Idaho to pursue death sentence in Bryan Kohberger case: report

Prosecutors will pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of committing the University of Idaho stabbings last year, reported ABC News on Monday.

"The State gives this notice based on the fact that it has not identified or been provided with any mitigating circumstances sufficient to prohibit the triers of fact from considering all penalties authorized by the Idaho legislature including the possibility of a capital sentence," said state prosecutors in a court filing. "Consequently, considering all evidence currently known to the State, the State is compelled to file this notice of intent to seek the death penalty."

"Kohberger chose to 'stand silent' at his arraignment last month. By not responding, the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf," said the report.After the May arraignment, prosecutors had 60 days to file notice if they were going to pursue the death penalty.

The brutal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin shocked the town of Moscow, Idaho, which had not seen a murder in years. It also unnerved the nation, as police went weeks without any public leads.

DNA evidence obtained near the end of last year implicated Kohberger, a graduate student at Washington State University. Shortly after the killings, Kohberger drove across country with his father to his family home in Pennsylvania, where police witnessed him trying to clean out his car and wearing gloves. He was subsequently arrested and extradited back to Idaho.

Prosecutors have still not revealed a suspected motive for the killings. However, Kohberger, who was studying criminology, reportedly messaged one of the stabbing victims weeks beforehand.