BOISE, Idaho — The trial of a man accused in the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students will take place in Boise, about 300 miles (482.80 kilometers) from where the crimes took place, the Idaho Supreme Court announced Thursday.
The Idaho Supreme Court’s decision to appoint a new judge and move the trial to June 2025 comes in response to a ruling by 2nd District Judge John Judge, who said extensive media coverage of the case, disinformation spread on social media and statements by government officials raised doubts about whether Bryan Kohberger could receive a fair trial in the college town of Moscow, Idaho.
Kohberger faces four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, and prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty if he is convicted. The four University of Idaho students were killed sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, in a rental house near campus.
The ruling means that all hearings and other proceedings in the case will now be held at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, under the presidency of 4th District Judge Steven Hippler. The Boise building is much larger than the Moscow courthouse, with larger courtrooms, room for additional seating and a larger security area for screening visitors. It also has protected routes for sensitive witnesses to enter and exit the courtroom — something the judge had noted the Latah County courthouse lacked.
Kohberger’s The defense team wanted to change the venue because the strong emotions in the close-knit community and the constant media coverage would make it impossible to find an impartial jury in the small college town where the murders took place.
But prosecutors opposed the move, arguing that any potential bias issues could be resolved by simply calling a larger group of potential jurors and questioning them carefully. They noted that it would be difficult to force attorneys, witnesses, victims’ relatives and others to travel to another city.
The right to a fair trial and impartial jurors is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It is common for a trial to be moved to a new location to protect these rights.
Kohberger, a former criminal law student at Washington State University last year decided to remain silent when asked to enter a plea in the case, so the judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Authorities have said cellphone data and surveillance footage show Kohberger visited the victims’ neighborhood at least a dozen times before the killings; that he traveled in the region that night, taking a detour back to Pullman, Washington; and his DNA was found at the crime scene.
His attorneys said in a court document that he was merely going for a drive that evening, “as he often did to walk and run and/or see the moon and stars.”
Police arrested Kohberger six weeks after the murder at his parents’ Pennsylvania home, where he was spending the Christmas holidays.