Bryan Kohberger’s recent autism diagnosis may be discussed at his upcoming murder trial, but an Idaho judge has ruled that prosecutors cannot use it as an “aggravating factor” to argue for a harsher sentence, such as the death penalty, if he’s convicted. During a court appearance Wednesday, Kohberger’s legal team argued that his diagnosis should not contribute to a death sentence. Judge Steven Hippler agreed, stating the prosecution may not cite autism as a reason to escalate the severity of the alleged crimes during the penalty phase.
While this limits how the state can use the diagnosis, Hippler noted that other matters related to Kohberger’s autism would be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in November 2022 and was arrested the following month in Pennsylvania.
