The Idaho Department of Correction said it’s investigating to determine whether videos of Bryan Kohberger, the man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students, in his prison cell were leaked online.
IDOC in a news release said it hasn’t yet confirmed the legitimacy of the what appears to be footage of Kohberger in his prison cell, which has been circulating on social media. The videos, if verified, would be a “clear violation” of the agency’s policies, and anyone responsible would be held accountable.
Two emails to staff members have been sent by prison leadership, reminding them of polices and expectations when using technology and social media, according to the release. Videotaping and sharing security footage is prohibited, IDOC said. The agency said it would review all legal avenues, including criminal charges.
“The safety and security of our staff and incarcerated population remain our top priority,” the agency said in the release.
It’s unclear where the video originated from, but it’s been widely shared online on Reddit and Facebook groups dedicated to discussing Kohberger’s case, as well as social media posts from podcasters and true crime followers.
Correctional officers are allowed to carry cellphones within the facilities upon approval but are prohibited from taking photos or video, according to a standard operating procedure.
“We caution that some videos may be fake or AI-enhanced,” IDOC wrote in its new release.
Edwina Elcox, a local defense attorney, told the Idaho Statesman that the possible release of the footage is “pretty unheard of” even in high-profile cases.
Such a leak would be a “massive breach” that would create security and safety concerns about the prison, Elcox said. Employees of the prison system are expected to treat everyone with dignity and respect, not make a “mockery” of the institution, she added.
The “hatred and venom” the public feel toward him have fed into the unusually high levels of interest in the case, she said.
“Any other case, he would be shut away, and the world move on,” Elcox told the Statesman.
Kohberger, 30, was moved to the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, south of Boise, just hours after being sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in July. He pleaded guilty to the first-degree murders of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20.
A controversial episode of NBC’s “Dateline” about the Bryan Kohberger student murder case, aired just before his planned trial, remains at the center of a court-ordered special investigation into suspected leaks even after the killer pleaded guilty and is serving life in prison.
Kohberger initially went through the correctional system’s reception and diagnostic unit, which evaluated him to determine his housing placement, before he was placed in solitary confinement in the prison’s J Block. That’s also where men on death row are housed, though in a separate tier.
Lauren Montague, a spokesperson for the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, told the Idaho Statesman that the video wasn’t from in the local jail. The Statesman has reached out to the Latah County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
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