Speaker 1: What's up everyone, and welcome back to the program. In
this episode, we're picking up where we left off with
the Brian Edelman Declaration in support of Brian Kolberger. Part
six Telephone Survey. A telephone survey was conducted in Layta County.
Comparison surveys were conducted in Ada County, Canyon, and Bannett Counties.
Research Strategies Incorporated, which is based in Mobile, Alabama, was
hired to field the telephone survey. Standard practices related to
the development of the instrument, interviewer training, sampling, and callbacks
were closely followed. The survey instrument and methodology adhere to
the professional standards and guidelines put forth by the American
Society of Trial Consultants. All recognition questions were designed to
describe the case using the language found in the media coverage.
The surveys were in the field between March fifth and
July sixth of twenty twenty four. Ultimately, four hundred jury
eligible residents in Leayta County, four hundred in Ada County,
two hundred from Canyon County, and two hundred and two
from Bannett County completed the survey. Case recognition it's my
opinion that the results of the telephone survey indicate that
there is a bias in Leayta County and the jury
pool against the defendants stemming from exposure to pre trial publicity.
Sensational crimes are more likely to have a longer lasting
impact on the public's consciousness in smaller counties compare it
to larger ones where violent crimes are more common. In addition,
informal communication channels, including social media, can have a greater
effect in spreading rumors and misinformation about a sensational crime
such as this. Layta County is the eleventh largest county
in Idaho, with just thirty two thousand, five hundred and
fifteen residents over the age of eighteen. Sixty six percent
or twenty one thousand, five hundred and ninety eight of
its jury eligible population reside in Moscow, the community most
traumatized by this crime. Leayta County residents have remained highly
invested in this case despite the passage of time. Time
almost all ninety eight percent jury eligible respondents were familiar
with the case. In addition, approximately sixty eight percent of
survey respondents reported that they have followed this case somewhat
or very closely, with twenty nine percent falling into the
latter category, presumption of guilt. The survey data also indicates
that the presumption of innocence has been shifted to a
presumption of guilt. Approximately sixty seven percent of perspective jurors
who were familiar with the case believe that Brian Colberger
is guilty of murder, with twenty five percent falling into
the definitely guilty category. The presumption of guilt increased to
eighty one percent for those who recognize seven or more
media items tested in the survey. Furthermore, fifty one percent
of those who have been exposed to media coverage reported
that Colburger would have a difficult time convincing them that
he is not guilty, with increased to sixty six percent
for those who recognize seven or more media items. Just
nineteen percent reported that defendant would not have a difficult
time convincing them of his innocence. As for the sentence,
fifty two percent of Leatak County survey respondents believe the
jury should sentence Coburger to the death if he's convicted,
compared to twenty four percent who favored life without the
possibility of parole. Approximately fifty one percent of those who
did not support a life sentence indicated that the defendant
would have a difficult time convincing them that he should
not be executed. Only nineteen percent disagreed with that statement.
Case knowledge the community is just more than passing familiar
with the case. Approximately seventy nine percent of Latak County
survey respondents recognized at least five of nine media items
tested in the survey, and fifty two percent were familiar
with seven or more. Eighty one percent of survey respondents
who recognized the case had read, seen, or heard that
police found a knife sheath on the bed next to
one of the victims, and sixty seven percent were aware
that DNA found on the knife sheath was matched to
Brian Colberger. In addition, eighty six percent of Leatak County
surveyors respondents heard that the defendant owns the same type
of vehicle recorded on video driving in the neighborhood where
the killings occurred, and seventy nine percent were aware that
cell phone tower data purportedly showed that Colburger made several
trips near the victims home months before the killings. Being
familiar with Such incriminating details, which came from the probable
cause affid David shared with the media, is particularly concerning,
giving that most were significantly related to prejudgment. For example,
seventy five percent of Leta County survey respondents who had read, seen,
or heard that DNA found on the knife sheath was
later matched to Brian Colberger believed d he is guilty of murder,
and sixty percent indicated that he would have a difficult
time convincing them otherwise. All the media items tested in
the survey and significantly related to the presumption at guilt
are provided in the table below. Some of the most
prejudicial media items were those regarding misinformation. For example, eighty
one percent of prospective jurors who had heard that Coburger
stocked one of the victims reports that he's guilty, and
sixty two percent maintained that he would have a difficult
time changing their minds. Only after this allegation was proliferated
through the media and social media for sixteen months did
the prosecutor clarify. In April twenty twenty four, hearing that
it was untrue. Prospective jurors who had seen media coverage
discussing Coberger's alibi have also reacted critically. Approximately seventy nine
percent of those who have read, seen, or heard that
the defendants that he was driving alone on the night
of the murders believe he is guilty, and sixty two
percent indicated that he would have a difficult time convincing
them otherwise. Consistent with what often happens in smaller venues, rumors, conjecture,
and misinformation have spread through informal discussion and alternate communication
networks such as social media. Approximately eighty eight percent of
Leta County survey respondents who recognize the case have talked
about the murders or heard others talking about them in
person or online. Prospective jurors who were also familiar with
misinformation reported in the media and tested in the survey.
For example, forty five percent of red seen or heard
that Brian Coburger stalked one of the victims, and forty
five percent were aware that he allegedly followed one of
the victims on social media earlier. In the survey, respondents
were asked what rumors or theories they had heard about
the murders, the defendant or his victims. Leta County. Survey
respondents reported a litany of rumors and conjecture that have
been spread in the coverage, in formal discussions and social media.
Examples include he may come from a family of crime,
and previous cases have been uncovered. I've heard that Coburger
has been linked to other murders in Washington and Pennsylvania.
I've heard their railroad in Coburger to put them away,
and the evidence was planted and he's being framed. One
other one that I heard was that he was not
working with one or the other of the roommates. Some
speculation that Coburger committed a murder in Oregon. Possibly the
house was a party house and a couple of people
who died there weren't supposed to be there, the boyfriend
and the girlfriend. Also, Coburger had commented about committing the
perfect murder in a paper that maybe one of his
victims had rejected him sexually caused this with his criminal
justice interest, he wanted to try to commit the perfect murder.
The girls were party girls. Brian was studying criminology see
how much he could get away with. I just heard
it was part of his research to commit these murders
in a small town because he thought he could get
away with it. I've heard a theory that he might
have committed the murders to see if he can get
away with it and get off, That he planned it
out and that he would keep doing it if he
wasn't caught. He was a law student at WSU and
he looked on the internet for how to do certain things.
He was interviewing people for his thesis. Someone said that
he may have been snubbed by the girls at parties.
Students that were killed were big partiers and had been
to parties with them, and that Coburger bragged about committing
perfect murder and was taking criminal justice classes people who
they thought were involved. Also that the other roommates were involved,
but that hasn't been proven, just a rumor. Rumors about
other suspects. He frequented mad Greek stalking. Well, hold up,
you mean to tell me that you're going to try
and say he didn't go to the mad Greek. Sorry.
I don't buy that for a minute. That there could
have been another person. I heard that Colburger had an obsession.
Multiple people involved may have been connected with ritual killings
of an animal. Speculation that the roommates are involved. Surprised
the police did not do more investigations. I think frat
boys may have been involved. News on the street it
was really a gruesome murder and vicious. Also heard by
some people I know in jail that have told me
they have seen interaction with police in Coburger while in
jail and says the police seemed to be friendly to
butter up with Coburger to try to get him to talk.
Police here are doing an excellent job, and on this case,
we're told he slice and diced them and hung them
from the fan. Don't know why he did it. There
were some rumors that he stalked the girls, but can't
say that's for sure. The rumor that he was an
ex of one of the female victims, and I heard
he had tourettes. He fit the description and was in
the wrong place at the wrong time. He tried to
leave the country. I heard that there was two other people,
but they found his DNA at the scene. I've heard
that the defense isn't sure who it is, or maybe
the roommates are involved, or there may be more than
one person. He had killed someone else in the car
with him. He killed the people and there was someone
else helping him. His roommates said Coburger was acting strange
around the time of the murders. He's guilty. He did it,
and the evidence was found at the crime scene. He
knew one of the people in there. He tried to
connect with one woman. He was aware of where the
girls were at all times, been in and around the
house a couple of times. Rumors that there was a
second person responsible in Rumors of following the girls online,
and lots and lots of parties at the house because
it's a university town. He was obsessed with one of
the girls at the house. I heard that Brian tried
to hit one of the girls at the restaurant. Brian
Colberger said, am I the only one getting arrested when
the cop picked them up. He was stalking one of
the victims. He was delusional about being in a relationship
with one of the girls. We're pretty sure that he
did it, pretty sure that he was stalking them, checking
the places they went. One of the girls his romantic advances.
He went in the house and killed three girls and
one gentleman. He was dating one of the girls and
she stopped seeing them. He came back and killed them all,
him sleeping or being obsessed with one of the girls
and him stalking them. His relationship with the victims attracted
to one. I've heard something along the lines he had
a personal grudge against them, but don't know if it's true.
I heard he was stalking two of the victims, who
also heard he went back into the house after the
murders were committed. I also heard that the roommates were
in on it. He was a teacher assistant at WSU
and he had issues with women there. One of the
restaurants where he ate it was the one where the
girls worked at. I've heard that he has a bad
history with women, and everyone is thinking that has something
to do with why he did what he did. He
worked in the same building with me. I didn't know him,
but a friend did and said he was strange and
would just stare at you. I think he hates women.
He doesn't respect women at all. Kind of obvious from
the way he's treated his professors and the people he
works with. His fellow grad students the other university he
was working, they had problems with them too. I don't
know why he picked those victims. He just stalked the
other girl. He just kind of ignored them and didn't
engage in their communication. He was trying to communicate with
her and she didn't respond, so he stalked her. That's
what the videotapes are showing, and the pings on his
cell phone. His social media. A lot of people on
Reddit found disturbing posts from years back the drive by stalking.
He had a temper and stopped them. He was studying
criminal law. Somehow he was shunned by them. There are
different things from his past, his behaviors before he came here.
He attended school in criminal justice. That's what he was
studying at Washington State University. He lives back in Pennsylvania.
Girls that grew up with them stalk don't know if
that's the right word. He didn't have healthy relationships with women.
Maybe a second person's involved. One of the girls complained
about being stalked, but no action was taken. One story
that I heard before he was apprehended that these women
had a business going on the internet that was sexual
in nature, and that was one of their clients. Was
displeased with them. Maybe he didn't want One of the
girls leaving town heard lots of different rumors, heard numerous
things too intense for me to repeat. Too many rumors
answer this question mostly really crazy stuff. But other than that,
we don't know a whole lot. I've read and seen
ridiculous amounts of false information on TV and online. I'm
a student and I've heard a lot. Don't know what
to believe. There's a lot of discussion about his psychological makeup,
a master's and working on a PhD in criminology. That's
a fact. The rumor that he's going to write a
book about it, and the reason is to write a book.
He gets love letters from women in prison, that's a rumor.
What the defense attorney wants is to make sure he
doesn't get executed. That's a rumor. There are tons of
rumors in this town, knee deep in rumors. The worst
rumor was that the murders were engineered by a woman.
A psychic in Texas accused her a murder. The woman's
being sued and there is coret facts about it. The
rumor is the history professor did this. In the University
of Idaho. I've heard rumors that the roommates might be
or could be involved in about Coburger's past in history.
I have heard that the girls that he really liked,
that he had stabbed her the most and the worst.
That's the biggest thing I've heard. There are so many
little things heard. Rumors about drug deals, or that he
stalked the victims, heard that it was possibly a drug case,
there was a drug deal gone bad. I've heard all
kinds of things, from drug deals gone bad, or to
his being so smart that he thought he could get
away with murder. Everyone in the whole country heard it.
I feel like I remember it was home that had
a lot of weekend and night parties, and that he
had potentially been there once or twice to the home.
I guess I don't pay much attention to that. Once
that really bothered me was the roommates that were not killed.
Dylan Bethany survived, and they were talking during the murder
that they the two surviving roommates were involved somehow, there
were drugs. It was disturbing. There's nothing in the information
release that alludes to them having any involvement in the crimes.
That the police department was corrupt in the prosecutor's office,
some conspiracy about cover up. It's silly and stupid. I
don't believe it. There have been rumors about the university
and the cops being involved. I heard that it was
a party house and had a lot of people coming
and going. I was aware of the victims. I had
met two of them and they were scared of him.
We are spending millions of dollars to defend them, and
it's a waste of tax dollars. Speculation is that he
drove over there and left his phone, murdered the people
drove away, left and went back that morning remembering you
forgot the sheath, that he might have thrown the knife
in the river. That there is so much evidence against him.
There is speculation that some people heard him when he
started attacking them, and that one of them fought back. Also,
someone said something about him turning his phone off or
off the network when he was driving near the area.
Some people think he made it look like he drove
to Clarkstown, Washington, so it wouldn't look like he was
in Moscow. And there was a coffee shop that saw
his car in Clarkston, that the house was a bit
of a party house, and heard that the neighbors saw
an identical year and model of car of Coburger's parked
outside the house the night of the murders. All right,
we're going to wrap up right there, and then the
next episode we're going to pick up with the impact
on the community. All of the information that goes with
this episode can be found in the description box.