New details emerge in case against suspect accused of fatally stabbing 4 Idaho college students
More than two years after a quadruple homicide devastated Moscow, Idaho, a judge unsealed the transcript of a recent hearing in the case against Bryan Kohberger 바카라 게임 웹사이트 the man accused of stabbing four students to death in an off-campus home.
The hearing, which was closed to the public, came after defense attorney Anne Taylor claimed investigators acted inappropriately when using investigative genetic genealogy to try to isolate a suspect.
Investigative genetic genealogy, or IGG, is a relatively new forensic technique combining DNA analysis with genealogical research. Authorities can take an unknown suspect바카라 게임 웹사이트s DNA profile and upload it to a public database to learn about the suspect바카라 게임 웹사이트s family members. Investigators can use that information and other evidence to build a family tree and identify potential suspects.
But the defense바카라 게임 웹사이트s attempt to get a judge to suppress the IGG evidence failed. And Kohberger바카라 게임 웹사이트s murder trial is expected to begin this summer 바카라 게임 웹사이트 with the prosecution seeking the death penalty if the 30-year-old is convicted.
Due to a wide-ranging gag order, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and attorneys for victims바카라 게임 웹사이트 families and witnesses are prohibited from saying anything publicly, aside from what is already in the public record.
Here are some of the new details revealed from the transcript of the closed-door hearing:
Detective learned Kohberger바카라 게임 웹사이트s name only after genetic genealogy
A lead detective in the case, Moscow Police Detective Cpl. Brett Payne, said he didn바카라 게임 웹사이트t hear Bryan Kohberger바카라 게임 웹사이트s name mentioned until Dec. 19, 2022 바카라 게임 웹사이트 more than a month after the killings.
바카라 게임 웹사이트That was a result of investigative genetic genealogy that was being undertaken by the FBI. We had a phone call that evening, and we were told Bryan Kohberger바카라 게임 웹사이트s name,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Payne testified.
But IGG wasn바카라 게임 웹사이트t cited in a probable cause affidavit
Payne acknowledged he didn바카라 게임 웹사이트t mention the investigative genetic genealogy in a probable cause affidavit for Kohberger.
바카라 게임 웹사이트What led to that decision?바카라 게임 웹사이트 Taylor asked.
바카라 게임 웹사이트That decision was a collaborative decision,바카라 게임 웹사이트 the detective responded. 바카라 게임 웹사이트We made that decision in an effort to independently verify the information that was provided to us as a tip from the FBI, in much the same way we would any other tip in law enforcement. So it was not in any way meant to obfuscate any sort of information, it was simply can we validate Mr. Kohberger바카라 게임 웹사이트s involvement in this incident or can we not. That was it.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트As a group effort, you decided to intentionally leave that out of your affidavit?바카라 게임 웹사이트 Taylor asked.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Yes, ma바카라 게임 웹사이트am,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Payne responded.
Only one person바카라 게임 웹사이트s DNA was detected on a knife sheath
DNA testing on parts of a knife sheath detected a single source, said Rylene Nowlin, an Idaho State Police forensic laboratory manager.
The lab tested samples from the knife sheath for 바카라 게임 웹사이트touch DNA바카라 게임 웹사이트 바카라 게임 웹사이트 which can come in the form of skin cells that are shed on items being touched.
An analyst swabbed 바카라 게임 웹사이트the entire leather portion of the strap, both top and bottom, and then the underside of the button,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Nowlin testified. 바카라 게임 웹사이트She did not swab the top of the button because that was determined to be the most likely place for fingerprints to be found.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Idaho authorities traveled with the DNA to Texas
Idaho State Police had a contract with Houston-based for certain types of forensic work, Nowlin said. Othram specializes in DNA sequencing combined with genealogy mapping.
바카라 게임 웹사이트That DNA sample was delivered by Moscow Police Department in person to them at Othram labs,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Idaho State Police Laboratory System Director Matthew Gamette testified.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I accompanied the officer from Boise down to Houston and down to the Othram laboratory. I didn바카라 게임 웹사이트t have possession of the sample, but I was with the investigator that did.바카라 게임 웹사이트
After Idaho authorities delivered the DNA sample, Gamette stayed in touch with Othram 바카라 게임 웹사이트about what type of analysis we were asking them to do, also what type of searching,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I remember they asked specifically for consent to do certain types of searching. We had to authorize things through memos and whatnot of them doing certain searching, specifically I believe it was FamilyTreeDNA that they needed an authorization for,바카라 게임 웹사이트 said Gamette.
Many popular genealogy sites don바카라 게임 웹사이트t allow law enforcement searches
is one of two main genealogical databases that allow searching by law enforcement, Payne said.
Another genealogical database that law enforcement can use is , genetic genealogist Leah Larkin testified.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Those are the only two databases of any significant size that allow [forensic investigative genetic genealogy] searching,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Larkin said.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Ancestry forbids it, 23andMe forbids it, MyHeritage forbids it.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Many of the biggest genealogy sites cater to customers who simply want to know about their ancestry 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and might not want their DNA data to potentially be used by law enforcement.
In recent years, after law enforcement used some of the most popular genealogy sites for criminal investigations, many companies changed their terms of service.
An expert claims authorities used an unauthorized database
Othram, the lab company in Texas, stopped its work for the case on Dec. 10, 2022, Taylor said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트The FBI took over, and we바카라 게임 웹사이트ve heard that by Dec. 19, nine days later, they바카라 게임 웹사이트d made an identification,바카라 게임 웹사이트 the attorney said.
That timeline is significant 바카라 게임 웹사이트because Othram바카라 게임 웹사이트s matches were, as in their own words in their report, those matches were low,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Larkin testified.
She noted Othram had recommended testing four brothers 바카라 게임 웹사이트to get more information.바카라 게임 웹사이트
But 바카라 게임 웹사이트if you went out and if you approached those men, and even if one of them said, yes, you can test my DNA, the testing itself would have taken some time; getting a kit to a person, getting the spit, sending it into the lab, having it analyzed. And it wouldn바카라 게임 웹사이트t have led to the crime scene profile because it was the wrong family branch,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Larkin testified.
바카라 게임 웹사이트So going from low matches to an ID or at least a tip, whatever they were calling it, within nine days, that right there told me they had gone into a database they were not supposed to be in.바카라 게임 웹사이트
CNN has reached out to the FBI for a response to the accusation that it used a genealogical database inappropriately. Prosecutors did not directly respond to that claim during the hearing.
Larkin said she also saw 바카라 게임 웹사이트screenshots from GEDMatch바카라 게임 웹사이트 in email communications.
Unlike GEDMatch PRO, which is smaller and allows law enforcement searches, 바카라 게임 웹사이트GEDMatch is just a super open database바카라 게임 웹사이트 and does not allow searches for criminal investigations, Larkin said. GEDMatch has far more users, and 바카라 게임 웹사이트any kit in the system that is public, you can see their matches.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트So if you are in GEDMatch and I am in GEDMatch and let바카라 게임 웹사이트s say we were cousins, I could go in and look at my kit and I would see you in my match list, but I could also go into your kit and see me in your match list,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Larkin testified.
In GEDMatch PRO, law enforcement might not see those same matches.
Eventually, the FBI 바카라 게임 웹사이트admitted they had uploaded to MyHeritage바카라 게임 웹사이트 바카라 게임 웹사이트 a database off limits to law enforcement, Larkin said, citing a document shared with the court.
What happens next
Kohberger바카라 게임 웹사이트s trial is expected to begin in August and last several months. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted.
In the meantime, the families of victims Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin continue the long wait to learn the suspect바카라 게임 웹사이트s fate.
But Goncalves바카라 게임 웹사이트 family expressed relief that the judge did not suppress the genetic genealogy evidence.
바카라 게임 웹사이트We are thankful to the Court for a timely decision and appreciate the work [the] prosecution has put in thus far,바카라 게임 웹사이트 the family posted on Facebook last week.
바카라 게임 웹사이트In the big picture of life, justice is just moments away.바카라 게임 웹사이트
CNN바카라 게임 웹사이트s Taylor Romine and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.