West
New Idaho judge in Bryan Kohberger trial no stranger to brutal murder cases
Bryan Kohberger, the 29-year-old criminologist accused of a quadruple home invasion murder, will soon get a change of scenery after more than 18 months behind bars in the Latah County Jail in Moscow, Idaho.
In a one-page order signed by Idaho’s Chief Justice Richard Bevan, the state’s high court chose Ada County for Kohberger’s trial, assigned District Judge Steven Hippler to the case and ordered Kohberger’s transfer to a jail closer to the Boise courthouse.
Ada County has a larger courthouse to accommodate more members of the public and what is expected to be a large gallery of reporters for Kohberger’s trial, which was scheduled to begin next year. And Hippler is no stranger to high-profile murder cases.
“Judge Hippler appears to be an experienced trial judge who handles serious cases,” said David Gelman, a New Jersey-based defense attorney who has been following the saga. “This case, of course, will be an entirely different animal given the national interest it has generated.”
BRYAN KOHBERGER GETS NEW JUDGE IN CHANGE OF VENUE FOR STUDENT STABBINGS TRIAL
Bryan Kohberger is now in the custody of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, according to online jail records. (Ada County Sheriff’s Office)
Last month, he oversaw the trial of a brutal prison beating that was so severe the victim died from his injuries while in the hospital. In March, Hippler handed down a life sentence to a drunken driver who intentionally struck two pedestrians, one fatally, noting at sentencing that “[the defendant] has shown that the community is not safe with him in it at this time – and for a long time.”
Last year, Hippler oversaw the conclusion of the murder case against David Randall, who tortured and beat his ex-girlfriend before stabbing her to death when she stopped by to pick up some belongings.
Bryan Kohberger is led to an awaiting Ada County Sheriff vehicle at Boise Airport in Boise, ID on Sunday, September 15, 2024. Kohberger, who is accused in the murder of four University of Idaho Students in 2022 has had his trial moved from Latah County to Ada County. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
The killer initially pleaded guilty in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, but then he tried to take it back. Hippler rejected his arguments and ultimately sentenced him to life in prison with a change for parole after 25 years.
The victim in that case, Darla Fletcher, was stabbed more than 50 times with a screwdriver and a drumstick, the Idaho Statesman reported at the time.
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)
And back in 2022, Hippler sentenced both parents of 9-year-old Emrik Osuna to life without parole for killing their son. He was tortured, beaten and starved to death, and police were able to recover evidence from a “nanny cam” running in their apartment. He also imposed a 100-year no-contact order barring the parents from speaking with their other children.
While Hippler has often agreed to prosecutors’ sentencing requests, he hasn’t imposed a death penalty. Records show he took the bench in 2013, and Idaho’s last execution was carried out a year earlier.
Bryan Christopher Kohberger arrives at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg, Pa., Jan. 3, 2023, before waiving extradition to Idaho to face murder charges in the stabbing deaths of four university students. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
Prosecutors in Kohberger’s case have already said they plan to seek the death penalty if he is convicted. The defense is trying to have it taken off the table.
BRYAN KOHBERGER’S DEFENSE CITES IDAHO TOWN’S ‘MOB MENTALITY’ IN BID FOR VENUE CHANGE
Ada County is Idaho’s most populous and includes the city of Boise, which is both the county seat and state capital. There are nearly 500,000 residents, compared to less than 40,000 in Latah County.
Investigators set up outside the home where four University of Idaho students were slain in November 2022 in Moscow, Idaho, Oct. 31, 2023. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Latah County District Judge John Judge agreed to the defense’s request for a change of venue last week. In his order, he wrote that the state’s Supreme Court would make a final determination about where the trial would be moved.
Some Boise legal experts had anticipated Hippler’s selection, according to Edwina Elcox, a defense attorney based in the city who once represented “cult mom” killer Lori Vallow, whose trial also took place in Ada County after a change of venue.
She said she expects the trial to be held as scheduled in June 2025, but the judge will likely make his presence known right away.
Bryan Kohberger appears in court in Moscow, Idaho, Oct. 26, 2023. (Kai Eiselein/Pool)
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“I think they will want to get things moving and established,” she told Fox News Digital. “Judge Hippler will want his own timelines and deadlines set and strictly adhered to.”
Prosecutors sought to have the trial held at the courthouse in Moscow, next to the jail where the 29-year-old Kohberger had been held without bail since shortly after his arrest in Pennsylvania at his parents’ house, roughly seven weeks after the Nov. 13, 2022, slayings. He was transferred to Ada County over the weekend.
The Ada County Sheriff’s office in Boise, Idaho, Sept. 13, 2024. (Fox News Digital)
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The defense complained the local community and media coverage were too biased for him to get a fair trial in Latah County, claiming he could face a lynch mob if acquitted. Ada County was on a list of three larger counties the defense said it would “gladly agree to” for a change of venue.
Defense attorney Elisa Massoth talks to fellow counsel Anne Taylor during Bryan Kohberger’s hearing Aug. 18, 2023, at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow. (August Frank/Lewiston Tribune/Pool)
Kohberger is accused of entering a six-bedroom rental home at 4 a.m. Nov. 13, 2022, and killing four students inside with a large knife.
They were Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, also 20.
All four were attending the University of Idaho, and the house, which has since been torn down, was just steps off campus.
The Ada County Jail in Boise, Idaho, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Fox News Digital)
Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at neighboring Washington State University, about 10 miles away across the state line.
Judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger’s behalf at his arraignment in May 2023. Kohberger faces four charges of first-degree murder and another of felony burglary.
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A Las Vegas casino abruptly pulled the plug on a prediction market conference over fears the event could draw scrutiny from Nevada gambling regulators, according to a report.
Predict 2026 had been slated for the Aria on the Strip before the MGM-operated resort canceled the booking just days after signing the agreement.
‘The [Aria] is issuing this notice in light of Nevada’s current regulatory and enforcement position regarding prediction markets,’ a lawyer for the resort wrote in a termination letter cited by Barron’s.
The dispute highlights escalating tensions between state gambling regulators and prediction market firms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which let people bet on the outcomes of all kinds of events.
Nevada regulators have taken an especially aggressive stance toward the fast-growing sector, arguing that some sports-event contracts resemble unlicensed wagering that bypasses state gaming rules and taxes.
Last October, the Nevada Gaming Control Board warned casino license holders that maintaining ties to prediction market operators could factor into whether they remain eligible for gaming licenses.
“If a Nevada licensee chooses to offer Sports and Other Event Contracts in Nevada or decides to partner with other entities offering Sports and Other Event Contracts in the state, the Board will consider these developments as it evaluates the suitability of the entity to maintain a Nevada gaming license,” regulators said in the guidance cited by Barron’s.
While Predict 2026 was not sponsored by any prediction market company, Aria’s legal notice indicated that regulators had become increasingly sensitive even to indirect promotion of the industry.
The Aria, which opened in 2009 and is operated by MGM Resorts after being sold to Blackstone in 2021, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The showdown highlights the widening divide between traditional casino operators and the new entrants into the prediction market space.
Legacy gaming giants such as MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have largely stayed away from prediction markets even as companies including DraftKings have launched competing platforms to challenge businesses like Kalshi.
Prediction market operators insist that their event contracts are federally regulated financial instruments overseen by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, allowing them to operate nationwide for users over 18.
Some state gaming regulators, however, have argued that sports-related contracts closely resemble sports betting and should fall under state gambling laws.
Nevada officials have already taken direct legal action against Kalshi.
The Nevada Gaming Commission sued the company over its sports event contracts, and the platform was briefly barred from operating in the state earlier this year, according to Barron’s.
The Post has sought comment from Polymarket, Aria and the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police arrested two young men on murder charges after a deadly shooting outside the Frontier Restaurant near the University of New Mexico.
Police said 19-year-old Junior Lewis and 20-year-old Evan Rogers are in custody and both face murder charges.
Police said both men are set to face a judge Saturday.
Investigators said they found both suspects inside Rogers’ dorm room at UNM.
The shooting happened in the early morning hours Thursday just south of Central between Cornell and Stanford.
Police said the man who was shot died at the scene.
HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. (KATU) — Health officials have identified a new measles exposure site in Happy Valley.
The Oregon Health Authority and Clackamas County public health officials said people may have been exposed at Providence Immediate Care – Happy Valley, 16180 S.E. Sunnyside Road, Suite 102, between 11:05 a.m. and 3:47 p.m. Tuesday, May 12.
Officials said anyone who was at the clinic during that time should notify a health care provider about the possible exposure. Providers can determine whether a person is immune to measles by reviewing vaccination records, age or laboratory evidence of a previous infection.
Health officials urged people to monitor for symptoms and seek medical advice if they believe they may have been exposed.
ABOUT MEASLES
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours and can infect up to 90% of unprotected close contacts. Complications can include pneumonia, brain inflammation and death.
Nationwide, measles cases have been rising since early 2025. Nearly 2,300 cases were reported last year, with most occurring among unvaccinated children.
Symptoms typically begin seven to 21 days after exposure and include cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis accompanied by a high fever. A rash usually follows, starting on the head or neck and spreading downward. People are contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after.
A graphic from the Oregon Health Authority shows the symptoms of Measles.
HA advises health care providers to report suspected cases immediately and consider post-exposure treatment for exposed patients. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine can be given within 72 hours of exposure. Immunoglobulin may be administered within six days.
For most people 6 months and older who are eligible for vaccination, receiving the MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure is recommended.
Anyone not protected against measles is at risk, according to OHA. The agency encourages residents to check their vaccination status and contact a health care provider with questions.
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