BOISE, Idaho – An Ada County judge has denied a motion to delay the trial of Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the 2022 murder of four University of High School students.
Kohberger’s legal team argued that the trial needed to be postponed due to the volume of discovery, ongoing penalty-phase preparations and prejudicial media coverage.
His defense also claimed recent media attention could impact the fairness of the trial. They cited upcoming releases, including a four-part docuseries on Amazon Prime and a book by crime author James Patterson, which they claim could influence public perception.
However, the court determined that Kohberger did not demonstrate sufficient cause for a continuance, stating Kohberger’s defense had ample time to review discovery materials and prepare their case since the charges were filed over two years ago, according to court documents in 4th District Court.
The court also found that delaying the trial would not necessarily reduce media scrutiny. Instead, the court will focus on selecting an impartial jury through a thorough voir dire process to ensure a fair trial.
The court also denied a motion by Kohberger’s defense team to present alternate perpetrator evidence in his upcoming trial. The court found that the evidence failed to meet the necessary legal standards, court documents said.
According to the court’s order, Kohberger’s defense identified four individuals as potential alternate perpetrators. However, the court concluded that the evidence was inadmissible under the standards set by State v. Meister, a seminal case in Idaho law, as it was deemed irrelevant and lacked sufficient connection to the crime.
