Bryan Kohberger accused of murdering 4 university students in the US faces double court date

Bryan Kohberger faces double court date for murder charges in University of Idaho case.

Bryan Kohberger, the man accused in the tragic murders of four University of Idaho students, is set to face a double court date, with significant developments in his case.

Bryan Kohberger, right, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is escorted into a courtroom to appear at a hearing in Latah County District Court, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. On Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, an Idaho judge overseeing Kohberger's trial issued an order banning media cameras from the courtroom. A livestream of the proceedings will be available to ensure public access.(AP)

Charged with serious offences

Bryan Kohberger, 29, faces charges of four counts of murder and one count of burglary related to the deaths of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, all University of Idaho students. The victims were found fatally stabbed in a rental home near the university on November 13, 2022.

Return to court on Friday

Kohberger will return to court on Friday for another attempt to have his indictment thrown out. He is seeking to challenge the grand jury indictment on various grounds.

Basis of Kohberger's legal challenge

Kohberger's attorneys previously sought to dismiss the indictment, claiming the prosecution withheld evidence and that jurors were biased. Judge John Judge rejected these arguments in December but will reconsider them on Friday. "The hearing will be sealed and closed to the public to protect the privacy of the grand jurors and the grand jury's procedures," as per the Judge's order.

At 11 a.m. PT, a closed-door hearing will address Kohberger's motion to dismiss the indictment based on claims of biased grand jury proceedings, inadmissible evidence, lack of sufficient evidence, and prosecutorial misconduct.

Bid to unseal court documents

Simultaneously, there will be arguments on Kohberger's bid to unseal court documents related to the reconsideration of orders denying motions to dismiss the indictment. These proceedings will also be closed to protect grand jury privacy.

Second hearing open to the public

At 1 p.m., an open hearing will address the order denying the motion to dismiss the indictment due to inaccurate instructions given to the grand jury. The public will have access to this session.

A gag order in the case restricts discussions from the prosecution, defence, and law enforcement officials, preventing them from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings.