Idaho murders judge makes major ruling on controversial execution method in Bryan Kohberger case

A shock declaration has been made by a judge this week in the case of Bryan Kohberger, the 30-year-old criminology PhD student on trial for the murder of four fellow University of Idaho residents in 2022.

What are the 'Idaho murders'?

Kohberger is accused of entering an off-campus accommodation belonging to Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in November of that year, wearing a mask.

It was then that he reportedly stabbed the foursome to death with an 'edged weapon'.

Police attending the scene discovered Madison and Kaylee's bodies on the second floor of the student property, while Xana and her boyfriend Ethan - who didn't live at the property - were found together on the third floor.

Another two roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, were inside the house at the time, but were left unharmed.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle were brutally murdered on 13 November 2022 (Instagram/@kayleegoncalves)

Responders later described it as the most 'gruesome' crime scene they'd ever seen.

Kohberger was charged with the heinous murders six weeks later, after which a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Brian Kohberger's trial

Currently on trial, Kohberger is facing the death penalty on charges of four counts of first-degree murder, and one count of burglary.

The alleged killer's lawyers recently argued that his autism should be something taken into account by prosecutors with regards to what punishment he'll face, amid suggestions that he'll be killed via a recently re-introduced firing squad.

His defence argued that his diagnosis proves worthy of having capital punishment struck from the case altogether, as they allege that prosecutors would use his autism against him.

Providing examples, Kohberger's attorney Anne Taylor referenced the way he sits, how he talks for a long time, and other autism-related characteristics, claiming these should not should be used by prosecutors as reasons he should be put to death.

His team argued that his autism not be considered a factor when determining his punishment (Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images)

His team also argued that several other pieces of evidence should be kept out of his trial - including DNA found at the scene, DNA found under the fingernails of one of the victims, a testimony given by one of the surviving roommates, and the panicked 911 call made by survivors.

Kohberger's lawyers also requested that a number of phrases that have previously been used to describe the assailant during the trial be scrapped from any records of the trial - including 'bushy eyebrows,' 'murderer,' 'sociopath', and 'psychopath'.

What has the judge ruled in the Idaho murders trial?

Following the defence team's autism-related plea, Judge Steven Hippler ruled on Wednesday (9 Apr) during a marathon hearing that prosecutors weren't to use his diagnosis as an 'aggravating factor' to argue for the firing squad.

Prosecutors responded, however, by claiming this was something they never intended to do, alleging to have 'lot better evidence' to argue that capital punishment in Kohberger's case is fair.

Jeff Nye - the lead prosecutor - in turn argued, however, that the killer's lawyers shouldn’t be able to use the diagnosis themselves in a bid to argue for leniency.

A judge provided an update on the case this week (Ted S. Warren-Pool/Getty Images)

"The state has no plan to use his autism as an aggravating factor," he explained.

"We have a lot better aggravating arguments than that he has level-one autism.”