The world has been captivated by the case of four murdered University of Idaho students. Bryan Kohberger stands accused of stabbing and murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle on November 13, 2023. A new proposed law in the Idaho Legislature adds a new wrinkle to this case.
Representative Bruce Skaug introduced a bill that would bring back the firing squad as a means to carry out the death penalty in the state. It was previously banned in 2009. The current method is lethal injection, but it has become increasingly difficult to get the needed chemicals.
Under Skaug's proposed bill, if the state cannot get the chemicals within five days of issuing a death warrant, a firing squad would be used. Skaug believes firing squads are more humane than chemicals because there is less room for error. He does not want a repeat the previous November, when an execution had to be canceled because the needed chemicals were not available. Utah has already approved the use of firing squads for the same reasons.
At this time, it is unknown whether or not the prosecution in Kohberger’s case is seeking the death penalty. So it remains a possibility. Kohberger has yet to enter a plea.
Kohberger's former friend Thomas Arntz remembers him as a bully whom Arntz eventually cut out of his life. “It almost seemed to me he had a desire to be the alpha. He always wanted to be dominant physically and intellectually. He had to show that he was smarter and bigger than you, and try to put me down and make me feel insecure about myself,” Arntz recalled.
To learn more about this new Idaho Legislature bill and how it might impact Kohberger’s case, watch this video.
