The suspect accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students has been transferred to a jail in Boise where his trial was relocated last week, according to Ada County records revealed on Sunday. Last Thursday, Idaho’s Supreme Court decided to move Bryan Kohberger’s trial following claims from his defense lawyers that extensive media coverage and strong community emotions in Moscow, Idaho, where the slayings took place, would hinder the selection of an impartial jury.
Kohberger faces four charges of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalves on the early morning of Nov. 13, 2022. When prompted to enter a plea previously, Kohberger remained silent, leading a judge to submit a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
The new trial location in Boise sits approximately 300 miles (483 kilometers) away from Moscow. Despite prosecutors’ efforts to suggest that a fair jury could be chosen in Moscow with a large pool of potential jurors, the decision was made to move the trial, causing inconvenience to the victims’ families, lawyers, and witnesses.
Authorities have disclosed that Kohberger was in the vicinity on the night of the murders, with his DNA discovered at the crime scene, and surveillance footage and cellphone data indicating his presence in the area around a dozen times before the tragic events. In court documents, Kohberger’s defense argued that he was merely out for a drive that evening, a common activity for him to hike, run, or stargaze.
If convicted, prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Kohberger. The trial date has been scheduled for June 2025.
