(Photo courtesy of Fox News Digital)
The man charged with the murders of four college students in Moscow, Idaho, will be returned to that state after he waived extradition in a Pennsylvania court.
Now that Bryan Kohberger has completed the rather quick extradition hearing, and upon his return to the Northwest, he’ll be served with the arrest warrant and other court papers. Until then, the probable cause documents will remain under seal. Pennsylvania State Police and prosecutors held a news conference, where they were limited on what they could say because of that seal.
Monroe County, Pennsylvania’s First Assistant Prosecutor, Mike Mancuso, says in his experience, that’s an unusual rule, “but having read those documents and the sealed affidavits of probable cause,” Manucuso says, “I definitely believe that one of the main reasons the defendant chose to waive extradition and hurry his return back to Idaho was the need to know what was in those documents.” Mancuso wouldn’t say if what he read makes it appear as if Kohberger is guilty of the four murders, but he says he’s confident there is probable cause for the arrest. Police sources have said DNA at the murder scene and Kohberger’s white Hyundai Elantra are how they connected him to the crimes.
Upon Kohberger’s return to Idaho, we expect an initial hearing to establish his legal defense before any formal arraignment. If he’s found guilty, he could face the death penalty.
Before his arrest, Kohberger’s father flew to Washington to join him on a drive back to Pennsylvania – a trip the family says was planned long before the murders. If any relatives or anyone else is found to have aided Kohberger with an escape from the area, by hiding him or with anything else having to do with the murders, they could also face criminal charges.
