(NewsNation) — The Mad Greek restaurant in Moscow, Idaho, is refuting a People magazine report that connected Idaho killing suspect Bryan Kohberger to his victims, saying “it is not true.”
“This will be my only response to this story from People… It is not true,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “I also have not forbidden employees from speaking to reporters. We all decided collectively to support the families and not share anything that could potentially harm the investigation or cause the families more stress.”
A former employee at the restaurant, where stabbing victims Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle were reportedly servers, told People magazine that Kohberger had been a customer.
The employee said that there was nothing suspicious about Kohberger but that he stood out because he had a strict vegan order and wanted to make sure the food in his order did not come in contact with animal products.
People magazine also reported that a now-deleted Instagram account apparently belonging to Kohberger followed Idaho stabbing victims Mogen, Kernodle and Kaylee Goncalves.
Steve Helling, a senior writer for People, said Kohberger messaged at least one of the female victims.
The judge in Kohberger’s case issued a gag order, excluding attorneys representing “any interested party in the case.”
This order includes anyone who works for the court, witnesses, victims and the families of victims from talking about the case outside a courtroom.
The prohibition came in an order Thursday, which makes stricter a previous ruling that placed a gag order on police, prosecutors and defense attorneys. Police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation since it began, which prompted scrutiny from the public and victims’ families.