Idaho murder victim Xana Kernodle’s mother says lawyer ‘betrayed’ her to defend Bryan Kohberger

Idaho student murder victim Xana Kernodle's mother says lawyer 'betrayed' her to defend Bryan Kohberger

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According to a recent interview, Xana Kernodle’s parents, one of four University of Idaho stabbing assaulted in November felt “heartbroken” and “betrayed” by her former defence counsel, who resigned from her case to represent the accused killer.

According to court documents, Anne Taylor, the Kootenai County public lawyer for Idaho student murder suspect Bryan Kohberger, previously represented Cara Kernodle, the mother of killed student Xana Kernodle.

Cara Kernodle, who is facing felony drug charges, told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield on Wednesday that she found out about Taylor’s decision on Reddit, 20 days after the lawyer notified the court that she was withdrawing to prevent a conflict of interest.

Kohberger is suspected of coming into the home of 20-year-old Xana Kernodle and murdering her, her boyfriend, and two housemates with a knife on November 13.

“I’m upset because I trusted her,” Cara Kernodle said on Wednesday night’s aired interview. “She pretended she wanted to assist me. I can’t even express how betrayed I feel after learning she’s representing him.”

Kernodle also claimed to have granted Taylor “power of attorney.”

“I don’t know how she did it,” she said. “I’m not sure what’s going on right now.”

Chris Schwartz, Kernodle’s new counsel, did not immediately reply to emails seeking comment.

Taylor was designated as Kohberger’s interim defence counsel immediately after his detention on Dec. 30, and he was assigned as his official public defender during his first appearance in the Latah County Courthouse after he waived extradition in Pennsylvania and returned to Idaho.

Her office did not reply to a comment request on Thursday.

Police and the FBI visited Kohberger’s parent’s home in the Poconos Mountains, where they claimed to have obtained DNA from a trash can that was a familial match to DNA found on a knife sheath found near the deaths of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, Kernodle’s two 21-year-old housemates.

Ethan Chapin, 20, was the fourth fatality. He was dating Kernodle and spending the night with her.

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