The baseball star charged with murder in a horror crash that killed four Pepperdine University students was chased before the collision, his attorney says.
Fraser Bohm, 22, faces four counts of murder after allegedly losing control of his BMW along the Pacific Coast Highway on October 17, crashing into parked cars in an incident that killed Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were killed. all 21.
His attorney, Michael Kraut, claimed in court that the former baseball standout was involved in the crash due to a road rage incident that occurred about three miles from the scene of the collision.
“We have evidence that the Sheriff’s Department did not want to accept that clearly shows that there was a road rage incident that started at Duke’s, and that this individual chased him and tried to push him off the side of the road,” Kraut said. KTL.
“When (Bohm) accelerated to get away from him, the accident happened,” he added.
Bohm pleaded not guilty on Wednesday during his first court appearance, and his family was seen in court this week as he faces the gruesome charges.
Fraser Bohm, 22, who allegedly struck and killed four Pepperdine University seniors with his BMW in Malibu, was in court Wednesday after being charged with murder
Niamh Ralston (left) was one of four Pepperdine University students killed when a BMW crashed into a parked car and hit them in Malibu, while Peyton Stewart (right) recently completed a sought-after internship at TikTok.
Georgia native Desilyn Williams (left), pictured on her LinkedIn page, and Asha Weir (right) are scheduled to graduate from Seaver College of Liberal Arts in the spring
Bohm’s family left a Los Angeles courthouse on October 25, 2023
Kraut claimed that security footage from the scene was collected to support his allegations about a traffic incident.
He also claimed that the driver of the other car had been identified, adding: “The individual admitted to a family member that they ran him off the road.”
Kraut reportedly did not commit to subpoenaing the driver to make him testify in court, saying the information would be released at a later date.
“I seriously doubt this gentleman will voluntarily come in and say, ‘I caused these four people to die,’” Kraut said.
“It’s not fair to the investigation and I want the police to do a proper investigation.”
Early reports claimed Bohm was traveling at more than 100 mph (160 km/h) moments before the crash, but Kraut refuted these claims, saying his BMW’s ‘black box’ would show he was traveling at about 70 mph (110 km/h).
At his court appearance on Wednesday, Bohm pleaded his innocence, in the same hearing in which his bail was reduced from $8 million to $4 million.
Kraut argued that the reduced bail remains too high, citing that his client had no prior criminal record or driving violations.
Kraut added that police have yet to determine whether Bohm was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, and said the 22-year-old should be released so he can “effectively fight the charges from the outside.”
“I believe the evidence will show that my client is not responsible. It’s the person who ran them off the road and told people, “He ran them off on purpose,” Kraut concluded.
Bohm’s attorney Michael Kraut has claimed he has surveillance evidence showing Bohm was chased by a road-rage driver before the horror crash.
The alleged killer’s family is pictured leaving the courthouse, where Bohm’s bail was reduced from $8 million to $4 million
The former high school baseball standout reportedly attempted to flee the scene after the crash before being apprehended by onlookers. He pleaded not guilty this week
Flowers were placed at the crash site for the four Pepperdine seniors who died
Traces of the accident can still be seen at the scene, including what appears to be blood on the wall
The horror accident occurred on the evening of Oct. 17, as the four Pepperdine seniors were walking along Pacific Coast Highway near a fraternity.
At the same time, Bohm, who was unharmed in the crash, allegedly crashed his BMW into a row of parked cars as students waited nearby.
Witnesses claimed that Bohm attempted to flee the scene immediately after the collision before being apprehended by stunned onlookers.
Footage obtained by KTLA from the night of the crash showed a grim-faced Bohm being given a field sobriety test by police as the mangled remains of his red BMW were towed away.
While it is unclear what Bohm does for a living now, video unearthed by DailyMail.com shows that he was a highly rated pitcher in high school and played for Oaks Christian School before graduating.
The $31,250-a-year private prep school near Los Angeles counts Sofia Richie and Mariel Hemingway’s model daughter Dree among its alumni.
LR victims Asha Weir, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart and Deslyn Williams are pictured enjoying a meal with friends just weeks before they were mowed down and murdered
The Pacific Coast Highway, the stretch of road where the horror accident occurred, has developed a reputation for being a dangerous stretch. In ten years, 49 people have died on the road
Bohm still lives at home on his $8.7 million Malibu gated “estate,” which was deeded to Bohm’s mother during his parents’ divorce
DailyMail.com previously revealed that the speeding car that allegedly killed the four seniors was purchased by Bohm’s mother Brooke, 57, with a $25,000 deposit in 2017 – with the remaining installments paid by his father Chris, 59.
According to a settlement finalizing the couple’s divorce in 2018 and obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, the vehicle was given to Bohm on his 18th birthday.
The settlement also reveals details about his family’s lavish lifestyle — including the remote, Malibu-gated “estate” where Bohm’s mother ended up in the divorce.
His lavish estate is said to be located in a ‘celebrity enclave’ and includes a bespoke chef’s kitchen and terraced gardens. The house was put up for sale in late September for $9,750,000, but within a week the price had been reduced to $8,795,000.
Bohm is the youngest of three siblings. His sisters Hunter, 25, and Haiden, 24, also live in the house, along with their photographer mother.
The stretch of highway where the crash occurred has seen 49 deaths in the past decade, a staggering statistic that has earned nicknames such as “Dead Man’s Curve” and “Blood Alley.”
Outraged Malibu residents criticized city officials at a hostile town hall meeting Monday for demanding safety improvements to the road, which still has much of the same infrastructure as it did in the 1950s.
“How many more deaths before anything is done?” one tearful resident told the Malibu City Council.