While awaiting trial for the murders of four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger, 28, is reportedly closely following media coverage of his case from within the Latah County Jail, where he is being held without bail.
Sources inside the jail who spoke to the Daily Mail allege that Kohberger “watches himself all the time on TV.” This behavior, while perhaps perceived by some as unusual, is not necessarily abnormal, according to experts.
Bryan Kohberger appearing via video for a court appearance
“I think it’s very normal for someone to follow their case if it’s highly publicized,” explains Brian Buckmire, Law & Crime Network host and public defender. “They want to see what everyone’s talking about, what they’re saying about their personal life as well as about the case. It’s it’s like checking Instagram or your Facebook to see what people are are tagging you in or or saying about you.”
Buckmire cautions against interpreting Kohberger’s interest in the case as an admission of guilt.
“I’m not surprised that many people are having this negative connotation to Bryan Kohberger following his own case because for many it’s guilty until proven innocent, and so in that lens, him following the case seems somewhat nefarious,” says Buckmire. “But think of it this way: if you knew that the entire world was talking about you, wouldn’t you want to know what they’re saying?”
Beyond his fascination with the Idaho 4 case, sources from the Latah County Jail also claim that the accused killer has found religion.
“He sits down with a pastor and receives his own private Mass,” the sources shared.
Again, this behavior is not out of the ordinary for someone in Kohberger’s situation, according to experts.
“It is unsurprising for someone to find religion while in prison or in jail, just like I would say it’s unsurprising for someone to find religion when they’re diagnosed with cancer or with a severe disease,” explains Buckmire. “It’s, I think, the person seeing their own mortality and the difficulty of their situation and looking for answers.”
Multiple reports also indicate that Kohberger has been a model inmate and has maintained his strict vegan diet while behind bars.
Experts believe that the next opportunity to learn new details about the University of Idaho case will likely be at Kohberger’s preliminary hearing, scheduled for June. The hearing is expected to last several days, during which both the prosecution and the defense will present evidence.
