Bryan Kohberger Allegedly Bought Suspected Idaho Murder Weapon On Amazon Months Prior, Activity Shows

On December 30, 2022, Bryan Kohberger was arrested as the lone suspect in connection to the murders of four University of Idaho students a month prior. 

Per the arrest affidavit, authorities found Kohberger's DNA on a rare Ka-Bar knife sheath left behind at the scene. And according to a court filing this week, prosecutors say they obtained a record of the suspect purchasing the suspected weapon. 

The filings allege that Kohberger, 30,  bought a Ka-Bar, a sheath, and a sharpener on Amazon in March 2022, months before the murders. Then, in the weeks after the murders, his Amazon app "click activity" allegedly shows he was browsing for a replacement.

Boise defense lawyer Edwina Elcox called the new information "catastrophic" in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"The information that is publicly available is that …the murder weapon, other than the sheath, has never been recovered," Elcox said Friday. "And then he is searching for this very, very specific item. This is beyond a catastrophic fact to the defense…I do not know how you explain that away."

MOSCOW, IDAHO - MAY 22: Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022.(Photo by Zach Wilkinson-Pool/Getty Images)

Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and cold case investigator, agreed.

"Electronic evidence is gonna bring this case to a head for sure – it's amazing," he told Fox News. "I said cellphone records, internet records and video surveillance are things that are gonna solve most cases going forward, but having this type of information is extremely damaging."

The court filing this week is consistent with a "Dateline" episode from 2023, which first reported that Kohberger purchased a Ka-Bar knife and sheath from Amazon seven months before the murders on King Road.

"Applying the test for relevancy, first, Kohberger’s click activity which shows a purchase of a Ka-Bar knife and sheath before the homicides, makes it more probable (than it would be without the evidence) that the Ka-Bar sheath found at the crime scene was Bryan Kohberger’s," Latah County Deputy Prosecutor Ashley Jennings wrote in a court filing made public Wednesday evening.

"Second, Kohberger’s click activity after the homicides makes it more probable (than it would be without the evidence) that Kohberger had a reason to search for a Ka-Bar knife and sheath after the homicides."

MOSCOW, IDAHO - JUNE 27: Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing at the Latah County Courthouse on June 27, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. (Photo by August Frank-Pool/Getty Images)

In addition, prosecutors say they traced Kohberger's vehicle to and from the crime scene and obtained phone records pinning his device near the location 12 different times.

While search warrants show police recovered knives after Kohberger's arrest, none have been publicly identified as a potential murder weapon.

If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty. A judge entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf at his arraignment in May 2023. Kohberger's defense team has asked the court to keep his Amazon records out of the trial.