Trial for Idaho college massacre suspect Bryan Kohberger set to begin June 2, 2025

Latah County District Judge John Judge has reportedly set aside around 3 months for the trial, including two weeks for jury selection, eight weeks for the trial itself, and an additional two weeks for sentencing and potential death penalty hearings if Kohberger is convicted, per CNN. Both the defense and prosecuting attorneys agreed to the trial date.

Kohberger, a criminology PhD student at Washington State University, which is about a ten-minute drive to the University of Idaho, has been charged with four counts of capital murder and one count of burglary. He is accused of fatally stabbing University of Idaho students and roommates Kaylee Gonclaves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, and Xana Kernodle, 20, along with Ethan Chapin, 20, who was Kernodle's boyfriend and was inside the house with her at the time of the killings.

Kohberger allegedly broke into the house one early November morning and brutally stabbed the victims to death. He was arrested one month later at his parent's house in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Authorities traced DNA samples found in a trash can outside of his parent's home to DNA found on a knife sheaf Kohberger allegedly left behind in the victims' home after using the knife to kill the college students. He has maintained his innocence since his December 2022 arrest.

Kohberger's public defense attorney, Anne Taylor, has requested the trial be moved out of Latah County on claims that the suspect would not receive a fair trial due to the high publicity of the case. Another hearing for a change of venue has been scheduled for August 29. The defense has been given a Sept. 5 deadline to file motions challenging the death penalty, which prosecutors are seeking in this case.