(Photo : Ted S. Warren - Pool/Getty Images)
The suspect accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in their beds was linked to the slayings when officials screened his family's trash for DNA and discovered a match on a knife sheath at the site.
DNA evidence on a knife sheath recovered from the crime scene positively identified Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger as a person of interest in the heinous killings, it was revealed on Thursday.
As Kohberger made his initial court appearance on November 13 in Moscow, Idaho, police released documents outlining their suspicions that he was responsible for the deaths of four sleeping University of Idaho students.
Bryan Kohberger's DNA Matches Knife at Scene
The affidavit details how the police found two bodies in a bed on separate floors and a leather knife sheath in the room with the two bodies. The affidavit also describes how surveillance footage, cellphone data, and FBI analyses were used to place Kohberger near the scene of the murders.
A white Hyundai Elantra matching the description provided by witnesses was seen in the area of the student's home in Moscow, Idaho, between 3:29 and 4:20 a.m., the time investigators believe the murder took place.
After making three complete laps around the block, the car finally drove into the neighborhood at 4:04 am. There was a report of a car matching Kohberger's description leaving the area at a high rate of speed at 4:20 am, as per The Independent.
Police officers at Washington State University Pullman, where Kohberger was a Ph.D. student, notified investigators on November 29 that they had located a white Hyundai Elantra that matched the description provided in a public query issued on November 25.
The fact that Kohberger had been driving the Hyundai during a traffic stop in August was a plus for the prosecution. The suspect gave police his phone number while being stopped, which they used in conjunction with cell tower information to pinpoint his exact location.
According to the Pullman, WA police, Kohberger's phone rang at 2:47 a.m. on the night of the murder. The feed went dark until 4:48 am, when he was seen driving south of Moscow, Idaho, not far from the crime scene.
Investigators believe he took a roundabout route home because his phone buzzed a few more times before he left for Pullman at 5:30 am. According to the affidavit, the route of travel is consistent with Kohberger attempting to conceal his location during the quadruple homicide, New York Post reported.
Idaho Murders: Suspect Smiles During The Hearing
Meanwhile, during a court appearance, a smiling Bryan Kohberger watched as prosecutors dropped the bombshell that he was being charged with the murders of four students at an Idaho high school.
On Thursday, January 5, Kohberger was seen smiling at his attorney Anne Taylor during his court appearance in Moscow. As Judge Megan Marshall denied the 28-year-old defendant bail and informed him he faced the death penalty, he remained emotionless.
In addition, prosecutors stated that Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra was a crucial piece of evidence and that his DNA was discovered on a knife sheath at the crime scene, according to Meaww.
Related Article: Utah Murders Rock US as 5 Minors, 3 Adults Found Dead Inside Home; Police Say No Threat to Public, for Now,
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