Current:Home > NewsLawyer for man charged with killing 4 University of Idaho students wants trial moved to Boise -TradeWisdom
Lawyer for man charged with killing 4 University of Idaho students wants trial moved to Boise
Fastexy Exchange View
Date:2025-04-08 02:02:32
MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Lawyers for the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students are urging a judge to move his murder trial away from the county, arguing the intense media coverage and public interest in the case make it impossible for him to get a fair trial.
“The prolific media coverage, in Latah County, is not a mere passing story,” Anne Taylor, a public defender for Bryan Kohberger, said in a change-of-venue motion made public Tuesday. “The content is not benign, rather, it is inflammatory, emotion evoking and often misleading, false, and poorly sourced. There is no reasonable belief that media coverage will slow, regardless of how long the case takes to prepare for trial.”
In order to protect Kohberger’s constitutional right to a fair trial, it should be moved to Boise, she said.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he opposes moving the trial. He has argued that the case has received national and international attention so taking it away out of the county would not affect a potential jurors’ familiarity with the case.
The two sides are scheduled to argue their positions at an Aug. 29 hearing.
Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, is charged with fatally stabbing four students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin — at a rental home near campus in Moscow, Idaho, sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Police arrested Kohberger six weeks later at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, where he was spending winter break. Investigators said they linked Kohberger to the crime using DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene, surveillance videos and cellphone data.
Kohberger has maintained his innocence. His defense lawyers have said in court documents that he was out driving alone the night of the killings, something he did often.
His trial is tentatively sent for June 2025.
It will be up to Judge John C. Judge to decide whether it remains in Moscow, with a population of 41,000, or moves 296 miles (476 kilometers) south to Boise, with a population of 236,634.
“Latah County, Idaho is a small, tightly knit community; based on survey results it is a community with a prejudgment for conviction and death sentence,” Taylor wrote. “Some of the major employers in the community are people connected to law enforcement and the University of Idaho.”
veryGood! (54515)
Related
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Horoscopes Today, May 3, 2024
- 1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
- New 'The Acolyte' trailer for May the 4th, plus 'Star Wars' movies, TV shows in the works
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- I-95 in Connecticut reopens after flaming crash left it closed for days
- What do cicadas sound like? These noisy insects might be in your state this year
- Australian police shoot dead a boy, 16, armed with a knife after he stabbed a man in Perth
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Alabama state senator chides male colleagues for letting parental leave bill die
Ranking
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- All the past Met Gala themes over the years up to 2024
- Hundreds rescued from Texas floods as forecast calls for more rain and rising water
- This week on Sunday Morning (May 5)
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Want a stronger, more toned butt? Personal trainers recommend doing this.
- Massachusetts detective searches gunshot residue testing website 11 days before his wife is shot dead
- Caitlin Clark makes WNBA debut: Recap, highlights as Arike Ogunbowale, Wings edge Fever
Recommendation
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Russian military personnel enter Niger airbase where some U.S. troops remain
'It's one-of-a-kind experience': 'Heeramandi' creator Sanjay Bhansali on why series is a must-watch
Biden has rebuilt the refugee system after Trump-era cuts. What comes next in an election year?
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Hold onto your Sriracha: Huy Fong Foods halts production. Is another shortage coming?
Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and wife indicted on federal bribery charges
Russia calls France leader Macron refusing to rule out troops for Ukraine very dangerous