In the small town of Moscow, Idaho, the brutal murder of four University of Idaho students continues to cast a long shadow.
The only known eyewitness to the horrific event, a housemate who encountered a masked intruder on the fateful night, is still waiting for justice to be served. As the case drags on, concerns about the potential impact on her memory of the events grow.
The suspect, Bryan Kohberger, was arrested at the end of December 2022, and a trial was initially scheduled for October 2023. However, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, resulting in a postponement. Prosecutors have since requested a trial date for June of this year, but the defense has asked for more time to prepare, seeking a trial date no earlier than the summer of 2025.
The delay in proceedings has led to frustration among those involved. "I'm listening carefully to both sides, and it's a complicated case," Latah County District Judge John Judge said during a Wednesday hearing. "It's a death penalty case."
The families of two victims, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, have expressed their desire for the case to move forward. "We want to start healing, we do, we want to find justice and try to move on from this horrible tragedy, so please, please, start making some decision, get to work and quit playing the delay game," they said through their attorney Shanon Gray.
The other victims were Madison Mogen, 21, Goncalves' best friend, and Ethan Chapin, 20, Kernodle's boyfriend.
James Scozzari, a Michigan-based attorney who has represented murder suspects at trial, warned that long delays could negatively impact the defense. "Witnesses forget events or even die, depending on the length of time between charges and trial," he told Fox News Digital. "The defendant essentially loses his ability to confer with potential defense witnesses, or even to keep track of their whereabouts. Hard to present a defense in those situations. Also, evidence gets lost or destroyed."
Despite Kohberger waiving his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial, Scozzari noted that legal precedent upholds that the "passage of time makes proof of any fact more difficult."
Neama Rahmani, a former assistant U.S. attorney, echoed Scozzari's concerns, adding that the delays could also impact the prosecution. "Witness memories fade and evidence can disappear over time, and the victims families deserve justice," Rahmani said.
Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, suggested that if the defense doesn't expect helpful testimony from the lone eyewitness, delays could be part of their strategy. However, he expressed more concern about the handling of physical evidence in the case.
"Did the gatekeeper keep a record of who entered the crime scene, at what time, what they did and what time they left?" Giacalone asked. "Lots of video where the cop never gets out of the car. Was there a sign-in sheet inside? Who was supervising it was being used?"
Giacalone also questioned the decision to return the victims' belongings to family members while police were still monitoring the scene, and the initial decision to bring in a cleaning crew to clear out the house, which was canceled the following day before a suspect had been arrested and defense investigators arrived.
Kohberger, a 29-year-old Pennsylvania criminology Ph.D. student, was attending Washington State University in Pullman, across the state line from Moscow, Idaho, where prosecutors allege he entered an off-campus home around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2022, and massacred four students with a large knife. As the case continues to unfold, the victims' families, the town of Moscow, and the nation wait for justice to be served.
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