Kohberger hopes to elude indictment

Nearly a year after four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in Moscow, the Pennsylvania native accused of the grisly crimes remains in the Latah County Jail awaiting trial.

But Bryan Kohberger will leave his cell today. Two hearings are on the docket in District Court Judge John Judge’s courtroom, where Kohberger and his defense team plan to ask for dismissal of a grand jury indictment.

The first hearing at 9:30 a.m. is closed to the public. The second one begins at 1 p.m. in Latah County.

Kohberger is accused of breaking into a house at 1122 King Road in the early morning hours of Nov. 13 and brutally killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xena Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

Two roommates were left unharmed, and one reportedly saw a masked man with bushy eyebrows inside the house that morning. In addition, a leather knife sheath was found at the crime scene with male DNA on the snap button.

The case was presented to a grand jury last spring to determine whether there was “probable cause” to believe Kohberger, who had been arrested in Pennsylvania in December, was responsible for the alleged crimes.

Kohberger was then indicted on four counts of first-degree murder and felony burglary. At his arraignment in May, the judge entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf when the defendant opted to stand silent rather than enter a plea himself.

Today the defendant’s attorneys plan to present numerous legal arguments about how the private grand jury proceedings were handled and why they believe the indictment should be thrown out.

Prosecutor Bill Thompson and his team will be representing the state of Idaho. Kohberger has waived his right to a speedy trial, and no timeline has been set in the death penalty case.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune. You can follow her Kohberger hearing coverage today on X at newsfromkerri.