The trial date has been set for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November of 2022.
Jury selection will begin July 30, 2025, at the Ada County courthouse, with the trial itself beginning August 11, 2025. It's expected to last as long as November 7, 2025, and if a jury finds Kohberger guilty, the penalty phase of the trial could take an additional three weeks.
At Kohberger's first Ada County court appearance on Sept. 26, the prosecution said they believed it would take them roughly a month and a half to present their case. The defense will need an additional four weeks.
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According to the new court order, issued by Judge Steven Hippler, the state must respond to Kohberger's challenge of the death penalty by Thursday, Oct. 10. A hearing on the motion will be held on Nov. 7.
A final pre-trial conference is scheduled for May 15, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. and may continue into the next day.
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Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Kaylee Goncalvez in an off-campus home near the University of Idaho in November of 2022.
According to an affidavit, investigators zeroed in on Kohberger as an suspect after identifying a white Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle was tracked around the crime scene and ultimately to Kohberger’s Washington-state residence.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities mapped his movements all the way back to his family's Pennsylvania home, where he was arrested on Dec. 30, 2022. The affidavit also notes that Kohberger’s Elantra had a Pennsylvania license plate prior to Nov. 18, when he registered the vehicle in Washington.
Investigators matched DNA from a knife sheath found at the crime scene to trash taken from the Kohberger residence in Pennsylvania, states the affidavit.
His case began in Latah County, where the murders took place, but the trial was moved to Ada County after the defendant was granted a request on Sept. 12 to move the trial to ensure an unbiased jury could be selected.
This story was originally published by Kate Jacobson and Kelsie Rose on Scripps News Boise.
