Kaylee Goncalves’ family slams Bryan Kohberger's alibi that he was going ‘stargazing’ on night of crime

LATAH COUNTY, IDAHO: Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger's alibi has drawn criticism from the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves, who believes that "if it had weight, it would have been submitted months ago."

After months of delays, Bryan Kohberger finally submitted his alibi this week, claiming he couldn't have committed the quadruple murders because he was out driving "to see the moon and stars."

Defense claims Bryan Kohberger turned off his phone on the night of murders

Prosecutors claim that on the night of the killings of University of Idaho students Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, he turned off his phone between 2.47 and 4.48 in the morning, the Daily Mail reported.

Goncalves' family responded to the alibi filing by pointing out that if Bryan Kohberger contests cellphone data, as his filing suggested, it would be "either before or after the times of the murders."

Thus, they claimed, "not really an alibi." The family of the victim replied on social media, saying, "We have been waiting on this information for months and it has finally arrived."

It further asserted, "It is so hard not knowing anything about the case and you find you have to cling to dates, motions, and hearings in order to figure out anything. A big part of this has been waiting on the alibi information. Now that it is here we feel even more confident in the prosecution of the defendant."

"Now that it is here we feel even more confident in the prosecution of the defendant. The Defense’s claim is that [Kohberger] was driving late at night hiking/running and stargazing. We are not sure why it has taken over a year for this to come out as those don’t seem to be complicated activities," the family went on to say.

"We also believe that if this alibi had any weight it would have been submitted months ago. It also is in direct conflict with the Probable Cause affidavit that states that the defendant's phone was turned off between 2.47 am and 4.48 am," it added.

"So if the defendant was driving around and there is cell phone information that he was in a different place it would be either before or after the times of the murders. Hence not really an alibi.'We continue to look forward to justice in this case and can now put this part of the proceeding behind us. Thank you for all your support for our family."

Kaylee Goncalves's family fed up with 'gut-wrenching' case delays

The trial date has been pushed back to at least the spring of 2025, as Kohberger's defense attorneys are alleged to have used delay tactics. The Goncalves family has previously expressed their dissatisfaction with the case's delays.

Following yet another delay, Kristi Goncalves, the mother of the Goncalves, said in December that the ongoing process has been "gut wrenching." "Why does this have to be so drawn out?" she asked. "I can't believe that this is how it works," she stated.

On April 17, Bryan Kohberger, 28, asserted via his legal representatives that he was driving on November 13, 2022, the night of the quadruple murders, as he frequently did to observe the night sky.

His attorneys claimed in a recently made public court document that he was too busy lecturing at Washington State University to pursue his usual interests of hiking and running.

Rather, he asserts that he started driving at night as a hobby and that phone records will demonstrate how often he drove through the Whitman County countryside, close to Wawai County Park.

Bryan Kohberger's lawyers refute mobile data specialist's testimony

The prosecution claims to have located Kohberger's phone close to the house where he is accused of killing the students, but Kohberger's lawyers assert that they will refute this with a testimony from a specialist in cellphone data.

Kohberger was allegedly driving alone the night of the killings, according to his legal team's assertion last year, though they would not provide further details. A judge issued an order on Wednesday, April 17 requiring further information as the relatives of the victims expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged delays.

The judge had earlier declared that driving alone was not a sufficient defense, calling it a "so-called alibi."

Kohberger's attorneys now claim to have more information about the alibi, but they also assert that the prosecution has not provided the requested additional discovery material.

In the absence of the discovery evidence, they assert that the testimony of the cellphone expert will "also reveal that critical exculpatory evidence, further corroborating Mr Kohberger's alibi, was either not preserved or has been withheld."

The next time Kohberger is expected in court is on May 14, when the judge will hear his attorneys' request to switch the venue because they believe the intense media attention surrounding his case will affect the jury's objectivity.

Bryan Kohberger's DNA was found on a knife sheath

A white Hyundai Elantra that was seen in surveillance footage traveling to and from the murder site and matched Kohberger's vehicle proved to be a crucial piece of evidence when Kohberger was apprehended in December 2023, more than a month after the killings, according to police.

On the other hand, Kohberger's alibi filing states that Sy Ray, a cellphone expert, will testify that his cellphone did not travel in the direction of the home and, therefore, "could not be the vehicle captured on video."

In addition to the surveillance footage, Kohberger's DNA is purportedly found on a knife sheath that was left behind at the massacre, which is another important piece of evidence presented by the prosecution. 

The families of Kohberger's alleged victims have criticized his legal team, claiming they are employing delay tactics to improve Kohberger's chances at trial, which is still in its early stages more than 1.5 years after the killings.

The trial which was originally scheduled for the spring of 2024 was postponed until at least the spring of 2025.