Judge approves motion by accused Idaho college killer Bryan Kohberger to postpone trial – Crime Online

A judge has agreed to move the trial of murder accused Bryan Kohberger to another location where he faces charges in the killings of four University of Idaho students.

In a ruling Friday, Idaho Second District Judge John C. Judge said there were concerns about media attention and public comments that could jeopardize Kohberger's chance of a fair trial in Moscow. He also pointed out that the courthouse lacks space and the sheriff's office does not have enough security officers. The new trial location was not specified.

Kohberger's defense requested the change, citing constant news coverage and public anger. Prosecutors argued that expanding the jury pool could counteract potential bias.

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As CrimeOnline previously reported, Kohberger, a former Washington State University student, is accused of murdering Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves on November 13, 2022, at an off-campus home near the school.

Kohberger's lawyers claimed that Kohberger was not at the crime scene and was driving alone the night Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin and Kaylee Goncalves were stabbed to death at the off-campus women's house on November 13, 2022.

Mogen was found dead in the bed next to Goncalves and a knife sheath was reportedly discovered next to their bodies. Down on the second floor, Kernodle was found murdered next to her boyfriend, Chapin. Two surviving roommates discovered the bodies and called police.

According to police, Kohberger visited the area 12 times before the murders and turned off his phone on the night in question.

Investigators tested DNA from a garbage can outside Kohberger's family home in Pennsylvania with the DNA found on the wallet at the crime scene. Tests showed that “at least 99.9998% of the male population is unlikely to be the suspect's biological father.”

At the time of the murders, Kohberger was pursuing a doctorate in criminology at Washington State University, which is 10 miles from the crime scene. He was arrested in Pennsylvania in December 2022 after making a cross-country trip from Washington to Pennsylvania with his father.

Prosecutors filed court documents outlining their intention to seek the death penalty because they considered the killings “particularly heinous, cruel or atrocious.”

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[Featured image: Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow., Idaho. Kohberger is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. (August Frank/The Lewiston Tribune via AP, Pool)]