The upcoming trial of Bryan Kohberger, accused of the brutal murder of four college students, has been reassigned to a judge in Ada County, Idaho, following a successful change of venue request by his defense team.
The trial was initially set to take place in rural Latah County, where the horrific crime occurred.
According to Fox News, Idaho's Supreme Court issued a one-page order, signed by Chief Justice Richard Bevan, assigning District Judge Steven Hippler to preside over the case. The decision came after Latah County District Judge John Judge granted the defense's plea for a venue change last week. Judge cited several factors that collectively favored relocating the trial to a larger courthouse, further from the crime scene.
The court also mandated Kohberger's transfer from the Moscow, Idaho jail, where he has been incarcerated since January 2023, to the Ada County Sheriff's Office's custody. The shift in venue could potentially affect the trial's scheduling, which is anticipated to commence next June following previous delays.
Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based defense attorney who has represented other high-profile Idaho murder suspects, including Lori Vallow, known as the "cult mom," commented on the potential implications of the venue change. "I think they will want to get things moving and established," she told Fox News Digital. "Judge Hippler will want his own timelines and deadlines set, and strictly adhered to."
Ada County's larger courthouse is better equipped to accommodate a significant public turnout and a substantial contingent of journalists expected to cover the trial. The prosecution had initially advocated for the trial to be held at the Moscow courthouse, adjacent to the jail where Kohberger, 29, has been detained without bail since his arrest in Pennsylvania at his parents' home, approximately seven weeks after the November 13, 2022, murders.
The defense team argued that Kohberger, the alleged quadruple murderer, could not receive a fair trial in Latah County due to "extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity." Judge Judge based his decision on a "totality" of factors, including legal and logistical considerations, expert testimony, and the concerns of lawyers on both sides. However, he deferred to the state Supreme Court to select a new location.
Kohberger is charged with breaking into an off-campus rental home around 4 a.m. on the day of the murders, fatally stabbing 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, and 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. At the time of the murders, he was a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University, located just 10 miles away across the state line. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
The family of victim Goncalves previously expressed their disapproval of the venue change but stated they would welcome the appointment of a new judge in the case. They questioned the purpose of the non-dissemination order, private meetings, closed-door tactics, and allowing the defendant to dress in a suit for every televised hearing if not to keep the trial in Latah County. They expressed their frustration, saying, "As victims' families, you are left to just watch like everyone else and really you have little rights or say in the process and at the same time you are the most invested in the outcome."
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