(NewsNation) — Bryan Kohberger’s parents have been called to testify before a grand jury in Pennsylvania, NewsNation has learned.
The case is related to Dana Smithers, a 45-year-old woman who went missing in May 2022 in Monroe County. That’s the same Pennsylvania county where Kohberger lived.
A source close to the case says Kohberger has a solid alibi and is likely not connected to Smither’s disappearance — but the grand jury has not concluded their proceedings and the investigation is ongoing.
NewsNation has previously reported investigators are also looking into another case in Pennsylvania to determine whether Kohberger was involved.
He is already accused of killing four University of Idaho students — Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves — last November inside an off-campus rental house in Moscow, Idaho. All four victims were stabbed to death.
Stroud Area Regional Police Department released a statement Thursday saying it’s aware of news articles reporting connections between the Smithers case and Kohberger.
“The SARPD has NO EVIDENCE that Dana Smither’s disappearance is in ANY WAY tied to Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger,” the statement said.
Former FBI agent and NewsNation contributor Jennifer Coffindaffer said Wednesday on “CUOMO” calling the parents to testify doesn’t make sense if an alibi is already established.
“Why do you need them to say, ‘Yeah, we waved goodbye and gave him a hug and he got in a car and left,'” Coffindaffer said. “That should be proved through digital information that would be retrieved from his cellphone, and there should also be where he was staying that was separated from where this not missing person, but actually murder, took place.”
Human remains identified as Smithers were found April 27, the Pocono Record reported. She was reported missing after being last seen on surveillance camera leaving her friend’s house in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.