Here’s more evidence. His purchases are pretty incriminating.
Do most people know the word “balaclava?” I had to google it.
I do but mostly because it came up in the context of covid of all things where people were trying to use them as substitutes for actual effective masks.
And how many other people in that area have bought black balaclavas in the last year? How many potential balaclava-owners have moved into the area?
I have a balaclava, because it’s really good for dealing with cold weather, of which I understand there occasionally is, in Idaho. Black seems to be the most common color for them.
Around these parts (talking this region of ID), balaclavas are a normal thing to own. My wife and I own several (all black). They sell them at Costco so it’s not like they are an oddity.
I have 5 balaclavas in my house, red, gray, brown, navy and black. My husband and I wear them when skiing, as do many others. Kohberger lived in the Poconos, a region of Pennsylvania with a lot of ski areas, and maybe his purchase of one was innocent, or maybe not.
As for the eyebrows, bushy ones can be easily trimmed with scissors (faster than plucking), but would a photo of him with untrimmed bushy eyebrows be admissible evidence?
Yeah, buying a black balaclava is meaningless. The Ka-bar knife- if it is the same sort of knife used- that could be a legit clue. Maybe.
I would say there are a couple of distinct groups that would be familiar. One (several examples in this thread) are those that are familiar with it as a utilitarian tool from cold weather climates and skiing. Second, it’s pretty commonly known among TactiKool individuals, either for milspec cosplay, paintball, or darker motivations.
The knife and black balaclava purchases were several months before the crime. It does point to pre-planning.
It will be interesting to see what evidence is allowed during trial.
It seems reasonable to ask Bryan for those items and test for blood. But he would probably give an excuse for not having them anymore.
Or even just regular planning.
Or getting concepts of a plan together.
Or being cold in winter and wanting to cut ordinary stuff.
Zero of those items are suspicious to a mind that hasn’t predetermined guilt.
I have owned both. At the same time even. I’m not a murderer.
I’ve owned a hunting knife, too, but not the exact brand and model of knife that they found the sheath for.
Evidence is not something that is meant to be viewed in isolation. When you do that, you just lose all of your evidence since almost no evidence is ever just a high quality video of precisely the act, taken with perfect chain of custody, and demonstrating all elements of motive. You may as well just declare everyone innocent of everything, always.
The totality of evidence appears to be:
- He matches the general description.
- He owned materials similar to those believed to be used in commission of the crime.
- He appears to have been in the area at roughly the correct time.
- A vehicle matching his was, likewise, in the area at the correct time.
- DNA evidence points to his family.
- He has taken active measures to prevent the collection of his DNA by law enforcement.
Whether that totality is sufficient to convict or not, I have no particular opinion. But, as said, all evidence must be considered together.
I think there’s more. Wasn’t there something about him stalking one or more of the victims online?
Personally, were I the prosecutor, I’d include (if the judge lets me) him buying the knife and his bushy eyebrows, but I’d leave off him buying the balaclava. Even though it does make him consistent with the murderer, balaclavas are common enough, and hence that piece of evidence weak enough, that I’d be worried that the jury would think that my whole case was that weak.
Of course, I’m not the prosecutor, and I’m sure the actual prosecutor knows how to do their job better than I do.
Not to me, especially the balaclava.
Yep.
Yes, but is the Ka-Bar knife he bought the exact one that would fit that sheath?
The “bushy-haired stranger” has entered true crime lore - are we now doomed to seeing memes about bushy-eyebrowed strangers?
Cite? 
Martin Scorsese had better make sure he always has a good alibi.