Defense for Bryan Kohberger requests delaying Idaho student murder trial

Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, the man charged with killing four University of Idaho students, asked the presiding judge to postpone the long-awaited murder trial this summer in Boise, citing disclosure of previously unreleased case details that may have violated the court’s gag order earlier this month in an episode of NBC’s “Dateline.”

Led by attorney Anne Taylor, Kohberger’s public defense team filed Tuesday for the delay, just two months before the scheduled start of jury selection to kick off the trial. The defense’s request, in a 40-page brief that posted to a state courts website Wednesday afternoon, came less than a week after Judge Steven Hippler invited a formal request to consider appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the source of the leaked information.

The legal filing, signed by Taylor, referenced the need to protect Kohberger’s constitutional rights to a fair trial, including to provide enough time for the defense to review all outstanding investigation materials to effectively prepare to defend their client. 

“Any conviction and sentence resulting from a capital trial beginning in August 2025 will be unconstitutionally imposed and, therefore, vulnerable to reversal on direct or collateral review,” the filing read. “As detailed in this motion, moving forward with a capital trial in August will infringe upon Mr. Kohberger’s constitutional rights, as counsel requires more time to review discovery, complete investigations, and prepare for trial.” 

The defense has yet to file any requests for the appointment of a special prosecutor.

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This story was originally posted by Idaho Statesman. To read the full story, click here.