Judge Blocks Unredacted Release of Kohberger Photos

Second Judicial District Judge Megan Marshall has partially barred release of graphic crime-scene photos from the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students, ordering the City of Moscow to black out any portions showing the victims' bodies or the blood immediately surrounding them. Marshall found that dissemination of the "incredibly disturbing" images would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy and would cause extreme emotional distress to victims' families, including the families of Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin, who sued the city. She nevertheless allowed other investigative photos, videos and documents — with appropriate redactions — to be released, including footage showing distraught friends the morning the bodies were found. The ruling follows the city's prior disclosure of some blurred images after receiving more than 1,150 public-records requests, and a court granted a partial permanent injunction to prevent further unredacted disclosures. Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to life without parole for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Ethan Chapin.