A subpoena has been issued by the defense attorneys representing the alleged Idaho student killer, to a roommate who lived in the same residence where the brutal killings occurred.
Bethany Funke, one of only two survivors of the horrifying event, is challenging the subpoena that demands that she testify on behalf of murder suspect Bryan Kohberger.
On April 21, Funke filed a motion to quash the subpoena, stating that she has no information that could clear Kohberger’s name and asserting that the defendant’s claims lack foundation. Kohberger’s legal team argues that Funke’s testimony is crucial to the trial and could potentially result in their client’s exoneration from the murder charges. They maintain that her unique perspective cannot be obtained from any other witness. The subpoena was filed in Washoe County, Nevada, where Funke currently resides.
Funke’s legal representatives argue that the court lacks jurisdiction to compel a witness from Nevada to testify in Idaho for a preliminary hearing. The precise details of the murders that Funke might possess, which could help prove Kohberger’s innocence, remain unclear.
Funke lived on the first floor of the house with the other survivor, Dylan Mortenson, who reportedly came face-to-face with the perpetrator during the attack.
The victims – Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin – were brutally stabbed to death on the upper floors of the home. The exact whereabouts of the surviving roommates in the hours leading up to the murders have not been made public, but they returned home shortly after 1 am, roughly an hour before the rest of their fatally wounded housemates.
Around 4 am, Mortenson was awakened by voices and saw a man dressed in black with a mask covering the lower part of his face approaching her. The individual then walked past her and exited through the back door. Mortenson then locked herself in her room, and later that morning, the police were called to report the murders.
Officials have confirmed that the surviving housemates fully cooperated throughout the investigation and were quickly ruled out as potential suspects.
Kohberger’s hearing is set to commence on June 26.
