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Suspected murderer Bryan Kohberger pleads for murder trial to be moved to Boise
Suspected quadruple murderer Bryan Kohbeger is pleading with a judge to move his upcoming murder trial from Moscow, Idaho to Boise — claiming the local jury pool is “completely corrupted.”
Kohberger, 29, is accused of the gruesome murders of college students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, who were stabbed to death in an off-campus house in Moscow. on November 13, 2022.
This is evident from an official report that was made public on Tuesday. RadarOnline.com What may reveal, Kohberger’s public defenders argued that the high-profile nature of the case and the city’s close-knit community would make a fair and impartial jury — and trial — impossible.
Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s lead attorney, wrote: “The publicity was extremely widespread in the small community of Latah County. Remedial measures, such as increasing the jury pool, will not solve the problem.
“By all accounts, Latah County is a fun, quaint, close-knit community that sticks together. Although one hopes for a small, close-knit community in a small town, constitutional rights must still be carefully protected. Mr. Kohberger is entitled to a presumption of innocence; he is guaranteed the protection of a fair jury and a fair trial.”
The defense proposed moving the trial to Ada County, the state’s largest county with more than 500,000 residents. Ada County has “more than ten times as many potential jurors as Latah County” – and would allow for a larger courtroom with ample space for the public expected to watch, appropriate security for all parties and access to a larger airport for witnesses to fly in and out for the process.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has opposed the move, telling the court, “I don’t think a change of venue will solve these problems. The state’s position on the venue is that the case should be held here. It’s a Latah County case. We believe we can select an appropriate panel of judges from Latah County.”
Significantly, the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves also spoke out against the motion The Idaho Statesman: “We are hopeful that the process will remain in Latah County so as not to disrupt scheduling, and we pray for no further delays.”
Judge John Judge, of Idaho’s Second Judicial District in Latah County, set a hearing on the case for Aug. 29. If he granted the requested change of venue, he could choose to stay with the case or withdraw. In that case, the Idaho Supreme Court would select a judge to replace him.
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Koberger was arrested with him parents’ house in Pennsylvania in December 2022. He was subsequently extradited to Idaho, where he has been in prison since January 2023.
The accused killer has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty.
The judge set a start date for the trial last month. Barring any further delays, the program will begin on June 2, 2025 and is expected to run until August 29, 2025.
