A judge has agreed to move the trial of accused murderer Bryan Kohberger to a different location, where he will face charges of killing four University of Idaho students.
In a Friday ruling, Idaho Second District Judge John C. Judge said there were concerns about media attention and public comments that could jeopardize Kohberger’s chance for a fair trial in Moscow. He also pointed out that the courthouse lacks space and the sheriff’s office doesn’t have enough deputies for security. The new trial location wasn’t named.
Kohberger’s defense requested the change, citing the constant news coverage and anger from the public. Prosecutors argued that expanding the jury pool could address potential bias.
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As CrimeOnline previously reported, Kohberger, a former Washington State University student, is accused of murdering Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves on November 13, 2022, at an off-campus home near the school.
Kohberger’s attorneys have claimed Kohberger was not at the crime scene and was driving around alone the night Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, and Kaylee Goncalves were fatally stabbed at the women’s off-campus home on November 13, 2022.
Mogen was found dead in bed next to Goncalves, and a knife sheath was reportedly discovered near their bodies. Downstairs, on the second floor, Kernodle was found slain next to Chapin, her boyfriend. Two surviving roommates discovered the bodies and called the cops.
Police claimed Kohberger visited the area 12 times before the slayings and that he turned off his phone on the night in question.
Investigators tested DNA from a trash can outside Kohberger’s family home in Pennsylvania against DNA found on the sheath at the crime scene. Testing determined that “at least 99.9998% of the male population would be expected to be excluded from the possibility of being the suspect’s biological father.”
At the time of the slayings, Kohberger was obtaining his Ph.D. in criminology from Washington State University, which is located 10 miles from the crime scene. He was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022, after taking a cross-country road trip with his father from Washington to Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors filed court documents detailing their intent to pursue the death penalty as they deemed the slayings were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.”
