The man who killed four college students in Idaho had planned to call some of their friends to testify at his trial.
Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to the murders, had listed several people as potential witnesses. A court document shows that Kohberger wanted to call two of the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, to testify. These roommates were in the house when the killings happened.
Mortensen, in a tearful statement, described Kohberger as “a hollow vessel” lacking empathy. Funke, still deeply affected by the tragedy, had a friend read a statement on her behalf at Kohberger’s sentencing.
Besides the roommates, Kohberger also wanted to call Emily Alandt and Hunter Johnson, who were among the first to arrive at the scene after the murders. Jack DuCoeur, the ex-boyfriend of one of the victims, was also on the list.
Kohberger’s defense team had a total of 138 names on their potential witness list. There were also 53 people who might have testified during the sentencing phase. These included Kohberger’s family members and a professor from Washington State University, where Kohberger was a teaching assistant.
Ultimately, only Alandt and Mortensen faced Kohberger in court. Mortensen spoke of the pain and loss caused by Kohberger’s actions, saying he “tried to take everything from me” and stole the “light that carried into every room” of the victims. Kohberger will spend his life in prison without parole.
