Judge rules autism diagnosis won’t shield Bryan Kohberger from Death Penalty if convicted

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - Bryan Kohberger's recent autism diagnosis will not affect the prosecutor's decision to seek the death penalty if he is convicted in his upcoming quadruple murder trial.

In a new ruling Thursday, Steven Hippler ruled that the state of Idaho can pursue the death penalty against Bryan Kohberger despite his autism diagnosis.

Bryan Kohberger has been charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho Students, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle, at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

The recent ruling follows the defense's request for Judge Hippler to eliminate the death penalty as an option in the case. They cited Kohberger's diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder as a key reason. His attorneys argue that the media coverage of his diagnosis could bias the jury against him.

"These widely viewed and highly prejudicial media reports, draped in the language of 'expertise' and 'analysis,' demonize Mr. Kohberger for his disability," write Kohberger's defense team in court documents.

In response, the prosecution has argued that the media attention and Kohberger's "social impairment" do not warrant striking the death penalty.

Judge Hippler's new ruling also follows an additional decision surrounding arguments regarding Kohberger's autism diagnosis. On April 18, the judge ruled that Kohberger’s legal team won’t be able to tell a jury in his upcoming death penalty trial about his diagnosis unless he takes the stand in his own defense.