Suspect in Idaho college town killings expected in court

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — The man accused of killing four Idaho college students is expected to appear in court Thursday as his attorneys push for a change of venue before a trial date is set.

Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger want the trial moved away from the Idaho college town of Moscow, saying publicity would prevent a fair trial in Latah County.

Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, faces four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

They were killed sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, in a rental house not too far from the University of Idaho campus.

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’s defense lawyers have said in court documents that he was out driving alone the night of the killings, something he did often. They also intend to call a witness in cellphone and cell tower data to show that the night of the deaths, he did not travel east of the main road connecting Pullman and Moscow.

Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted.