STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The man accused in the November slayings of four University of Idaho students has left a Pennsylvania jail in the custody of state police, officials said Wednesday morning, which means he could be headed to Idaho to face first-degree murder charges.
Bryan Kohberger, 28, a doctoral student at Washington State University — a short drive from the scene of the killings across the state border — on Tuesday waived extradition to Idaho in a Monroe County Court hearing.
A Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson declined to give any additional information about Kohberger's extradition status, citing security reasons.
The Moscow (Idaho) Police Department also said it would provide no additional details in the case going forward.
"We will have no further press releases in this case due to a nondissemination order from our court that was signed [Tuesday]," said Captain Anthony Dahlinger via email. "We are prohibited from discussing the case with anyone."
Nondissemination Order by LehighValley Newsdotcom on Scribd
An Idaho magistrate judge on Tuesday evening issued a gag order in the case of the man accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students to death.
The order means further details in the case will mostly remain under wraps.
The order bars officials from talking publicly about many aspects of the case outside of court. It also extends to attorneys, law enforcement officers and many others involved in the case, the Associated Press reported.
Judges typically issue such orders when they fear pretrial publicity could prevent an impartial jury from being seated or could prevent the defendant from receiving a fair trial.
When Kohberger actually will appear in an Idaho courtroom is unknown. In a news release, the Moscow (Idaho) police also said details on his transfer would be kept secret "for security reasons," according to the Idaho Statesman.
Investigators have said they still are looking for a murder weapon and a motive for the Nov. 13 killings.
In the gag order — formally known as a "non-dissemination order" — Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall prohibited anyone involved in the case from talking about anything “reasonably likely to interfere with a fair trial" of the case.
The order includes all details about any evidence, the existence of any confessions or other statements given by the defendant, or the merits of the case, Marshall wrote, according to the Associated Press.
The gag order will last until a verdict is given or it's modified by the court. But paper documents filed in the case still are expected to be open to the public once Kohberger arrives in Idaho.
Kohberger was taken into custody early Friday by state police in Chestnuthill Township, Monroe County.
On Tuesday, the Monroe County District Attorney's Office said it continued to help Idaho authorities with a complete background investigation of Kohberger, including his time in Pennsylvania before and after the killings, said Mike Mancuso, the county's first assistant district attorney.
In addition to the four charges of first-degree murder, Kohberger also is charged with felony burglary. Prosecutors believe he broke into the victims’ home near the university campus intending to kill them.
The students were: Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idaho; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Post Falls, Idaho; and Ethan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington.
Kohberger is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University.
He received a bachelor's degree in 2020 at DeSales University in Center Valley and was awarded a masters degree in criminal justice this past June, according to the university.
"As a Catholic, Salesian community, we are devastated by this senseless tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families during this difficult time," Carolyn Steigleman, DeSales' associate vice president of marketing and communications, said in a statement released after Kohberger's arrest.
Before attending DeSales, Kohberger received an associate's degree in psychology in 2018 at Northampton Community College.
