Idaho Student Murders suspects Bryan Kherberger has added one of his own witnesses to the Defense expert to his legal team, because he is confronted with charges that can bear the death penalty in connection with the house invasions of four students from the University of Idaho in 2022.
San Francisco -Advocate Bicka Barlow, an expert in the field of DNA Forensics who testified to the defense of Kherberger during a hearing of August 2023, was admitted to Pro Hac Vice in the case, which means that the judge gave her permission to Kherberger In addition to his other lawyers to represent, although its license is in California.
Barlow obtained a bachelor’s degree in Genetics at the University of California, Berkeley, before she received a Master of Cornell University, according to her website. She then went to the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Judge unlocks transcript of closed-door IgG hearing session
Geneticist and lawyer Bicka Barlow speaks during the hearing of Bryan Kherberger on August 18, 2023 in the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. (Augustus Frank/Lewiston Tribune)
She started her career as a research lawyer in the criminal division of the San Francisco Superior Court and eventually established a private practice that focuses on matters with DNA.
She claims that she has led the first successful challenge in an American court to admit for a short tandem repeat (STR) DNA certificate, one of the most common methods for DNA analysis.
She also has experience with mitochondrial DNA and Y-Str, which is specific to the Y chromosome.
Bryan Kherberger enters the courtroom for a hearing on August 18, 2023, in the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. (Augustus Frank/Pool via Reuters)
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Jay Logsdon, a substitute for Lawyer Anne Taylor in Leiden, will remain in the team as a consultant, but will not represent the 30-year-old Kherberger during the trial, according to an order of the ADA County judge Steven Hippler.
DNA certificate has been central to identifying Kherberger as a suspect in the murders of Madison Mag, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
The police recovered a Messchede of the remains of Mom with DNA in the Snap.
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During a closed door that was unlocked this week, Moscow-Detective Brett Payne, the main investigator, testified that the name of Kherberger was not known to him before December 19, when the FBI offered it as a tip after a genetic genealogy investigation.
Madison may, in the top left, laughs on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, posing with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and two other housemates in the last Instagram post of Goncalves, shared the day before the four students were stabbed. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
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But the use of genealogy databases by the FBI has violated an internal policy, as witnessed by the defense Dr. Leah Larkin testified during the same hearing. Researchers used at least two databases that were not accessible by the law enforcement.
Hippler previously ruled that the FBI actions did not violate the Constitution or undermined the likely cause used Arrest Kherberger.
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The Kherberger process is expected to start in August and last up to 15 weeks. He could face the death penalty if he is convicted.
