Six weeks later, police arrested Kohberger at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, where he was spending his winter break.
An Idaho judge has ordered the trial of Bryan Kohberger, accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students, to be relocated to a different city.
In an order issued on Friday, Idaho Second District Judge John C. Judge raised concerns about Kohberger’s ability to receive a fair trial at the Latah County courthouse in Moscow. He cited the overwhelming media coverage and public statements implying the defendant’s guilt, as well as logistical challenges. “The courthouse isn’t large enough to accommodate the case, and the county sheriff’s office lacks sufficient deputies to handle security,” Judge explained. The new trial location has not yet been disclosed, according to the Associated Press.
Kohberger’s defense team requested the change of venue, arguing that strong emotions within the close-knit community, coupled with intense media attention, would make it impossible to find an impartial jury in Moscow, where the killings took place.
Prosecutors, however, suggested that any potential bias could be mitigated by expanding the jury pool and conducting thorough questioning during jury selection.
Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, faces four counts of murder for the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves. The students were discovered murdered in a rental house near the University of Idaho campus on November 13, 2022.
Six weeks after the incident, Kohberger was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, where he had been spending his winter break.
The case has deeply unsettled the small city of Moscow and attracted widespread media attention, which Kohberger’s defense claims has unfairly prejudiced the local community against him.