Prosecutors on Monday indicated their intention to seek the death penalty for the 28-year-old man accused of killing four University of Idaho students last November.
In a motion filed with the district court of Latah County, Idaho, prosecutors wrote that they had “not identified or been provided with any mitigating circumstances sufficient to prohibit the triers of fact from considering all penalties authorized by the Idaho legislature including the possibility of a capital sentence.”
Prosecutors continued, writing “considering all evidence currently known to the State, the State is compelled to file this notice of intent to seek the death penalty.”
The motion ended by saying prosecutors reserve the right to withdraw its intent should mitigating evidence prevent itself.
Earlier this month, the suspect, who is not being named per Daily Wire policy, filed a court motion stating that due to the “voluminous” and “still ongoing” discovery process, as well as the defense’s continued investigation of the charges against the suspect, deciding to offer an alibi for the crime would be “at a minimum, premature as wading through the extensive information that makes up the case is incomplete,” the court documents said, according to ABC News.
Further, deciding now “may tread into disclosures of protected information,” the motion added. Thus, the defense said it “needs time to make this determination and consider evidentiary rules.”
The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office previously filed a motion for the suspect’s notice of alibi on May 23. Idaho law gives defendants ten days to respond to such a motion, “or at such different time as the court may direct,” in writing. They must also provide a list of witnesses they would call on to confirm that alibi.
The suspect’s attorneys requested additional time to decide or an exception to the rule. Should the court not grant their request, defense attorneys wrote, then they asked for a hearing “to present oral argument, evidence and/or testimony.”
The suspect was formally indicted in May on charges including first-degree murder. During his arraignment, he wore a bullet-proof vest under his orange jumpsuit, the Daily Mail reported.
He reportedly stood silently when the judge asked him to enter his plea, so the judge entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. Families of the victims reportedly asked for the death penalty.
The suspect was arrested six weeks after four friends, Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21, were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022.