Bryan Kohberger’s trial in the case of four murders near the University of Idaho has been moved out of Latah County to Ada County, with the trial now set to take place in Boise. The decision to relocate the trial was made by the Idaho Supreme Court due to concerns about extensive media coverage potentially affecting Kohberger’s right to a fair trial.
This relocation also followed an earlier determination that the Latah County courthouse lacked the necessary facilities and security to manage such a high-profile case. A new mugshot of Kohberger, now held in Ada County, was released after the ruling.
Judge Steven Hippler of the Fourth District will preside over the case in Boise, while it remains unclear whether the trial will proceed as planned on June 2, 2025, or if the recent developments will cause delays.
Kohberger’s defense team has filed motions to avoid the death penalty, although it is yet to be determined if Judge Hippler or the original judge from Latah County, John C. Judge, will handle these motions. Despite the transfer to Ada County, Latah County will still bear the financial responsibility for the trial.
Bryan Kohberger’s Murder Trial Moved to Boise Amid Concerns Over Fairness and Security
Kohberger, a former Ph.D. student in criminology at Washington State University, stands accused of murdering four students, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves, in November 2022. His defense argues that he was not present at the crime scene, claiming he was driving alone at the time of the murders.
The victims were found in the off-campus home they shared, with Mogen and Goncalves discovered together in one bed and Kernodle and Chapin found on another floor. Two other roommates, who survived the attack, reported the crime to the police.
The prosecution has presented evidence that Kohberger had been in the area of the killings at least 12 times before the night in question and that his phone was turned off during the timeframe of the murders.
Additionally, DNA evidence linked to Kohberger was obtained from a knife sheath found at the crime scene, with forensic testing revealing that the DNA matched Kohberger’s father, further connecting him to the crime.
Kohberger was arrested in December 2022 at his family’s home in Pennsylvania after driving cross-country from Washington with his father. Prosecutors have since declared their intention to seek the death penalty, citing the brutal and cruel nature of the murders as aggravating factors.
The case has garnered significant media attention due to the gruesome nature of the crime and the complexities surrounding the trial’s proceedings.
