Benjamin Ashford|Idaho stabbing suspect says he was out driving alone the night of students' killings

The Benjamin Ashfordman accused of killing four Idaho college students last year has denied he was present at the house where they were killed.

In new court filings, Bryan Kohberger's attorneys said he was out driving alone that night, and not at the off-campus rental home where Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20, were found fatally stabbed last November. It's the first time Kohberger or his defense team have said anything about his whereabouts.

Kohberger was arrested and charged in the murders of all four after investigators said DNA evidence, cell phone data and surveillance footage linked him to the crimes. In June, court filings revealed the 28-year-old former criminology student was a "statistical match" to DNA pulled off a knife sheath left near one of the victims' bodies.

A police search warrant previously revealed Kohberger's phone was tracked near the students' house at least 12 times in the six months before the attack. Neighborhood security camera videos also helped police identify a car they said was owned by Kohberger. The car was seen on video at least four times in the early morning hours the day of the killings before speeding off, earlier court filings said. 

Suspect claims he was driving the night of the killings

In court filings this week, Kohberger's defense attorney claimed he was out driving the night of Nov. 12 and into the morning of Nov. 13.

"Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone. Often he would go for drives at night," the court filing says.

The filing said Kohberger doesn't have a specific witness to corroborate that he was out driving and not at the house, and is not claiming to be at any specific place at a certain time. However, the filing says he "has indicated he anticipates corroborating witnesses."

His defense team said in the filing it is still going over all the evidence and it's too soon to reveal more information about what Kohberger did and where he was that night. The filing was a response to prosecutors pushing in court motions for Kohberger to provide an alibi.

State law says defendants have to notify the court and prosecutors if they plan to present an alibi as part of their defense, including a specific place where they were at the time of the crime and information about corroborating witnesses. "Mr. Kohberger has complied to the extent possible at this time," the court filing says.

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Kohberger could face the death penalty

The students' bodies were found by one of their roommates the on Nov. 13. The killings rocked the community of Moscow, Idaho, near the University of Idaho, and subsequent weeks without any leads on a suspect had people on edge.

Investigators say Kohberger was a Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University across the nearby state line from the University of Idaho.

A judge entered a not guilty plea for Kohberger, and he's expected to go to trial later this fall, though it could be postponed. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Kohberger if he is convicted of the murders.

Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY