The Bryan Kohberger murder trial has been moved out of Moscow.
Latah County 2nd District Court Judge John Judge has granted the defense’s change of venue motion. Judge Judge didn’t specify where the trial will be moved and asked the Idaho State Supreme Court to decide where the trial will be. The former Washington State University criminal justice student is accused of killing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves in an off campus home in November of 2022. Kohberger’s trial is currently scheduled to start in June.
Judge Judge heard oral arguments for several hours during a change of venue hearing late last month. Kohberger’s defense team presented four experts who argued that intense publicity of the case makes it impossible to seat an impartial jury in Latah County.
In Judge Judge’s decision to move the trail he also noted several other logistical factors. He found that the Latah County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t have enough deputies to provide adequate security to keep the three month high profile trial safe. Judge Judge also found that the Latah County Clerk’s Office doesn’t have the staffing to work through the jury selection process which will involve 6,000 people. He also ruled that the Latah County Courthouse isn’t large enough to properly handle a trial of this magnitude.
Judge Judge’s decision was filed late Friday afternoon but wasn’t made available to the public until this morning.
Kohberger is charged with four counts of first degree murder. Prosecutor’s are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted.