What’s taking so long? The many pretrial hearings in Idaho quadruple murder case against Bryan Kohberger.

Eric Levenson, CNN

(CNN) — After yet different pretrial proceeding successful Bryan Kohberger’s quadruple execution proceedings successful early May, nan family of 1 of nan victims openly criticized nan slow pace of nan proceedings.

“This lawsuit is turning into a hamster instrumentality of motions, hearings and delayed decisions,” nan “incredibly frustrated” family of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves said successful a statement.

The disapproval stemmed from nan agelong and winding roadworthy ever since four University of Idaho students – Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen – were fatally stabbed successful nan overnight hours of November 13, 2022, astatine a location conscionable disconnected nan school’s main field successful Moscow.

Kohberger, a Washington State University postgraduate student successful criminology, was arrested successful nan killings connected December 30, 2022, successful his location authorities of Pennsylvania. A not blameworthy plea was entered connected his behalf 1 twelvemonth agone this month, and his attorneys person indicated nan 29-year-old intends to coming an alibi arsenic portion of his defense. Prosecutors person said they will activity nan decease penalty.

The progression of nan lawsuit has been slowed by a bid of pretrial motions and hearings, and a proceedings day still has not been set. Latah County Judge John Judge said successful April he wants a “hearing astatine slightest each month,” noting nan value of “cleaning up” nan ineligible proceedings.

The hearings mostly autumn into a fewer different buckets. One relates to nan defense attorneys’ entree to evidence, peculiarly really nan prosecution used investigative familial genealogy successful building nan case. A 2nd group of hearings concerns Kohberger’s projected alibi for his innocence. Third, location person beryllium a number of hearings related to a gag bid that restricts what nan parties tin publically opportunity astir nan case.

Here’s a timeline of immoderate of nan notable pretrial hearings and decisions truthful far:

June 9, 2023: A conjugation of media organizations and nan family of a execution unfortunate came to tribunal to challenge nan gag order placed connected nan parties successful nan case.

June 23, 2023: The judge denied some requests but issued a revised gag bid that allows nan parties to talk topics that do not person a “substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing aliases different influencing nan result of nan case.”

August 2, 2023: Kohberger’s attorneys said they would use an alibi defense but couldn’t pin down their client’s circumstantial location connected nan nighttime of nan killings because he was “driving during nan precocious nighttime and early greeting hours.”

“Mr. Kohberger is not claiming to beryllium astatine a circumstantial location astatine a circumstantial time; astatine this clip location is not a circumstantial witnesser to opportunity precisely wherever Mr. Kohberger was astatine each infinitesimal of nan hours” of nan attacks, his attorneys said successful a tribunal filing.

October 26, 2023: The judge denied a request to dismiss nan expansive assemblage indictment aft nan defense based on location was an correction successful nan expansive assemblage instructions.

December 18, 2023: The judge denied a 2nd mobility to dismiss nan indictment aft nan defense based on prosecutors grounded to comply afloat pinch authorities rules connected assemblage action and nan assemblage questionnaire.

February 28, 2024: Defense lawyer Anne C. Taylor asked nan tribunal to let 3 defense experts and others to position nan investigative familial genealogy evidence, which has been sealed, to understand nan afloat timeline of really constabulary began to attraction connected Kohberger.

Genetic genealogy is simply a believe that blends DNA study successful nan laboratory pinch genealogical research, specified arsenic tracing a person’s family tree. In this case, investigators recovered a azygous root of antheral DNA connected nan fastener threat of a leather weapon sheath near astatine nan crime scene, according to a probable origin affidavit. FBI investigators loaded nan DNA floor plan to nationalist genealogy sites to hunt for a lucifer and past sent a extremity to analyse Kohberger, according to a prosecution tribunal filing.

The judge declined to springiness nan defense investigators extended entree to nan investigative familial genealogy, saying he would alternatively nan experts already approved to position nan worldly springiness justification for digging deeper.

April 4, 2024: The judge criticized Kohberger’s defense attorney, saying she commissioned telephone surveys to imaginable jurors that could inhibit Kohberger’s expertise to get a adjacent trial. However, Taylor said nan judge violated her client’s correct to owed process by ordering a extremity to nan anonymous study without proceeding nan defense’s broadside first.

April 17, 2024: Kohberger’s defense lawyers revenge a tribunal archive saying they plan to connection a compartment telephone building and power wave master to partially corroborate his projected alibi that he was retired driving westbound of Moscow on nan nighttime of nan slayings.

April 19, 2024: The judge allowed surveys conducted pinch imaginable jurors to proceed “without modification” aft temporarily pausing them.

April 29, 2024: The prosecution asked nan tribunal to contradict Kohberger nan opportunity to adhd to his alibi and to preclude anyone different than nan suspect to attest arsenic to his whereabouts connected nan nighttime of nan murders.

May 2, 2024: Kohberger’s defense had asked for an upcoming evidentiary proceeding pinch witnesses be made public, while nan prosecution asked that it beryllium sealed. The judge ruled that it will beryllium closed to nan public.

May 23, 2024: Taylor, nan defense attorney, questioned a Moscow constabulary detective astir nan mentation of ocular compartment telephone logs and methods for searching for definite videos. The grounds was related to 2 motions to compel prosecutors to stock find pinch nan defense, but nan contents of nan motions are sealed, truthful it was not clear what they were requesting.