Bryan Kohberger collected tens of thousands of dollars from his backers and his family after he was charged with murdering four Idaho college students in their sleep — and now he's attempting to keep the money from the families of his victims, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
Kohberger agreed to pay some $27,000 of restitution to the families of his victims when he pleaded guilty in July to killing four University of Idaho students by stabbing them to death in 2022.
Kohberger's lawyer, Emily Massoth, argued in court that he does not have the money.
But Ada County Judge Steven Hippler pointed out that Kohberger had received "five figures" from family and supporters before he filed the plea.
Massoth, however, said that money had been used to pay expenses while in jail, including fees for calls with his family.
The judge stated, "What's the point of the plea agreement if you're not going to be bound by it?" and then asked if Kohberger's defense had agreed to the payment only to avoid the death penalty while at the same time knowing that he could not pay it.
Hippler and Massoth argued during the hearing over several details — such as the specific language of the plea deal, state codes, and "Son of Sam" laws preventing Kohberger from profiting from future movies or books — but the attorney's main point was that Kohberger does not have the cash to pay the families, according to the New York Post.
Hippler ended the hearing pending judgment at a future date.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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