Bryan Kohberger’s University of Idaho murder trial was set to be a family affair.

As per recent court filings accessed by People, Bryan Kohberger’s sister, Amanda Kohberger, emerged as the sole family member included among 180 individuals labeled as potential trial witnesses by the prosecution.

Nonetheless, Amanda never had to testify as, merely a week post the motion’s submission on June 25, Kohberger avoided a death penalty trial by pleading guilty to the murders of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves.

The college students were found brutally murdered in November of 2022 inside an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho.

Prosecutors Planned to Call Surviving Roommates to Testify in Idaho Murder Trial

The prosecution’s roster of potential witnesses also named roommates Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, who were at the residence when the harrowing 2022 murders took place. Additionally, Ethan Chapin’s siblings, Hunter and Mazie Chapin, listed among the witnesses, were reportedly present at the scene the following day.

During Kohberger’s July sentencing, Mortensen delivered an impactful victim statement as noted by CBS News, reflecting on the night that “changed everything.”

“What he did shattered me in places I didn’t know could break,” she recounted with tears. “I should have been discovering who I was, enjoying college life, and laying the groundwork for my future. Instead, I had to learn to navigate the unimaginable.”

Meanwhile, Chapin’s parents, Jim and Stacy Chapin, expressed support for Kohberger’s plea agreement, as it ensured Ethan’s siblings, who are triplets, were spared the ordeal of revisiting the traumatic event in court.

“I’m ready for my kids to move on,” Jim told NBC’s Today after the plea was announced. “I’m ready for us to move on.

Possible Kohberger Defense Witnesses Revealed

The court documents, unsealed by Ada County Judge Steven Hippler, also gave new clues into the possible strategy Kohberger’s defense team may have used to reduce his culpability in the murders, if he had been convicted at trial.

His sister Amanda—who CBS News reported worked as a school counselor—was also listed as a possible defense witness, along with his sister Melissa and parents Michael and Maryann, People reported.

Amanda and Maryann were both in court in July when Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to The New York Post.

Washington State University professor John Snyder was another name to make the list of 56 potential defense witnesses. John oversaw Kohberger in his post as a teaching assistant at the university before his arrest. 

Kohberger—who was linked to the crime through DNA and cell phone records—is currently serving out his life sentence inside the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho.