New police documents from Idaho State reveal that Bryan Kohberger, during a classroom discussion, once expressed his support for capital punishment, stating that “the victim’s family should have a say” in deciding if the death penalty should be applied.

This remark was uncovered in an interview with one of Kohberger’s peers from Washington State University and is part of over 500 pages of investigation records released recently.

“[Redacted student] mentioned that during a class discussion about the victimization of students on college campuses, particularly regarding stalking, Kohberger interjected to express his support for the death penalty, stating the victim’s family should decide its imposition,” noted the interview.

The released documents cover the investigation’s early phases, when detectives had limited information, progressing to Kohberger’s arrest and the revelation of DNA tying him to the crime scene. Despite his earlier comments, Kohberger accepted a plea deal in the student murders, thus avoiding the death penalty and receiving four life sentences plus additional years. This decision divided the victims’ families, who were split between those feeling a sense of closure and those believing justice was not fully served.