FBI Investigates Expert Witness in Idaho Murder Case
In a surprising turn of events in the Bryan Kohberger murder case in Idaho, Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson made a rather unconventional move. Instead of cross-examining an expert witness for the defense, he flagged the FBI to investigate her. This unusual decision came after the witness, Gabriella Vargas, provided testimony that raised some questions.
Kohberger’s defense team has been vigorously raising concerns about grand jury irregularities, prosecutorial misconduct, and even the validity of the DNA evidence used in the case. Gabriella Vargas, an expert in genetic genealogy, took the stand on August 18 to discuss the DNA issue. Days later, FBI agents paid her a visit, according to Kohberger’s attorneys.
“Last night she was visited by two FBI agents and interrogated about her testimony and the findings of her declaration,” revealed Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s lead defense attorney during an August hearing. “That, in our view, impacts Mr. Kohberger’s due process rights.”
Thompson initially filed an explanation for the FBI’s involvement under seal, but some details have now emerged during court proceedings. Thompson explained that investigators had received information from Vargas’s colleagues, suggesting that she might be backtracking on some of her courtroom statements.
“When we heard of that, I reached out to investigators and asked, ‘Can you find out what is going on?’” Thompson said. “The FBI indeed undertook an investigation, and other reports are that Ms. Vargas claimed that some of what was in her declaration she had inadvertently agreed [to] or signed without fully reading it.”
The expert witness testimony encountered another hiccup when prosecutors requested a delay in cross-examination due to issues with PowerPoint slides. This request was made during an August 23 hearing and gained attention when Thompson opted not to cross-examine Vargas and another DNA expert.
Former FBI agent Tracy Walder told Law & Crime that such an interview, or lack thereof, was atypical in legal proceedings.
To recap the case: Bryan Kohberger, a former student pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University, was arrested on December 30, 2022. He was accused of a brutal home invasion attack in which four University of Idaho students lost their lives on November 13, 2022. The victims were close friends: Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21 years old, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20 years old.
Police arrested Kohberger at his parents’ house in Pennsylvania, where they also seized a vehicle they believed to be connected to the crime. Further, they discovered familial DNA in the trash, which prosecutors argue matches a sample found on a knife sheath located under one of the victims, Madison Mogen.
Kohberger faces four charges of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. If convicted, he could potentially face the death penalty.
The trial, originally scheduled for October, has been postponed after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial last month. The case continues to raise eyebrows and intrigue as it unfolds.