Bryan Kohberger aims to avoid the death penalty by taking inspiration from Lori Vallow, known as the ‘cult mom’

As Bryan Kohberger’s trial date nears, his defense is being likened to another notorious case in Idaho – that of “cult mom” Lori Vallow. Vallow and her fifth husband were convicted of murdering her two children and his ex-wife in 2019.

Vallow is also facing trial for two other killings in Arizona – those of her ex-husband Charles Vallow and Brandon Boudreaux, who was previously married to her niece.

Kohberger, who is accused of the brutal killing of four University of Idaho students in a home invasion, has raised concerns about the prosecution’s handling of evidence in his case.

“The bulk of the State’s expert disclosures fail to include opinions and reports. These inadequate disclosures greatly prejudice Mr. Kohberger who is obligated to submit defense guilt phase expert disclosures by January 23, 2025,” Kohberger defense lawyers Anne Taylor, Jay Logsdon and Elisa Massoth wrote in a court filing in late December. 

The sanctions considered must be the exclusion of the experts or, at a bare minimum, an order compelling proper disclosure and an extension of Mr. Kohberger’s January 23, 2025 deadline.”  

Lori and Chad Daybell were accused of killing 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old J.J. Vallow in 2019. (Rexberg Police Department)

Without the disclosures, they argued, they have no idea what expert evidence to prepare to fight in court.

“In a perfect world, they would have had everything by now, but this case is so big that there’s always more discovery that comes up,” Gelman said.

Judge Steven Hippler on Wednesday denied a defense motion to unseal documents related to some of the disputed DNA evidence in the case, agreeing with prosecutors that letting it out before trial could potentially influence the jury pool. 

“The best defense is a good offense, and I’m not surprised Kohberger’s team is aggressively going after the prosecution,” Rahmani said. “Discovery is one way in criminal cases, which means the state has to turn over all of its evidence, including expert witness reports.”

Kohberger could face the death penalty if convicted. He faces four charges of first-degree murder and another of felony burglary.