Prosecutors

Prosecutor Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson, the elected Latah County Prosecuting Attorney, was the lead prosecutor from the outset. He oversaw strategy, led filings, argued for the death penalty to remain on the table, and became the public face of the State’s case. He also participated directly in plea negotiations. Prosecutors like Thompson decide charges and plea terms, but they cannot compel a judge to accept those terms. Victims are consulted but cannot veto a deal. At the plea and sentencing hearings, Thompson presented the State’s position and recommended acceptance of the plea.

Joshua D. (Josh) Hurwit
Joshua Hurwit, the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho, later joined the prosecution as a special deputy. He brought federal trial experience and resources, assisting with pretrial motions and plea negotiations. While he could argue in court and help craft strategy, he acted under county prosecutorial authority. His role in the plea process was to support the negotiation and then represent the State’s reasoning in court, especially during the sentencing phase.

Jeffrey (Jeff) Nye
Jeff Nye, Chief of the Criminal Law Division at the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, was assigned to strengthen the State’s team. He argued on crucial evidentiary questions, including the admissibility of genetic genealogy evidence. As deputy attorney general, Nye supported the local prosecutor rather than replacing him. In the plea phase, he provided legal backbone to the State’s arguments and helped frame aggravating factors at sentencing.

Ashley Jennings
Ashley Jennings, a senior deputy in the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office, worked alongside Thompson and the rest of the team. She handled filings, hearings, and case preparation. As a deputy prosecutor, she could negotiate and argue in court but always under the lead prosecutor’s direction. Jennings assisted in finalizing plea paperwork and presenting the State’s position at sentencing.

Defense Counsel

Anne C. Taylor
Anne Taylor, the Kootenai County Public Defender, was appointed as Kohberger’s lead defense attorney. She is death-penalty qualified and directed the defense’s strategy, from challenging evidence to arguing against capital punishment. Taylor could negotiate with prosecutors but ultimately had to follow her client’s decision on whether to accept a plea. She ensured that Kohberger understood the plea terms and represented him during the plea colloquy and sentencing.

Jay Logsdon
Jay Logsdon, chief deputy public defender from Kootenai County, served as co-counsel. He filed motions seeking to strike the death penalty and argued for a trifurcated trial structure. Like all defense attorneys, he could not impose a plea deal without his client’s consent. During plea negotiations and hearings, he advised Kohberger and argued the defense’s legal positions.

Elisa G. Massoth
Elisa Massoth, a private attorney qualified for capital cases, joined the defense team later to provide added expertise. She worked on evidentiary motions and developed mitigation themes, including challenges based on Kohberger’s personal background. In the plea context, Massoth helped advise on strategy and prepared mitigation evidence to influence sentencing.

Notes on “who can do what” — (short plain language guide)

Prosecutors: choose charges, gather and present evidence, decide whether to offer plea deals and the terms. They cannot force a judge to accept a plea, and victims cannot veto a deal — but statutes give victims rights to notification and to be heard.
Defense counsel: can accept or reject any plea offer only on behalf of the defendant with client authorization; they can push for exclusion of evidence and present mitigating facts at sentencing. They cannot compel prosecutors to make specific offers.
Judge: conducts plea colloquy, ensures pleas are voluntary and satisfy elements, rules on evidence and procedure, and accepts or rejects plea agreements under Idaho criminal procedure (the judge cannot rewrite the negotiated terms but may reject them if legally insufficient or not in the court’s view proper). If accepted, the judge pronounces sentence.

Short explanation of the plea process & who controls what (as applied to this case)

Negotiation: Prosecutors and defense negotiate terms (sentence recommendation, whether death penalty waived, any factual stipulations). Victims are consulted but do not have a veto.
Plea hearing (colloquy): The judge asks the defendant questions on the record to confirm the plea is voluntary and that a factual basis exists. The judge may accept or reject. Judges commonly accept deals that satisfy statutory requirements and provide a proper factual admission; rejection is rare but possible.
Sentencing: If the plea is accepted, the judge imposes sentence (within the law and any binding terms accepted by the court). If the plea had recommended terms, the judge may adopt those terms; if the court rejected the plea, case proceeds toward trial.

Sources & further reading (primary, relied-upon reporting)

Associated Press: “Prosecution adds former US attorney to University of Idaho quadruple murder case.”
Idaho Statesman, coverage of judges/prosecutors and personnel changes (Judge John Judge retirement / Steven Hippler assignment).
AP / PBS / ABC reporting on plea, rulings, and death-penalty issues.
Reporting on prosecution team (Bill Thompson, Jeff Nye, Joshua Hurwit, Ashley Jennings).
Coverage of defense team (Anne Taylor, Jay Logsdon, Elisa Massoth) and their major pretrial motions.
Idaho Rules of Criminal Procedure (Rule 11) & practitioner guides on plea acceptance / judge role.
AP News: summary of plea negotiations, victims’ rights and limits on victims’ ability to block prosecutors’ decisions.