BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho lawmaker who spearheaded the state’s shift to firing squad executions said he was frustrated with the outcome of the University of Idaho student murder case that allowed Bryan Kohberger to escape the death penalty.

The four victims’ families — and the public — deserved a trial in the high-profile case, and a jury should have had the right to determine the proper punishment for Kohberger, Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa told the Idaho Statesman. Instead, Kohberger sought a plea offer from prosecutors just weeks before jury selection was to begin and agreed to plead guilty to fatally stabbing four U of I undergraduates.

“I’m not blaming or arguing with the decision of the prosecuting attorney’s office, but I’m disappointed, personally, there was not a trial and a dea

See Full Page