A former FBI agent believes that Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger has killed people prior to being charged with the slayings of four college students in November.
Jonathan Gilliam, who worked as an FBI special agent criminal and counterterrorism squads in New York between 2005-13, said on Dr. Phil’s show that the homicides of the University of Idaho students indicate to him that Mr. Kohberger has some experience with crime.
“I think he’s killed before, most likely,” Mr. Gilliam said Friday. “Not four people, but I think he’s probably stalked and potentially killed females before.”
Trial attorney Mercedes Colwin, who also appeared on the show, hedged a bit when she said, “If he’s the killer, this viciousness, the brutality, and the butchering of these four individuals, I can’t imagine this is the first time, if he is indeed the killer.”
Mr. Gilliam suggested that the knife used to carry out the crimes will be found, and that the sheath left at the scene is a “calling card” — a tell that a specific criminal carried out the act.
Police used DNA from the knife sheath, as well as surveillance footage of Mr. Kohberger’s car and cellphone records, to peg him as the suspect, according to the affidavit released earlier this month.
Mr. Kohberger has been charged with four counts of first-degree homicide for killing college students Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, inside their off-campus home on Nov. 13. He was also charged with one count of felony burglary.
He was arrested on Dec. 30 in Pennsylvania while visiting his parents during a holiday break from Washington State University, where he is a Ph.D. criminology student.
Mr. Kohberger was extradited to Idaho on Jan. 4 and is being held at Latah County Jail. He has not entered a plea in the case.
The suspect’s preliminary hearing has been delayed until June in order to give Mr. Kohberger’s defense team more time to review discovery.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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