New Idaho judge in Bryan Kohberger trial no stranger to brutal murder cases
Bryan Kohberger, the 29-year-old criminologist accused of a quadruple home invasion murder, will soon get a change of scenery after more than 18 months behind bars in the Latah County Jail in Moscow, Idaho.
In a one-page order signed by Idaho's Chief Justice Richard Bevan, the state's high court chose Ada County for Kohberger's trial, assigned District Judge Steven Hippler to the case and ordered Kohberger's transfer to a jail closer to the Boise courthouse.
Ada County has a larger courthouse to accommodate more members of the public and what is expected to be a large gallery of reporters for Kohberger's trial, which was scheduled to begin next year. And Hippler is no stranger to high-profile murder cases.
"Judge Hippler appears to be an experienced trial judge who handles serious cases," said David Gelman, a New Jersey-based defense attorney who has been following the saga. "This case, of course, will be an entirely different animal given the national interest it has generated."
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Last month, he oversaw the trial of a brutal prison beating that was so severe the victim died from his injuries while in the hospital. In March, Hippler handed down a life sentence to a drunken driver who intentionally struck two pedestrians, one fatally, noting at sentencing that "[the defendant] has shown that the community is not safe with him in it at this time – and for a long time."
Last year, Hippler oversaw the conclusion of the murder case against David Randall, who tortured and beat his ex-girlfriend before stabbing her to death when she stopped by to pick up some belongings. The killer initially pleaded guilty in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, but then he tried to take it back. Hippler rejected his arguments and ultimately sentenced him to life in prison with a change for parole after 25 years.
The victim in that case, Darla Fletcher, was stabbed more than 50 times with a screwdriver and a drumstick, the Idaho Statesman reported at the time.
And back in 2022, Hippler sentenced both parents of 9-year-old Emrik Osuna to life without parole for killing their son. He was tortured, beaten and starved to death, and police were able to recover evidence from a "nanny cam" running in their apartment. He also imposed a 100-year no-contact order barring the parents from speaking with their other children.
While Hippler has often agreed to prosecutors' sentencing requests, he hasn't imposed a death penalty. Records show he took the bench in 2013, and Idaho's last execution was carried out a year earlier.
Prosecutors in Kohberger's case have already said they plan to seek the death penalty if he is convicted. The defense is trying to have it taken off the table.
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Ada County is Idaho's most populous and includes the city of Boise, which is both the county seat and state capital. There are nearly 500,000 residents, compared to less than 40,000 in Latah County.
Latah County District Judge John Judge agreed to the defense's request for a change of venue last week. In his order, he wrote that the state's Supreme Court would make a final determination about where the trial would be moved.
Some Boise legal experts had anticipated Hippler's selection, according to Edwina Elcox, a defense attorney based in the city who once represented "cult mom" killer Lori Vallow, whose trial also took place in Ada County after a change of venue.
She said she expects the trial to be held as scheduled in June 2025, but the judge will likely make his presence known right away.
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"I think they will want to get things moving and established," she told Fox News Digital. "Judge Hippler will want his own timelines and deadlines set and strictly adhered to."
Prosecutors sought to have the trial held at the courthouse in Moscow, next to the jail where the 29-year-old Kohberger has been held without bail since shortly after his arrest in Pennsylvania at his parents' house, roughly seven weeks after the Nov. 13, 2022, slayings.
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The defense complained the local community and media coverage were too biased for him to get a fair trial in Latah County, claiming he could face a lynch mob if acquitted. Ada County was on a list of three larger counties the defense said it would "gladly agree to" for a change of venue.
Kohberger is accused of entering a six-bedroom rental home at 4 a.m. Nov. 13, 2022, and killing four students inside with a large knife.
They were Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, also 20.
All four were attending the University of Idaho, and the house, which has since been torn down, was just steps off campus.
Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at neighboring Washington State University, about 10 miles away across the state line.
Judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf at his arraignment in May 2023. Kohberger faces four charges of first-degree murder and another of felony burglary.