Bryan Kohberger's lawyers set to argue for trial delay

July 2024 · 3 minute read

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Accused killer Bryan Kohberger, who allegedly slaughtered four University of Idaho students, was hauled in front of a judge Friday, just six weeks before his trial is scheduled to begin — as a relative of one of the victims attended wearing a pro-firing squad T-shirt.

Kohberger, 28, appeared in a Latah County courthouse in Moscow after a judge denied his defense team’s motion to stay the proceedings over concerns that a “failure has occurred” in the jury selection process.

Judge John Judge shot down the defense team’s claims that Idaho code was violated during the grand jury selection when only 32 people were called instead of the 45 that is legally required, News Nation reported.

Judge also said there was no substantial failure on the jury selection questionnaires, as Kohberger’s lawyers claimed.

The denied motion allows the trial to move forward with its scheduled Oct. 2 start date.

The marathon hearing also saw DNA expert witnesses testifying as part of Kohberger’s bid to have prosecutors turn over additional evidence related to a sample taken from a knife sheath found at the bloody slayings’ scene that prosecutors will use to link him to the crime.

Bryan Kohberger was in an Idaho court on Friday where his lawyers were expected to argue to delay trial because of alleged issues with the grand jury in his case. August Frank/Tribune

During an early break in the proceedings, one of the family members of victim Kaylee Goncalves was reportedly seen wearing a t-shirt promoting the firing squad death penalty — which Kohberger could face if convicted, reporter Kevin Fixler posted on X, formerly known as Twitter 

Meanwhile, prosecutors are expected to argue Kohberger’s team needs to inform them about any alibi witness or evidence they may present at trial — after Kohberger’s lawyers claimed he couldn’t be the killer since he was on a late-night solo drive when the brutal stabbings occurred.

Kohberger is accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last year.

Kohberger’s defense lawyer Ann Taylor has said her client had a habit of going on drives alone at night and “he did so late on November 12 and into November 13, 2022.”

Kohberger, who was pursuing a graduate degree in criminology at the nearby Washington State University, was indicted in May on charges of murdering students Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin inside a rental house near the Moscow campus in the early hours of Nov. 13.

He’s accused of breaking into a rental house and stabbing the four victims — three of whom lived there and the fourth, Chapin, who was there because he was Kernodie’s boyfriend.

Kohberger’s lawyer Anne Taylor argued in court papers that her client couldn’t be the murderer because he was out on a late-night solo car ride at the time of the killings. AP

Two other young women who lived in the house were also there at the time of the murders but were unharmed.

Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he plans to pursue the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted at trial.

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