During the conviction, she did not use the name of Kohberger in the declaration of impact of the victim, but called her a “hollow ship, something less than human, a body without empathy, without remorse”.
Thompson told NBC News only on the many unanswered questions surrounding the case, remaining a mystery, especially why Kohberger left the murder scene without harming either Mortensen or another roommate, Bethany Funke, whose declaration of impact on the victim was read before the court by a friend.
“I’m sure there are theories,” said Thompson. “Dylan had an angel who was watching her.”
In the wake of the conviction, the Moscow police service published more than 300 documents Based on his investigation files, detailing how law enforcement officials have collected evidence against Kohberger, now 30 years old, in the murders of Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21; Junior Xana Kernodle, 20 years old; And the boyfriend of Kernodle, the first year student Ethan Chapin, 20.
The prosecutors said they had DNA, use of the mobile phone, history of online shopping and a surveillance video among the evidence binding Kohberger to the crime scene, although nothing indicated that he knew his victims.
Kohberger, a former criminal court at the Washington State University nearby, pleaded guilty to the quadruple murders and renounced his right to appeal in an agreement which spared him a trial next month and the death penalty.
Instead, a judge sentenced him to four consecutive perpetuations without parole Wednesday, plus a 10 -year sentence for burglary.
Thompson, who had previously planned to retire but had been looking for the case, faced criticism from some of the families of the victims who wanted Kohberger to be tried and also believed that any agreement should have included the defendant providing a reason for the crime.
However, the prosecutor told NBC News that it was not his team that mentioned the idea of an agreement, but rather defense lawyers who approached him in June, with only weeks before the jury selection begins.
“Until this point, the defense had constantly argued that they thought that their client was factually innocent accusations, so there was nothing to discuss,” said Thompson. “We were simply preparing for the trial.”
Kohberger’s principal lawyer, Anne Taylor, did not immediately respond to a request for comments on Friday. His office previously declared that he did not speak following the conviction, as the wardrobe of a gag which had long prevented the police and the lawyers from making public statements on the case which had been canceled earlier.
Steve Goncalves, the father of Kaylee Goncalves, told journalists after the conviction that the State had concluded “an agreement with the devil” on Kohberger.