Prosecutors will pursue death penalty in slayings of 4 University of Idaho students
Prosecutors will pursue the death penalty against the man charged in the quadruple murder of four Idaho college students, according to court documents filed Monday.
In the filing, the prosecuting attorney for Latah County pointed to the “aggravating circumstances” in the Nov. 13 killings, describing them as “especially heinous” and saying suspect Bryan Kohberger, 28, allegedly exhibited “utter disregard for human life.”
“Consequently, considering all evidence currently known to the State, the State is compelled to file this notice of intent to seek the death penalty,” the filing says.
Kohberger was arrested in December in the slayings of Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho.
After a grand jury indicted him in May, he was arraigned on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
He has pleaded not guilty.
In a June 22 filing, his lawyer said there was “no connection” between his client and the four students he is accused of fatally stabbing.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
