A judge has agreed to move the murder trial of Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students in 2022, to a different city. The new location was not immediately clear. The decision will be left up to Idaho’s highest court.
In an order dated Friday, Idaho Second District Judge John C. Judge ruled that the venue will be changed in the University of Idaho quadruple murder trial. Judge stated he was concerned about Kohberger’s ability to receive a fair trial at the Latah County courthouse in Moscow, given extensive media coverage of the case as well as statements by public officials suggesting Kohberger’s guilt. The trial could be moved to Boise in Alda County, which is 326 miles south of Moscow. Kohberger’s lawyers want the trial to take place in Boise, the capital and largest city in Idaho. The trial had been scheduled to begin June 2, 2025, and last about three months.
Lawyers for the suspect, Bryan Kohberger, pushed to move the trial to Boise, arguing the local jury pool in Latah County, which encompasses Moscow, was tainted by pretrial publicity. Judge sided with the defense, citing concerns that the local community is prejudiced against Kohberger, 29. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty in the first-degree murder case. Judge said, “Considering the undisputed evidence presented by the defense, the extreme nature of the news coverage in this case, and the smaller population in Latah County, the defense has met the rather low standard of demonstrating ‘a reasonable likelihood’ that prejudicial news coverage will compromise a fair trial in Latah County. Thus, the Court will grant Kohberger’s motion to change venue for presumed prejudice … The court has spent many months carefully considering the legal and logistical concerns with a trial of this length and magnitude, carefully reading each submission, listening to each expert, and evaluating each party’s position. Based upon the totality of the factors, Defendant’s Motion for Change of Venue is granted.”
Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University, which is across the state line in Pullman, 11 miles west of Moscow. Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ home on Dec. 30 in Monroe County, Pa. and later charged with the stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle on Nov. 13, 2022. Their home, which has since been demolished, was located off the school’s main campus.
According to court documents, investigators have linked him to a white vehicle seen near the killings, with DNA recovered from a tan leather knife sheath found in the home and cellphone location data was nearby. Kohberger’s attorneys have stated that they have an alibi as part of his defense.
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