An Idaho judge ruled on Thursday that Bryan Kohberger’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) does not warrant striking the death penalty as a potential consequence if he is convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students.
The 30-year-old is accused of killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were found stabbed to death in an off-campus rental residence in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022.
“ASD may be a mitigating factor to be weighed against the aggravating factors in determining if a defendant should receive the death penalty, but it is not a death-penalty disqualifier,” wrote Ada County Judge Steven Hippler in his April 24, 2025, order….