Bryan Kohberger trial: Prosecutors seek summer 2024 dates to avoid University of Idaho's academic calendar
MOSCOW, IDAHO: Bryan Kohberger, the prime suspect in the murder of four University of Idaho students in the quiet town of Moscow in November 2022, is still awaiting trial.
Recently, prosecutors leading the case against Kohberger are asking for his trial to be scheduled for the summer of 2024, to avoid it falling within any local high school or university's academic calendar.
Idaho murder case background
Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin -- all students at the University of Idaho, were ambushed in their rooms and stabbed to death with a military-style knife that is yet to be found.
Almost eight hours after the horrific attack, police were called to the scene of grisly scenes at the off-campus apartment. Kohberger was the focus of police attention during a six-week search. On December 30, 2022, he was taken into custody at the Pennsylvania home of his family.
Four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary were brought against him in an indictment that was filed in May. At his arraignment, he declined to enter a plea, so the judge entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf.
Attorneys for Kohberger have previously stated that he was not inside the house the night of the killings and was instead travelling around alone.
What are prosecutors demanding?
Additionally, the prosecution requested that the judge rule that Kohberger's team has had ample opportunity to present an alibi. They also requested the establishment of timeframes for both parties to finish discovery, file pretrial motions, and reveal which experts they intend to call, in addition to requesting jury instructions and questionnaire proposals.
The trial was originally set to begin on October 2 and was indefinitely delayed after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial. In their new filing of December 21, prosecutors suggested that the judge now put a status conference on the books to schedule everything anew.
The trial has not yet been assigned a specific date. The spring semester at the University of Idaho concludes on May 10, 2024. The last week of classes at Moscow High School is the first full week of June.
Prosecutors claim that Kohberger, a PhD candidate in criminology at neighboring Washington State University, broke into an off-campus residence early on November 13, 2022, and fatally stabbed the University of Idaho students. Kohberger might be executed if found guilty.
