A judge has agreed to allow Bryan Kohberger's murder trial to be moved out of Latah County.
"Considering the undisputed evidence presented by the defense, the extreme nature of the news coverage in this case, and the smaller population in Latah County, the defense has met the rather low standard of demonstrating 'a reasonable likelihood' that prejudicial news coverage will compromise a fair trial in Latah County," Judge John Judge ruled, according to ABC News. "Thus, the Court will grant Kohberger's motion to change venue for presumed prejudice."
The future location will be decided by the state's Supreme Court, although the defense was arguing to have the trial moved to Boise, citing Latah County residents' "mob mentality" against the alleged killer, according to a theoretical phone study, NBC News previously reported, citing court records.
If a Latah County jury failed to convict Kohberger, respondents said they'd "burn the courthouse down" and that "they would probably find him and kill him."
Another said, "There would likely be a riot and he wouldn't last long outside because someone would do the good ole' boy justice."
Kohberger, now 29, allegedly stabbed Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, to death in their off-campus apartment in November 2022.
He pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary for the college students' slayings.
His trial is slated to begin in June 2025.
A motive in the heinous killings remains under investigation.
