Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger’s family make statement

The family of Bryan Kohberger, the suspect who was charged with murdering four University of Idaho students last November, has released a statement saying that they care deeply for the victims’ families, and will continue to love and support their son.

NewsNation reporter Brian Entin posted the statement from Kohberger’s family to Twitter on Sunday.

The family’s statement said, “First and foremost we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them.”

It continued: “We will continue to let the legal process unfold and as a family we will love and support our son and brother. We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions.”

Police took 28-year-old Kohberger into custody at his parent’s home in Chestnuthill Township, Pennsylvania, on December 30. He is charged with the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. The four students were found stabbed to death in their beds in an off-campus residence on November 13.

Police believe that Kohberger broke into the students’ shared living space “with the intent to commit murder” before traveling cross-country to Pennsylvania.

Kohberger was a Ph.D. student in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University, less than 10 miles from the University of Idaho.

“These murders have shaken our community and I know that no arrest will restore the families or bring these young students back. However, we believe in the criminal process and continue to extend our most sincere condolences to the families,” said Moscow Police Chief James Fry on Friday.

Police also said that Kohberger’s probable cause affidavits remain sealed until the arrest warrant is returned to the court. The factual basis of this case will also remain sealed until the suspect makes an initial appearance in an Idaho court.

To expedite the process of transportation back to Idaho, Kohberger said he will waive extradition, according to his attorney Jason LaBar.

“Mr. Kohberger is eager to be exonerated of these charges and looks forward to resolving these matters as promptly as possible,” LaBar said in a statement. “Mr. Kohberger has been accused of very serious crimes, but the American justice system cloaks him in a veil of innocence. He should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise— not tried in the court of public opinion.”

Meanwhile, retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer took to Twitter on Sunday and predicted that Kohberger will be back in Moscow, Idaho, “by the end of the week to begin the judicial process.”

Coffindaffer told Newsweek on Sunday, “I think it is a smart and responsible response to make as a parent. You want to support your child. It is normal and natural to believe your child is innocent especially against atrocities like these. It was nice to acknowledge the victim’s whose lives were brutally taken from them.”

Coffindaffer added: “The suspects’ family’s opinions really have no relevance here, and no doubt to me law enforcement will look into the parents to see if they aided and abetted him [Bryan Kohberger]. It is very plausible that they did not know about the alleged crime he committed.”

The former FBI agent concluded by saying as a parent this situation is difficult because “you love your son, you support your son, but it is hard to do that when they are accused of a quadruple homicide.”