Man charged in killing of 4 Idaho students booked in Boise jail after secret transport

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — The man charged with murdering four University of Idaho students has been booked into the Ada County Jail, authorities said.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office announced in an email sent shortly before 11 a.m. that Bryan Kohberger, 29, arrived at the Ada County Jail, at 7210 Barrister Drive in Boise, on Sunday morning. He is being held without bail, according to jail records.

The transport was done in secret, with officials declining to provide details on his transport for “security reasons,” Lauren Montague, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told the Idaho Statesman by email.

The former Washington State University graduate student is accused of stabbing four University of Idaho students in their home in November 2022. Prosecutors charged him with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary in the fatal stabbings at an off-campus home in Moscow.

The victims were Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle, both 20, and Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21.

The responsibility of Kohbeger’s custody shifted from Latah County to Ada County on Thursday after the Idaho Supreme Court issued a new order.

Kohberger’s trial, and all further proceedings, will be held at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise and presided over by 4th District Judge Steven Hippler, the justices said. The trial is set to take place next year, between June 2 and Aug. 29. It’s unclear whether the new changes will delay that further.

Latah County will continue to pay for costs accrued during the trial, according to Idaho Code 19-1806.

The main reasons for moving the trial out of Moscow and Latah County included the county’s small jury pool, too few law enforcement officers and court clerks, and a small courthouse.

The Ada County Courthouse has already proved its ability to hold high-profile trials in recent years with the Chad and Lori Daybell trials.

“The Trial Court Administrator and the Fourth Judicial District Court, in collaboration with multiple county departments and offices, do an outstanding job coordinating the vast logistical, security and media issues related to high profile cases in Ada County,” the Ada County Board of Commissioners said in an emailed statement to the Idaho Statesman. “We are confident they will do the same on this high-profile case as well.”

Move to Boise marks a win for defense

Kohberger stood silent when asked to enter a plea at his arraignment in May 2023. As a result, Judge John Judge of Idaho’s 2nd Judicial District in Latah County entered not guilty pleas to each of the charges on Kohberger’s behalf, as mandated by Idaho law.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted by a jury. His defense has filed a number of challenges to remove capital punishment as a possible sentence, and a court hearing on the issue was scheduled for Nov. 7 in Moscow.

Prosecutors objected to moving the trial, arguing that it was not “necessary or convenient,” which are elements that must be met under Idaho criminal rules. The defense said the level of pretrial publicity in the case — most of it prejudicial against Kohberger — meant he couldn’t get a fair trial in the community where the crimes took place. His attorneys specifically sought a move to Boise.

“The interest of justice requires that the trial be moved to a venue with the resources, both in terms of personnel and space, necessary to effectively and efficiently handle a trial of this magnitude and length,” Judge wrote in his decision granting the venue change.

Per Idaho’s criminal rules, Judge left the decision of the trial location to the Idaho Supreme Court. He also left it up to the five justices to assign a new judge after citing Idaho code that indicated his desire not to continue with the trial.