search of the family residence, the adjacent garage and the suspect’s car. It allowed investigators to collect “blood, or other bodily fluid or materials and items with blood” - but the list of seizures does not mention any such items.
The newly-unsealed search warrant was executed on the same day as another search at Mr Kohberger’s apartment in Pullman, Washington, where he was studying criminology at Washington State University.
The warrant from the Washington search was made public last month, revealing investigators seized a “collection of dark red” spotting and a pillow with a “reddish/brown stain” at Mr Kohberger’s Pullman apartment. A Fire TV stick and possible animal hair strands were also taken by law enforcement.
Mr Kohberger had travelled 2,500 miles from WSU’s Pullman campus to Monroe County to spend the holidays with his family weeks after the murders. During the cross-country trip with his father, the suspect was under police surveillance.
He was pulled over twice by Indiana police for driving too close to the vehicle in front. Mr Kohberger finally arrived in Pennsylvania on or after 15 December.
Authorities continued physical surveillance on Mr Kohberger at his parents’ residence in the Indian Mountain Lakes community.
DNA was taken from the Kohbergers’ trash and sent to be compared to DNA on a knife sheath left at the crime scene.
After obtaining a match on 28 December, the Moscow Police Department and the FBI requested assistance from Pennsylvania authorities on the arrest and search warrants were secured.
In addition to the DNA found at the scene, Mr Kohberger was linked to the murders through cellphone data and surveillance video of what prosecutors believe to be his white Hyundai Elantra leaving the scene after the slayings, according to the affidavit for his arrest.
One of the victims’ surviving roommates was also able to partially describe the killer to investigators after she came face to face with him in the aftermath of the murders.
The murder weapon – a fixed-blade knife – was not recovered during the searches and it is still unclear where it may be.
Mr Kohberger is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on 26 June.