BOISE, Idaho (Scripps News Boise) — Bill Thompson will forever be associated with Bryan Kohberger.
From the moment he heard Kohberger’s name to his arrest and the subsequent plea deal, the Latah County prosecutor is sharing his personal insights on the now-infamous murder case involving the man who admitted to killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse, for his sentencing hearing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death nearly three years ago. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)
“When did you first hear the name Bryan Kohberger?” Scripps News Boise asked. Thompson replied, “We got a tip via investigative genealogy with the name Bryan Kohberger, and that enabled the investigators to start focusing their inquiries on him. The evidence fell into place pretty smoothly after, but that tip is what really opened the case for us.”
Thompson noted that before December 19, 2022, investigators had only two pieces of evidence: a knife sheath found at the Moscow crime scene with a single source of DNA and video of a white Elantra coming and going during the early morning hours outside the off-campus house.
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He stated that law enforcement did not track or use surveillance as Kohberger and his father drove to their family home in Pennsylvania. Then the situation changed.
“The F.B.I. did trash pulls at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, and the Idaho State Crime Lab was able to identify DNA from cotton swabs as being DNA from the father of the person whose DNA was on the knife sheath.”
After the arrest, Thompson said it was full speed ahead. “We were not looking for a plea in this case; we were on track for trial.”
However, when the defense approached them about a plea deal, they needed to consult the families of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin. There was a wide range of opinions for and against a plea. Ultimately, they decided to offer a plea under specific conditions.
Prosecutor Bill Thompson speaks at the sentencing hearing of Bryan Kohberger at the Ada County Courthouse, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death nearly three years ago. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, Pool)
“He would have to plead guilty as charged in five felonies; he would have to waive any appeals — that was crucial because we wanted finality for the victims’ families and not have them suffer from endless appeals that would re-victimize them,” Thompson said. “We made it clear that he would receive fixed life sentences so that he would not leave prison until he died.”
Scripps News Boise asked Thompson whether the trial had proceeded this month and whether we would have learned anything more about why Kohberger committed the crimes.
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“But in a case like this, we aren’t going to get answers from the defendant. Even if he said something, there would be no way to corroborate it or believe him,” he said.
When Thompson was asked, “Any idea of where the murder weapon went?” Thompson replied, “No, I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
Thompson says he has no plans to write a book about the man sitting in solitary confinement for the rest of his life at the Idaho State Correctional Center.
This story was originally written by Don Nelson for Scripps News Boise, an E.W. Scripps Company.
