Judge sets murder trial date for Bryan Kohberger, suspect in Moscow college student deaths

Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman

MOSCOW (Idaho Statesman) — The proceedings day for Bryan Kohberger, nan fishy successful nan University of Idaho student homicides, is set. But wherever nan proceedings whitethorn beryllium held is still undecided.

Judge John Judge of Idaho’s 2nd Judicial District successful Latah County scheduled Kohberger’s execution proceedings for June adjacent twelvemonth and planned for a three-month agelong trial. That timeline could transportation nan proceedings into and perchance done August 2025.

“As I look done each of this, there’s going to beryllium a batch of motions, a batch of hearings, a batch of work,” Judge told nan tribunal Thursday. “And I tried to equilibrium this out, and I do deliberation it’s a beautiful adjacent equilibrium and I dream realistic.”

Judge said he expected it to return 2 weeks to spot a assemblage and 8 weeks for nan trial.

Kohberger, 29, faces 4 first-degree execution charges successful nan stabbing deaths of nan U of I students successful November 2022. The victims were seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, some 21, inferior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, some 20.

Sentencing, if Kohberger is convicted, could return up to 2 weeks, Judge said, including arguments for and against execution. Prosecutors intend to activity nan decease penalty for Kohberger.

Prosecutors and Kohberger’s nationalist defense squad offered nary objection to Judge’s projected timeline. The scheduled day met nan prosecution’s anterior petition for a trial complete nan summer to debar conflicts pinch nan section precocious schoolhouse and nan world almanac for nan U of I successful Moscow, wherever nan 4 victims attended college.

Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s lead nationalist defender, called nan proceedings schedule “reasonable,” but noted she had yet to coming grounds complete her push to move nan proceedings retired of Latah County complete concerns of section juror bias against her client. The prosecution opposes moving nan proceedings elsewhere successful nan state, and a proceeding complete nan issue is scheduled for Aug. 29.

The proceeding Thursday, which Kohberger attended wearing a navy bluish suit and tie, lasted little than 15 minutes. Seated adjacent to Taylor, he stood up astatine its conclusion, was directed by a bailiff, and shuffled retired of show of nan court’s unrecorded webstream wearing shackles astir his ankles.

KOHBERGER NOW JAILED 18 MONTHS, AND COUNTING

At nan clip of nan homicides, Kohberger was a postgraduate student astatine Washington State University successful adjacent Pullman, Washington. He was arrested astir 7 weeks aft nan homicides successful December 2022 while visiting his parents successful eastbound Pennsylvania during wintertime break from school.

From left, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were killed successful a November 2022 onslaught astatine an off-campus location connected King Road successful Moscow adjacent nan University of Idaho. | CBS 48 Hours

Kohberger has remained successful nan Latah County Jail beneath nan courthouse — now astatine 18 months and counting — since arriving to Idaho successful early January 2023 to reply to nan charges. The costs of nan lawsuit to taxpayers complete that clip have already surpassed $3.6 million, nan Idaho Statesman antecedently reported.

Kohberger was arraigned successful May 2023 and stood silent erstwhile asked for his plea to nan charges, which besides includes 1 felony burglary count. Judge entered a plea of not blameworthy connected Kohberger’s behalf and group a proceedings day of October 2023. Until Thursday, that first day was indefinitely postponed aft Kohberger later waived his correct to a speedy proceedings wrong six months of his arraignment.

“We’re astir 13 months from nan arraignment, and I deliberation astatine this constituent — this is my sentiment — that we’re getting nan constituent of diminishing returns,” Judge said Thursday. He past projected June 2025 for nan high-profile execution trial.

The parents of Kaylee Goncalves person been immoderate of nan biggest proponents of getting a proceedings day scheduled, and person criticized nan perceived slow gait of hearings up to this point.

“As agelong arsenic nan tribunal continues to entertain thing and everything astatine each hearing, nan hold will ne'er end,” nan Goncalves family said successful a May statement. “The victims’ families want justice, but conscionable arsenic importantly, we want nan lawsuit to move forward. Every proceeding is achy to watch pinch an endless deficiency of statement and accountability.”

If Kohberger is convicted, nan assemblage would person to scope a unanimous determination to condemnation him to death, per Idaho law.