BOISE, Idaho — The explicit details surrounding Bryan C. Kohberger's arrest are sealed in a probable cause affidavit (PCA). Once Kohberger appears before an Idaho judge, Kohberger will be read the charges against him and the probable cause affidavit will be released.
The PCA will explain why police believe the 28-year-old committed the four homicides in Moscow Idaho in November of 2022. National outlets, including NBC, report unnamed law enforcement sources claim DNA evidence linked Kohberger to the murders.
"Sources - law enforcement sources - are telling us a big crack in this case came from DNA. Specifically genetic genealogy. We will be hearing a little more about that in that probably cause statement," NBC correspondent Gadi Schwartz reported Monday.
Dr. Greg Hampikian is a world-renowned forensic biologist at Boise State University (BSU). He earned a degree in biology in 1982, a masters in genetics in 1986, and his doctorate in genetics in 1990.
Dr. Hampikian has been a board member of the Georgia Innocence Project since 2003. He started the Idaho Innocence Project in 2006; that was just a year after he started teaching biological sciences at BSU.
Through his work with the innocence projects, Dr. Hampikian has used his DNA genetics expertise to prove the innocence of wrongly convicted people around the world.
This includes high profiles cases such as Christopher Tapp and Amanda Knox.
Dr. Hampikian sat down with KTVB’s Andrew Baertlein to discuss the process of genetic genealogy and how police could have used the practice to link Kohberger with the four Moscow murders. Dr. Hampikian is not advocating one way or another in regard to Kohberger's arrest; he believes in the legal process - when done correctly - to determine the real answer as to who is ultimately responsible for such crimes.
Baertlein: "How would you describe your expertise and what you do exactly?"
Dr. Hampikian: "Well, I'm a forensic biologist. So, I specialize in DNA evidence. You know, pretty much for the last two decades, that's been one of the major focuses in the lab."
Baertlein: "The Idaho Innocence Project, I know you've had success with that. What has your body of work and success look like in this field?"
Dr. Hampikian: "Well, we do a lot of post-conviction work. So, people write us saying that they're innocent after they've lost all their appeals, and they don't have representation. And we're kind of, you know, help of the last resort. We've helped more than three dozen people who've been wrongfully convicted, get their freedom."
Baertlein: "I think a lot of people have this perception that DNA evidence is just a slam dunk land that we got the guy. But, I guess through your work, we've learned that that's not always the case."
Dr. Hampikian: "Yeah, we actually, you know, were used the first time DNA evidence reversed a case. We worked on Kerry Robinson out of Georgia. He was convicted with DNA evidence, and we showed that the DNA evidence in that case was bad. I helped out a bit with a similar case. The Amanda Knox case in Italy, it was the same thing. There was DNA evidence, and we showed that the DNA evidence was bad evidence."
Baertlein: "National outlets are reporting that genetic genealogy has been used to link Koberger to these crimes. Genetic genealogy, what is that exactly?"
Dr. Hampikian: "In this case, what it seems happened is they got some DNA, we don't know what from - maybe from an access point, like a doorknob or a window. Once the DNA is sequenced, you can then take that file just like a consumer would, to one of the genealogy sites that allows police to search public records of people who have opted in saying, 'hey, if there's a murderer or rapist in my family, I don't mind if you use my DNA to try to find them.'
I don't think it says exactly that, but there's an opt-in box. And enough people have done that, so if there is a Caucasian DNA sample, you have better than 70% chance of finding the family tree, last name, etc, of the person who left the DNA."
Baertlein: "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Idaho State Police has a crime lab. And the DNA in there is typically made up of convicted felons who lawfully owe their DNA to this sort of collection bank per se. If [police] don't get any hits there, then they just got a website like 23andMe and use their database?"
Dr. Hampikian: "There is a company - Verogen, for example, I've worked with them - and they have a program for the police. It's cost about $500 per file that the police want to say, 'hey, we have this file, there's no hit to the convicted offender database. Here's the file, can you send us relatives to this piece of evidence?' It's just like if somebody looking for their long-lost cousin.
So, after you get the genetic genealogy match, you get a buccal swab - a mouth swab - from the person who is a suspect to see if they match using traditional DNA methods. I imagine that it, in this case, that they've probably already gotten that far through maybe a discarded cup or a cigarette bud or something like that. So, they probably - for their probable cause - have already verified the match. But we'll see once it's unsealed."
Baertlein: "How accurate is something like this if you do it correctly, and you know, what you're looking for?"
Dr. Hampikian: "Pretty strong, but everything can be messed up. You know, that's what we've found. So a case like this has to be reviewed by experts on both sides, the prosecution and the defense got to make sure everybody did the right work. If they didn't do the right work at all has to be redone. But the science itself is very solid. What if you do all that the checks, it's a very solid way of finding the original source of who may have left the DNA.
One thing I would point out is DNA is very, very good at telling us who might have been the original source of some biological material. It is absolutely you know, not good at telling us how material got somewhere. So, if I lend you my glove, you can leave my DNA somewhere. You need more than just the identification"
Baertlein: "Anything else you want to touch on?"
Dr. Hampikian: "I know that the family of the suspect has said that the presumption of innocence is important. I hope everybody keeps that in mind. Please remember that people like Christopher Tapp in our state and Charles Irvin Fain who was four hours from execution in our state - they were wrongfully arrested or wrongfully convicted. And so we want to look at the whole case, get away from the hype.
And, you know, the jurors take the evidence seriously. I'm looking forward to that day in court. The rest of us who we're not in that courtroom, we don't see the whole case. We see five minutes on TV at night - or something like that - unless they broadcast this live. Let the process go through carefully, and make sure that we don't let our excitement get ahead of the process. You know, I'm looking forward to seeing this one completed."
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