The suspect accused of killing four students at the University of Idaho is asking for his trial to be moved to Boise, Idaho, for a fairer trial.
Bryan Kohberger, the defendant charged with carrying out the high-profile 2022 mass shooting in Latah County, says the area has become too saturated with media coverage claiming his guilt before trial.
“The prolific media coverage in Latah County is not a passing story,” Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s public defender, said Tuesday. “The content is not benign, but rather provocative, emotional and often misleading, false and poorly researched.”
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Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho. (August Frank/Pool via REUTERS)
“There is no reason to believe that media coverage will slow down, no matter how long it takes to prepare the case for trial,” Taylor continued.
A 4 a.m. home invasion left four undergraduate students dead on Nov. 13, 2022: Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
Police found a Ka-Bar knife sheath under Mogen’s body that allegedly contained Kohberger’s DNA.
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Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and two other roommates in Goncalves’ latest Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
According to court documents, investigators also followed Kohberger’s Hyundai Elantra on a winding route around the area to and from the crime scene.
The trial has already been postponed for more than a year, with defense lawyers accusing the prosecution of delaying the disclosure of evidence.
“Latah County, Idaho is a small, close-knit community; based on the survey results, it is a community with a bias toward sentencing and the death penalty,” Taylor said in his change of venue motion.
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Bryan Kohberger attends a status hearing in Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho. (Kai Eiselein/Pool via REUTERS)
She added: “Some of the major employers in the community are people connected to law enforcement and the University of Idaho.”
Faces of Kohberger four charges He is charged with first-degree murder and burglary. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.
He is due back in court in August for a hearing on his defense team’s motion to change venue.
Michael Ruiz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
