Idaho prosecutors have revealed an internal affairs investigation into an officer in the Bryan Kohberger case.
In a Monday filing, authorities investigating the University of Idaho quadruple murders disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list that could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case.
Mr Kohberger was arrested on 30 December at his family home in Pennsylvania. He is accused of murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle at an off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November.
“ ...the State has become aware of potential Brady/Giglio material related to one of the officers involved in the above-referenced case,” the filing stated.
Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors.
The former criminology PhD student was linked to the crime thanks to DNA found at the scene, 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 on 26 June for a preliminary hearing. He has not entered a plea but said earlier this year through a public defender that he “was eager to be exonerated.”
Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre gun, empty gun magazines, a knife, a pocket knife, black face masks, black gloves, electronic devices, and more clothing items from the home of Mr Kohberger’s parents in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested.
Mr Kohberger’s family home was raided on the same day as another search at his apartment in Pullman, Washington, which was a 15-minute drive from the crime scene in Moscow.
The warrant from the Washington search was made public in January, 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.
