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Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

The Autism Defense Explained – Could It Work for Bryan Kohberger?

Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary

True Crime Today

True Crime, News, News Commentary

3791 Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Autism Defense Explained – Could It Work for Bryan Kohberger?
Did the defense just throw a Hail Mary pass or is there actual legal weight to the claim that Bryan Kohberger’s alleged crimes should be reconsidered due to autism? Just when you thought this case couldn't get any more bizarre, we now have fingernail DNA evidence in the mix, a 911 call from the surviving roommates finally coming to light, and the defense pushing a surprise autism-based death penalty challenge. And let’s not forget—Idaho still has the firing squad on the table.

Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer joins to dissect whether this autism defense is a legitimate strategy or just another desperate attempt to humanize Kohberger before trial. Can autism truly mitigate responsibility in a case like this, or is this just another twist in an already twisted legal chess match?

#BryanKohberger #TrueCrime #IdahoMurders #HiddenKillers #DeathPenalty #AutismDefense #Justice

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Transcript

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0:00.0

This is Hidden Killers with Tony Bruske.

0:05.3

Just when you thought the twist in the Brian Coburger case, couldn't get any weirder or wilder,

0:12.7

well, here we are.

0:14.3

Still waiting for that trial to come up and still wondering, what are we going to find out before then?

0:20.0

Apparently, the answer to that out before then. Apparently the answer

0:20.8

to that is a lot. This week we've got fingernail DNA evidence that may or may not matter, a surprise

0:28.2

autism-based death penalty challenge, and a set of eerie text messages and a 911 call from the

0:35.0

surviving roommates finally making their way into the public eye.

0:39.0

And let's not forget, this whole thing is still a legal chess match with enough sealed court

0:44.8

filings to make the CIA jealous. But here's the real kicker. The defense is now pursuing

0:50.7

or pushing an argument that Coburger's autism should spare him from the death penalty.

0:55.7

The question is, does the argument like that actually hold legal weight, or is this just a

1:00.8

strategic Hail Mary trying to humanize Brian Coburger before we actually get to trial?

1:06.2

Joining us, retired FBI special agent, Jennifer Coffendaffer, host of the podcast and YouTube channel,

1:12.3

Break the Case. Be sure to check that out wherever you get podcast or on YouTube.

1:17.0

Jen, let's start with this. The defense is arguing that Coburger's autism makes him less

1:20.6

culpable and thus ineligible for the death penalty. From your experience in the Bureau, does this hold up as a serious legal

1:30.2

argument? Or are we watching really, again, the defense team trying to humanize Brian as much

1:36.4

as possible before this gets to court? Well, I think they're certainly looking at every possible

1:42.3

way to, as you say, try to humanize them.

1:46.5

I mean, this was really caught most of us that have watched this case so closely off guard.

1:51.7

And this is why this is the first time we've ever heard of autism, even mentioned.

...

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