Accused University of Idaho killer fears cameras in courtroom would dehumanize him: report

Lawyers for accused University of Idaho murderer Bryan Kohberger are urging the judge to exclude cameras from his trial, The Daily Beast reported on Friday — arguing that it would infringe on his right to a fair trial.

"Kohberger, a former Washington State University grad student, was arrested in connection with the murders earlier this year and could face the death penalty if convicted," reported Mark Alfred. "His attornies argued that courtroom photo and video coverage have dehumanized Kohberger and could hurt privacy between him and his lawyers during court proceedings."

According to the report, Second District Judge John Judge wants to find a middle ground, potentially allowing for C-SPAN style videography in the back of the courtroom.

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Different legal jurisdictions have different rules about cameras in their courtrooms. In many states they are allowed; however, in federal court, they are expressly forbidden, a rule that has come under intense controversy and debate as former President Donald Trump gears up to face a federal trial in D.C. for the 2020 election plot.

The gruesome stabbings of four University of Idaho students horrified the college town of Moscow, which hadn't seen a murder in years, and unnerved the whole country due to weeks going by with no leads. Police finally identified Kohberger, who had driven back to his family home in Pennsylvania with his father, as the prime suspect through DNA evidence, and arrested him after observing him allegedly trying to scrub out his car of evidence.

Motive has still not been publicly speculated on by police or prosecutors, although Kohberger reportedly sent several messages on Instagram to one of the female victims weeks before the killings.