The man accused of fatally stabbing four students from the University of Idaho is incarcerated in Boise County Jail, where his trial was moved last week, Ada County data showed on Sunday.
The Idaho Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit Bryan Kohberger after his defense attorneys argued that the extensive media attention and strong emotions in the Moscow, Idaho, community where the killings took place would make it difficult to find an impartial jury.
Kohberger is accused of four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, who killed in the early morning from November 13, 2022.
When Kohberger was asked to enter a plea last year, he remained silent, prompting the judge to enter a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
The new trial in Boise is about 300 miles (483 kilometers) from Moscow. Prosecutors argued unsuccessfully that they could find impartial jurors in Moscow by selecting a large group. They also said the move inconveniences victims’ families, attorneys and witnesses.
Officials have said that Kohberger was traveling through the area the night of the killings, that his DNA was found at the crime scene, and that surveillance footage and cellphone records show that Kohberger visited the area at least a dozen times before the killings.
Kohberger’s attorneys said in court papers that he was simply out for a drive that evening, something he often does to walk, run or look at the moon and stars.
Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. His trial is scheduled for June 2025.
