Kohberger Idaho murder trial delayed
Oct 10, 2024, 11:34 AM | Updated: 11:35 am
(Photo: Ted S. Warren - Pool, Getty Images)
(Photo: Ted S. Warren - Pool, Getty Images)
The man accused of killing four University of Idaho students will not face trial until July 30, 2025. The trial was delayed because it moved from Moscow to Boise due to concerns about local juror bias, and the Idaho Supreme Court appointed Ada County Judge Steven Hippler to replace the previous judge.
Bryan Kohberger, 29, is charged with first-degree murder and felony burglary for the November 2022 stabbing deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, which the defense is contesting.
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Hippler issued the new schedule on Wednesday, delaying the trial by nearly two months from its original June 2, 2025, date. This new timeline extends the trial significantly beyond the previously planned end date of August 29, 2025.
Jury selection will commence on July 30, with the trial beginning on August 11. The proceedings, including the sentencing phase if Kohberger is convicted, are expected to conclude by November 7, 2025.
Several pretrial deadlines have been adjusted. The defense’s deadline for filing motions to suppress evidence remains November 14, while the deadline to turn over all discovery materials to prosecutors is January 9. Jury questionnaire and instruction deadlines have been extended by about a month.
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Kohberger has been in police custody since December 2022 and was transferred from Moscow to Boise following the venue change. He made his first appearance in Hippler’s courtroom two weeks ago. Kohberger’s defense team met with Hippler in a closed-door hearing on Tuesday to discuss the continuation of his current public defense team.
At his arraignment in May 2023, Kohberger stood silent when asked to enter a plea, prompting the judge to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 7, 2024, as his defense team continues efforts to eliminate the death penalty as a sentencing option. The prosecution’s response filings are due Thursday.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
