Prosecutors seek death penalty for suspect in Idaho stabbings

Bryan Kohberger, 28, is charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students. They were found stabbed to death in November last year in a rental house near campus. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson on Monday filed papers of his intent to seek the death penalty. A not-guilty plea was entered on Kohberger’s behalf earlier. His defense attorneys planned to argue in court Tuesday that prosecutors should turn over more evidence developed from the investigation.

What makes a murder case a death penalty case? In court documents filed Monday, Thompson listed five “aggravating circumstances” that would qualify the crime for capital punishment, including that the defendant showed “utter disregard for human life.” If Kohberger is convicted in a death penalty case, his defense attorneys would have a chance to show the existence of mitigating factors that would make the death penalty unjust.

Dig deeper: Listen to Lauren Dunn’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about how the killings affected students and community members.