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Join Telegram ChannelIdaho prosecutors have formally opposed a motion by University of Idaho student murder suspect Bryan Kohberger to change venue and move his trial out of Latah County, where the killings occurred.
The filing, signed by Latah County District Attorney Bill Thompson and Special Assistant State Attorney General Ingrid Batey, was made public Tuesday night.
“Defendant filed a motion for change of venue, requesting that the trial in this case be moved from Latah County, where the offenses occurred, to Ada County, approximately 300 miles away,” they wrote. “In support of his motion, he conducted a survey of potential jurors in Latah, Ada, Canyon and Bannock counties.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER ASKS COURT TO CHANGE VENUE AFTER DELAYS IN IDAHO STUDENT MURDER TRIAL
Bryan Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Pennsylvania ahead of his highly anticipated extradition hearing. He is charged with the murder of four University of Idaho students. (Image direct for Fox News Digital)
The results of this investigation, they argued, do not justify such a decision.
“Far from demonstrating that the Latah County jury was particularly subjected to a 'totally corrupt' environment, as defendant argues in its brief, the data show that widespread and extensive coverage of this case throughout the state of Idaho led to strong recognition of the case among survey respondents in the four counties studied,” they continued.
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)
Prosecutors also criticized the defense's survey of potential jurors, saying it did not reflect “nonresponse bias” and that residents interviewed were not given an explanation for the survey.
“This court must ask itself the following question: Would a person asked for an opinion about an upcoming jury trial continue the investigation if he or she had no opinion about upcoming jury trials? And once the investigation has begun, would a prudent, thoughtful, and conscientious person, reluctant to make a judgment with limited information, tell a stranger whether he or she believes a criminal defendant is guilty of murder?” prosecutors wrote.
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Kohberger's attorneys argued that the alleged quadruple murderer could not receive a fair trial in Latah County because of “extensive and inflammatory pretrial publicity.”
Read the file:
Why would the court change venues to another county that has nearly the same media saturation as Latah County?
Their client is accused of breaking into a home at 4 a.m. and ambushing four University of Idaho students, some of whom were sleeping.
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Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, 20, were killed in the shooting. All four were stabbed multiple times with a large knife, authorities said.
Bryan Kohberger pictured after his extradition to Idaho. He is accused of killing Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen. (Latah County Sheriff's Office)
Kohberger, a 29-year-old criminology doctoral student from Pennsylvania, was attending Washington State University in the nearby town of Pullman, about 10 miles across the border.
Police arrested him at his parents' home in the Pocono Mountains after he drove across the country with his father in the weeks after the killings.
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The University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho, the county seat of Latah County.
Much of the case was conducted behind closed doors, with many documents filed under seal and a restrictive confidentiality order.
Experts say the motion to move the trial is a common move in high-profile cases. Venue changes are rare, but can happen.
Bryan Kohberger, right, was arrested by Indiana police on Dec. 15, 2022, while driving cross-country from Pullman, Washington, to his parents' home in Pennsylvania before being identified as a suspect in the killings of four University of Idaho students. (Hancock County Police Department)
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Idaho 'cult mother' double murder trials begin Lori Vallow and Scott Peterson of California both moved from the counties where the crimes occurred.
The judge entered a not guilty plea for Kohberger at his arraignment in May. He faces the death penalty if convicted. The trial is expected to begin next year and could last up to 15 weeks.
The University of Idaho announced last week that it will dedicate a new facility to the victims at a ceremony on Aug. 21.
The Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial was designed by classmates from the school's College of Art and Architecture and is meant to honor all students who died while enrolled at the university. It includes a special sculpture for the four victims in November 2022.