Bryan Kohberger’s murder trial concerning the University of Idaho killings was poised to include his family in a significant way.

Newly disclosed court documents, shared by People, reveal that Kohberger’s elder sister, Amanda Kohberger, was the sole family member among 180 individuals designated by prosecutors as potential witnesses for the trial.

However, Amanda did not testify. Just a week after the motion was submitted on June 25, Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders of Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, thereby avoiding a possible death penalty.

The four college students were discovered brutally murdered in November 2022 in a rental house located off-campus in Moscow, Idaho.

Prosecutors Planned to Call Surviving Roommates to Testify in Idaho Murder Trial

The prosecution had identified a range of potential witnesses, including surviving roommates Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, who were present at the house during the horrific event. Also listed were Ethan Chapin’s siblings, Hunter and Mazie Chapin, who reportedly arrived at the scene the following day.

Mortensen delivered a powerful victim impact statement at Kohberger’s sentencing in July, according to CBS News, as she talked about the night that “changed everything.” 

“What he did shattered me in places I didn’t know could break,” she tearfully recalled. “I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable.”

Chapin’s parents, Jim and Stacy Chapin, were vocal in their support of Kohberger’s plea deal, which shielded Ethan’s triplet siblings from having to re-live the trauma on the stand.

“I’m ready for my kids to move on,” Jim told NBC’s Today after the plea was announced. “I’m ready for us to move on.

Possible Kohberger Defense Witnesses Revealed

The court documents, unsealed by Ada County Judge Steven Hippler, also gave new clues into the possible strategy Kohberger’s defense team may have used to reduce his culpability in the murders, if he had been convicted at trial.

His sister Amanda—who CBS News reported worked as a school counselor—was also listed as a possible defense witness, along with his sister Melissa and parents Michael and Maryann, People reported.

Amanda and Maryann were both in court in July when Kohberger was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to The New York Post.

Washington State University professor John Snyder was another name to make the list of 56 potential defense witnesses. John oversaw Kohberger in his post as a teaching assistant at the university before his arrest. 

Kohberger—who was linked to the crime through DNA and cell phone records—is currently serving out his life sentence inside the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho.