Overview

• Judge Steven Hippler has mandated Bryan Kohberger's defense team to identify an alternate suspect and submit admissible evidence by May 23, ahead of the August trial.
• The court is investigating potential gag order violations after sensitive case details, including Kohberger's search history and cell data, aired in an NBC 'Dateline' episode.
• The trial, set to begin on August 11 in Ada County, will be livestreamed with restrictions to protect witness privacy, including audio-only testimony for surviving roommates.
• Key evidence includes DNA from a knife sheath at the crime scene, which prosecutors link to Kohberger through genealogical methods, and surveillance video of a car matching his near the victims' home.
• Defense strategies include challenging the admissibility of DNA evidence, introducing an alternate perpetrator theory, and seeking to mitigate jury bias in the high-profile death penalty case.