Did Bryan Kohberger Plan to Accuse Kaylee Goncalves' High School Sweetheart of Idaho Murders?

NEED TO KNOW

• Bryan Kohberger submitted a document naming alternate perpetrators he planned to introduce at trial as potential suspects in the murders of four University of Idaho students

• Days later, an individual identified as J.D. submitted his fingerprints into evidence at the Idaho State Police Lab, according to unsealed documents from the Moscow Police Department

• An individual with the initials J.D. is also identified as being the ex-boyfriend of Kaylee Goncalves

Bryan Kohberger entered into a plea deal with prosecutors just days after his attempt to introduce possible new suspects as alternate perpetrators of the murders was rejected by the judge in the case.

Those alternate perpetrators were first introduced by Kohberger's defense team in a motion that was filed under seal on May 16.

Their identities were not revealed in any of the subsequent court filings, but comments made by the court and information contained in recently released documents suggests that one of those individuals may have been the ex-boyfriend of Kaylee Goncalves.

Ada County District Court Judge Steven Hippler wrote that three of the people Kohberger planned to accuse of the murders "were each socially connected to one or more of the victims, interacted with one or more of the victims at social events in the hours prior to the homicide, lived within walking distance of the crime scene and were familiar with the layout of the victims' home from prior social events."

Goncalves' ex had a connection to a victim, interacted with her in the hours prior to the homicide, lived within walking distance and was familiar with the layout of the crime scene.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

A recently released document from the Moscow Police Department reveals that an individual identified as J.D. "was scheduled to provide fingerprints at the [Idaho State Police] Lab in Coeur d'Alene at 1300 hours" on May 29.

That would have been a little over a week after Kohberger filed his alternate perpetrator motion, and in his order denying that motion on June 26, Judge Hippler wrote that each of the individuals identified by the defense "cooperated with law enforcement, providing DNA samples, fingerprints."

In an interview with police on Nov. 16, 2022, a friend of Goncalves identified as K.N. told police that Kaylee dated a guy called J.D. "for a couple of years and the two were high school sweethearts."

Another friend of Goncalves, R.R., also identified J.D. as her ex-boyfriend, and said the two "started dating when they were younger" and had a good relationship despite splitting up, in a Dec. 14, 2022 interview with police.

Those unsealed documents also revealed that Goncalves and J.D. shared custody of her dog Murphy, and that J.D. made sure the dog did not end up with animal control after the murders.

Documents also show that J.D. cooperated with police throughout the investigation and was thoroughly vetted by authorities and at no point considered a suspect in the murders.

Days after Judge Hippler rejected Kohberger's motion, the former criminology student  confessed to the murders of Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20.

Three weeks later, Kohberger was sentenced to serve four lifetimes in prison.

The Idaho State Police and the Moscow Police Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Read the original article on People