In a recent interview, Tanya Carmella-Beers, a former high school administrator who had expelled Bryan Kohberger from a law enforcement vocational program, expressed that his arrest "made sense" given his troubled past.
Carmella-Beers revealed that while Kohberger had expressed a strong desire to join law enforcement, his struggles became apparent early on. She explained that the protective services program, which focused on law enforcement, held students to a high standard. Any behavior that would result in the termination of an adult from the profession would lead to expulsion from the program.
Although Carmella-Beers couldn't provide specific details due to student privacy laws, she mentioned that a complaint had been made against Kohberger by a group of female students. The teacher reported the issue to Carmella-Beers, prompting an investigation. Other students, including Kohberger, were interviewed. Ultimately, the decision was made to remove him from the program.
Reflecting on the situation, Carmella-Beers stated, "Ultimately what had him removed from the program, when I look back on it now, makes sense... the fact that he wanted law enforcement more than anything else in the world, if you look at it from just that perspective alone not knowing what I know you'd be like, I'm so shocked."
Following his expulsion from the law enforcement program, Kohberger transferred to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning track for a year before eventually dropping out. Carmella-Beers noted that Kohberger may not have fully grasped the seriousness of the issue at hand.
Despite his expulsion, Kohberger later listed his time in the protective services program on a job application for a part-time security guard position at Mount Pleasant High School. However, public records indicate that his employment at the school ended in a forced resignation.
In June 2021, Kohberger acknowledged in writing that he understood the potential consequences if he did not resign from his position. Although district officials have not disclosed the specific disciplinary actions taken, it is clear that his employment ended under contentious circumstances.
Despite his struggles with employment and a battle with drug addiction, Kohberger managed to obtain a master's degree in criminal justice from DeSales University. He then began pursuing a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University in the fall of 2022.
However, before Thanksgiving break during his first semester, Kohberger allegedly carried out a quadruple murder plot. He is accused of brutally attacking a group of students at a house near the University of Idaho campus, resulting in the deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin.
Moscow, Idaho police discovered a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen's body, which was found to contain Kohberger's DNA. He was subsequently arrested by Pennsylvania police at his parents' house in the Pocono Mountains on December 30. Kohberger waived extradition to Idaho and has been held without bail since then.
During his arraignment in May, a judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf to charges of murder and burglary. His trial is scheduled to begin on October 2.
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