An Idaho judge has granted Bryan Kohberger’s motion to move his high-profile murder trial away from the college town where four University of Idaho students were slaughtered in their home.
District Court Judge John C. Judge made the decision after the defense team successfully argued that a fair trial could not take place in Latah County, according to an order released on Monday.
Kohberger is accused of murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022.
The new location of Kohberger’s trial was not immediately clear in the order, but Boise, Idaho, which is about a six-hour drive away from Moscow, is a top option. The decision will be left up to Idaho’s highest court.
Judge cited the safety and security of those involved in the case, including victims’ families, jurors, and the “Latah County community,” stating that, “The Latah County courthouse itself poses significant issues for a trial of this length and magnitude.”
In a hearing last week, Kohberger’s attorneys argued that there was a “mob mentality” surrounding the case in Latah County after they surveyed potential jurors who said “there would likely be a riot” and “they’d burn the courthouse down” if he is not found guilty.
Prosecutors accused Kohberger’s team of using flawed survey data in its requests to move the trial, and argued the victims’ families will be affected if the case is moved.
The order cites “extensive negative publicity surrounding Kohberger” as reason for moving the trial.
“Kohberger’s name and picture have been associated with terms like ‘murderer,’ ‘evil,’ ‘killer,’ and ‘stalker,’ when individuals hear that name there is a negative association,” according to the order.
“This impact is greater in Latah County because of the saturation of the extensive media coverage.”
Police said they linked Kohberger to the murders that rocked the college town through DNA found on a knife sheath, cellphone data, an eyewitness account, and his white Hyundai Elantra.
Kohberger, who was a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University at the time of the murders, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Kohberger is set to stand trial in June 2025.
