Idaho Murder Case: Why Bryan Kohberger’s Trial Is No Longer Scheduled for October Date
Bryan Kohberger will not be heading to trial this fall, after all.
The 28-year-old, who has been accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last November, waived his right to a speedy trial during an Aug. 23 hearing, according to NBC affiliate KTVB in Boise.
Per the outlet, during the hearing Kohberger's lawyer, public defender Anne Taylor, told the court that she didn't believe his case will be ready by the originally scheduled Oct. 2 start date. The attorney further argued that the defense needs more time to review evidence from the state and finish other processes before being ready for trial.
Though Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson reportedly argued that the state would prefer to get the trial started in a timely manner, District Judge John C. Judge acknowledged Kohberger's decision to waive his right and approved the delay.
KTVB also reports that the defense filed two additional motions that Judge reviewed—the first alleged that the jury was selected illegitimately, and the second requested that the defense team get access to more information regarding the DNA evidence allegedly linking the defendant to a knife sheath found at the crime scene.
However, the judge did not make a decision regarding the DNA motion after the five-hour hearing, according to the outlet's reporting.
Kohberger, has been accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours of Nov. 13. A little more than a months after the killings, Kohberger was taken into custody in Pennsylvania before being extradited to Idaho days later.
He was formally indicted on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in May, and subsequently pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment.
At the time of the killings, Kohberger was a criminology graduate student at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, which neighbors the University of Idaho.
Per court documents filed on July 24 and obtained by E! News, Kohberger's team indicated plans to argue that he has an alibi during the time of the killing and will offer evidence "corroborating Mr. Kohberger being at a location other than the King Road address."
"A defendant's denial of the charges against him does not constitute an alibi, but as soon as he offers evidence that he was at some place other than where the crime of which he is charged was committed, he is raising the alibi defense," Taylor wrote in the docs. "It is anticipated this evidence may be offered by way of cross-examination of witnesses produced by the State as well as calling expert witnesses."
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