Idaho 4 murders: Bryan Kohberger could go free over dark secret in eyewitness’s past

The most high-profile suspect in America may walk free because the prosecution’s star eyewitness could now become its biggest liability.

A woman’s possible testimony, who told police she saw Bryan Kohberger near the scene of the gruesome Idaho college murders, may be cast in doubt after recent revelations about her criminal history. The unnamed DoorDash driver, long expected to be a key witness, reportedly told multiple officers she would testify that she saw Kohberger in the area on the night of the killings.

But a resurfaced encounter with Pullman police — and her own words — may now seriously undermine her credibility in the eyes of a jury.

The DoorDash driver’s testimony

ABC News reports that the woman told at least three law enforcement officers multiple times she would testify in court and claimed she saw Kohberger in the vicinity of the off-campus Moscow home where four University of Idaho students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — were stabbed to death in November 2022.

Up to that point, the evidence tying Kohberger to the murders was mostly circumstantial — surveillance footage of his white Hyundai Elantra, DNA on a knife sheath found near one of the victims, and cellphone pings suggesting he was near the area.

But no one had definitively placed him at the scene. An eyewitness, especially an independent third party like a DoorDash delivery driver, could be the missing link for prosecutors — or, as now seems more likely, a fatal flaw in their case.

A damaging revelation

In late May, police bodycam footage emerged showing the DoorDash driver being pulled over on suspicion of DUI in Pullman, Washington — the same town where Kohberger lived while attending Washington State University. According to body cam footage and official records, there was a tense exchange between her and Pullman Police Officer Breauna Carpenter.

“Yeah, well, I got a DUI on my record? That’s gonna look like c—,” the alleged DoorDash driver says, according to ABC News. “I think maybe be more concerned about the drug use than the DUI,” Officer Carpenter responds. The driver’s DUI charge was ultimately amended to first-degree negligent driving, to which she pleaded guilty. But the damage may already be done.

Why it matters

The defense could use her criminal history to sow doubt in the jurors’ minds about her reliability. Any questions about whether she was under the influence at the time she claims to have seen Kohberger, or whether her memory could be compromised, could be enough to cast her entire account into question.

If prosecutors determine her testimony is too risky, they may not call her to the stand at all. But without a direct eyewitness, their case becomes weaker, possibly opening the door for Kohberger’s acquittal.

Context: The Idaho 4 case

The Idaho murders shocked the nation in November 2022. The four students were killed in the early morning hours at their off-campus home. After weeks of fear and national scrutiny, police arrested Kohberger, a criminology PhD student, in December 2022. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

With no official trial date set, the credibility of every witness could make or break the case, and prosecutors may now be rethinking whether their once-promising eyewitness is worth the risk.

Kohberger’s trial was expected to begin in August. Kohberger’s defense team has filed motions to postpone the trial, citing issues such as extensive discovery and prejudicial publicity. The judge has not yet ruled on the delay, but has hinted it will proceed on schedule.