Kohberger plans to contest indictment

A new court document filed by an attorney representing Bryan Kohberger says the Moscow quadruple homicide suspect plans to contest his grand jury indictment.

Anne Taylor, the Kootenai County public defender who is representing Kohberger, requested Latah County Second District Court stay proceedings until the grand jury record is argued and prepared.

Kohberger’s indictment led to his arraignment on May 22. During his arraignment, Latah County District Court Judge John Judge entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf when the defendant chose to stand silent rather than enter a plea himself.

In late May, his attorneys requested the court make available all of the grand jury materials and a record of the grand jury proceedings. A hearing on this matter will take place June 27.

Taylor’s motion that was filed this week states Kohberger stood silent at his arraignment to preserve his right to contest the indictment. He requests the court stay proceedings “as appropriate relief while the matter of the grand jury record is argued and prepared.”

“He is exercising due diligence to discover the grounds upon which to file a motion to dismiss related to how the grand jury was selected,” Taylor wrote.

Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary charges in the November stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. He remains in Latah County Jail as he awaits a trial that is scheduled for Oct. 2 to Nov. 12.