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Idaho prosecutors have formally objected to University of Idaho students murder suspect Bryan Kohberger’s motion to change venue and have his trial moved out of Latah County, where the slayings took place.
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The filing, signed by Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson and Ingrid Batey, a special assistant attorney general for the state, was made public Tuesday evening.
“Defendant has filed a motion to change venue, requesting that the trial in this matter be moved from Latah County—where the offenses took place—to Ada County, some 300 miles away,” they wrote. “To support his motion, he conducted a survey of prospective jurors in Latah County, Ada County, Canyon County, and Bannock County.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER ASKS COURT FOR CHANGE OF VENUE AFTER DELAYS IN IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS TRIAL
Bryan Kohberger arrives at Monroe County Courthouse in Pennsylvania in advance of the highly anticipated extradition hearing. He is charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students.(The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
The findings of that survey, they argued, have not justified a move.
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“Far from demonstrating that a Latah County jury pool has been uniquely subjected to an ‘utterly corrupted’ environment, as Defendant argues in his brief, the data show that pervasive and wide-ranging coverage of this case throughout the entire State of Idaho has led to high case recognition among survey respondents across all four surveyed counties,” 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 housemates in Goncalves’ final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death.(@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
Prosecutors also took issue with the defense survey of potential jurors, arguing it does not reflect “non-response bias” and that polled residents were not given an explanation for the survey.
“This Court must ask itself: would an individual who was asked for their opinion about an upcoming jury trial continue a survey if they had no opinions about any upcoming jury trials? And once the survey started, would a prudent, thoughtful, and conscientious person who is reluctant to pass judgment with limited information opine to a stranger whether they believe a criminally accused is guilty of murder,” prosecutors wrote.
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Kohberger’s lawyers have claimed that the suspected quadruple murderer cannot get a fair trial in Latah County due to “extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity.”
Read the filing:
Why would the Court change venue to another county that has nearly the same media saturation as Latah County?
— Bill Thompson and Ingrid Batey
Their client is accused of sneaking into a house at 4 a.m. and ambushing four University of Idaho students, some of whom were sleeping.
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The massacre killed 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, along with 20-year-olds Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. All four suffered multiple wounds from a large knife, according to authorities.
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 Pennsylvania criminology Ph.D. student, was attending Washington State University in the neighboring town of Pullman, about 10 miles away across the state line.
Police arrested him at his parents’ house in the Pocono Mountains after he drove cross-country with his dad in the weeks following the murders.
The University of Idaho is in Moscow, Idaho, the seat of Latah County.
Much of the case has been conducted behind closed doors, with numerous filings made under seal and a restrictive gag order.
Experts say the motion to have the trial moved is a common step in high-profile cases. Changes of venue are rare – but can happen.
Bryan Kohberger, right, was stopped by Indiana police Dec. 15, 2022, on a cross-country drive from Pullman, Washington, to his parents’ house in Pennsylvania, before he was identified as a suspect in the murder of four University of Idaho students.(Hancock County Police Department)
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The double murder trials of Idaho’s “cult mom” Lori Vallow and California’s Scott Peterson both moved out of the counties where the offenses took place.
The judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger’s behalf at his arraignment in May. He could face the death penalty if convicted. The trial is expected to begin next year and could take up to 15 weeks.
The University of Idaho announced last week that it would dedicate a new installation 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 have died while enrolled at the university. It includes a special sculpture for the four November 2022 victims.
GENESSE – The Avista planned power outage for Friday, April 24 in Genesee has been cancelled and rescheduled due to weather. Approximately 337 Avista electric customers in Genesee will experience a planned power outage on Tuesday, April 28. The planned outage will start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.
All affected customers will be notified in advance. Traffic control will be in place from Laurel Street north of Chestnut Street.
During this time, Avista crews will be replacing aging infrastructure, including power poles and equipment, in the area. These updates are part of Avista’s ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and reliability of its infrastructure.
GARDEN CITY – A Boise-area girl is competing in the 2026 Junior Ranger Competition, and she needs your vote to advance.
Eleven-year-old Cali Lindsay of Garden City is currently in the top 10 in her age group. The first place contestant in each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will wrap on July 17.
The final round concludes on July 24. The winner will be awarded $20,000 and be featured on the cover of Ranger Rick Magazine. They’ll also win a trip with Jeff Corwin.
Cali’s mom, Emily Edginton, tells EastIdahoNews.com how the competition works.
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“You’re allowed one free vote every 24 hours. People can also pay (to vote),” Edginton says. “The contestants have challenges every week to learn about animals and share what they’ve learned. People vote for the answer they like best. If you have enough votes, you move to the next round.”
Cali needs to secure enough votes by Thursday in order to advance to the next round.
The competition is a fundraiser for the National Wildlife Federation, the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization in the United States.
Edginton says they recently moved to Idaho from San Bernardino, California. Her daughter acquired a love of wildlife living in Lytle Creek, a community near the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino National Forest.
“She’s already like a junior ranger. We picked up trash (in the forest) for fun,” Edginton says. “We try to keep it clean because we get a lot of visitors up there in the summertime and they trash the place. It affects the animals.”
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Edginton says they moved to Idaho in February to be closer to family.
She’s grateful her daughter can be part of what she feels is a great cause, and hopes to see her advance, and even win the tournament.
“It’s a good cause, plus it’s a learning experience,” says Edginton.
To vote for Cali or learn more, click here.
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JACKSON, Wyo. — Springtime conjures images of adorable baby animals. Unfortunately, sometimes well-meaning humans feel compelled to interfere with Mother Nature by “rescuing” baby animals who appear to be alone.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) issued a spring reminder discouraging people from intervening when they assume a wild animal is lost, abandoned or orphaned.
“While these folks typically mean well, the sad reality is they are often doing more damage than good when they intervene — and typically, mom was not far away to begin with,” IDFG shared in a press release.
“Here’s the hard truth,” the agency wrote. “Animal parents will periodically leave their young for an extended period of time for a myriad of reasons, whether it’s to search for food, to rest or to divert attention from their vulnerable offspring, especially if they sense danger. When it comes to wildlife babies, wildlife mothers know best.”
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In short, in an encounter with a lone duckling, gosling, deer fawn, baby bird, red dog or moose calf, do not disturb it. Instead, contact the state’s wildlife agency to report it. In Jackson, call the Wyoming Game and Fish Department at (307) 733-2321. In Idaho, reach IDFG at (208) 525-7290.
