Bryan Kohberger officially took a plea deal this week. On Wednesday he went into the courtroom and pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder for murdering those University of Idaho students. He even admitted to doing it in court. He’s saving the state a messy, expensive trial — in exchange for no death penalty.
But this still feels so sudden and last-minute. We mean, after 2+ years, the trial was just weeks away! Jury selection was scheduled for August 4! He could have pleaded guilty months ago. Why now? What changed?
The obvious connection we made was with the fact the judge rejected the defense’s “alternate killer theory.” They planned to present the jury with four possible other suspects. However, they didn’t have the evidence to back up the “wild speculation,” per Judge Hippler’s ruling. So they really had no defense going in.
Related: How The Victims’ Families Feel About The Plea Deal
But that’s not the reason, not according to Howard Blum‘s sources. Blum is the author of When the Night Comes Falling: A Requiem for the Idaho Student Murders. In a guest column for DailyMail.com on Wednesday, the true crime writer revealed his sources tell him there was more personal motivation.
We already heard Kohberger’s lawyers wanted to strike a deal. We mean, of course! How were they ever going to succeed with that kind of evidence stacked against him? But he (and maybe his mother) wouldn’t agree. Until a few days ago.
Blum’s sources tell him the public defenders warned Kohberger that if they went to trial, his family members would likely be called to testify. Whoa!
Bryan’s father drove with him across the country as he went home to Pennsylvania for the holidays just a month after the murders. It makes sense the DA might have questions about that trip. What they talked about, that kind of thing. Blum was told Kohberger was “distraught” on that trip — and told his dad he was in trouble at his job.
Meanwhile, the cops were already on the lookout for a white Hyundai Elantra at the time — and even stopped Bryan and his dad twice! So yeah, he definitely would have made sense as a witness.
And there was reportedly a phone call made at 6 am on the morning after the murders, from Bryan’s phone to his dad’s. Less than two hours after killing four people, he called his dad? The prosecution would certainly want to talk about that. And Blum was told he may have spoken to his mother on that call as well — and Bryan’s lawyers warned him the state would “grill” her on the stand about what was said.
Oh, and remember how Bryan was reportedly keeping his trash separate and wearing surgical gloves all the time when he was home for the holidays in Pennsylvania? Blum learned that one of Bryan’s sisters was freaked out and confronted their dad about it. So it stands to reason the prosecution would subpoena her, too.
Whoa! Could this be another Laundrie situation here? The king of situation where it might start to look very much like his parents knew? Or maybe could have figured something out? At least, that’s what plenty of folks would think.
Blum was told by a source close to the family that this potential outcome was what caused Kohberger to finally just give up the fight and plead guilty. Inneresting. We can’t help but wonder… If his mother was really the one who kept him from pleading guilty all that time… Was she also the one who convinced him to flip when she realized she’d be put on the stand? Hmm…
What do YOU think about this new info, Perezcious paralegals??
[Image via WTHR 13/YouTube.]
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