An Idaho judge has ruled against the public release of certain graphic photographs taken at the crime scene of the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students by Bryan Kohberger. Second District Judge Megan Marshall made the decision on Wednesday, indicating that the distribution of “incredibly disturbing” images could result in an inappropriate invasion of privacy for the victims’ families, who might unintentionally encounter them online.
The ruling mandates the city of Moscow to withhold or black out images obscuring any parts of the victims’ bodies or the blood surrounding them. However, the judge affirmed that the public has a right to access investigative records, allowing for the release of other materials related to the case. This includes videos capturing emotional reactions from friends of the victims shortly after their bodies were discovered.
In July, Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin at their rental home in Moscow, Idaho. Family members of Mogen and Chapin had advocated for the restriction of certain photos, expressing concerns about their potential to cause further trauma and distress.
The case has drawn national attention, with the Moscow Police Department receiving numerous requests for investigative records. Idaho law typically allows for lifting the sealing of such records after an investigation concludes.
Following Kohberger's sentencing, the city of Moscow responded to a public records request by releasing some images captured at the crime scene, ensuring that the bodies of the deceased students were blurred, along with the faces of witnesses and victims who interacted with law enforcement outside the residence.
Marshall highlighted that revealing images of the deceased could serve little purpose for the public while profoundly affecting the emotional well-being of the victims' families. There is little to be gained by the public in seeing the decedents’ bodies, the blood soaked sheets, blood spatter, or other death-scene depictions, she noted, emphasizing the enduring impact on the affected families.
The ruling mandates the city of Moscow to withhold or black out images obscuring any parts of the victims’ bodies or the blood surrounding them. However, the judge affirmed that the public has a right to access investigative records, allowing for the release of other materials related to the case. This includes videos capturing emotional reactions from friends of the victims shortly after their bodies were discovered.
In July, Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal stabbings of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin at their rental home in Moscow, Idaho. Family members of Mogen and Chapin had advocated for the restriction of certain photos, expressing concerns about their potential to cause further trauma and distress.
The case has drawn national attention, with the Moscow Police Department receiving numerous requests for investigative records. Idaho law typically allows for lifting the sealing of such records after an investigation concludes.
Following Kohberger's sentencing, the city of Moscow responded to a public records request by releasing some images captured at the crime scene, ensuring that the bodies of the deceased students were blurred, along with the faces of witnesses and victims who interacted with law enforcement outside the residence.
Marshall highlighted that revealing images of the deceased could serve little purpose for the public while profoundly affecting the emotional well-being of the victims' families. There is little to be gained by the public in seeing the decedents’ bodies, the blood soaked sheets, blood spatter, or other death-scene depictions, she noted, emphasizing the enduring impact on the affected families.
