Your support helps us to tell the story
The high-profile trial of Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger will be moved to the capital city of Boise in a major win for the defense after the team successfully argued that a fair trial could not take place in Latah County, where the killings took place.
Idaho’s Supreme Court made the ruling on Thursday. District Judge Steven Hippler will be taking over the trial in Ada County, which is about a six-hour drive away from Moscow.
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.
On Monday, District Court Judge John C. Judge granted the motion to move the trial, but the location was 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.”
Kohberger’s high-profile case is not the first to be moved to Boise in recent years.
The severed trials of Lori Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell were both moved to Boise and took place at the Ada County Courthouse, despite arguments from prosecutors who claimed holding the trial in Fremont County would save costs.
Both Vallow and Daybell were found guilty of murdering Vallow’s two children — Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan — and Daybell’s first wife, Tammy Daybell. Vallow was sentenced to life in prison and Daybell was sentenced to death.
Police said they linked Kohberger to the murders that rocked the college town through DNA found on a knife sheath, cell phone 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.
