The capital murder trial for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four Idaho college students last fall, will be delayed indefinitely.
Kohberger’s trial had been set to begin Oct. 2 — less than six weeks away — but will now be postponed after he waived his right to a speedy trial Wednesday afternoon in court. The judge accepted his waiver.
Kohberger defense attorney Anne Taylor said more time was needed to effectively present their case than would be possible by Oct. 2.
Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for a hearing, on Aug. 18, 2023, at the Latah County Courthouse in Moscow, Idaho.
August Frank/The Lewiston Tribune via AP, Pool
Kohberger’s defense said they still wanted to keep the upcoming Sept. 1 hearing date to address their request to dismiss the indictment – and after that, reconvene to discuss a new schedule reset.
The decision to delay the trial had been anticipated for weeks, ever since prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty against Kohberger.
In court on Wednesday, Judge John Judge directly confirmed with Kohberger that no one had pressured him in this decision to waive his right to a speedy trial, and that this was what he wanted to do — which Kohberger affirmed.
Idaho