Latah County District Court Judge enters not guilty plea for Bryan Kohberger
The accused only spoke briefly and exercised his right to stand silently, not directly enter a plea
Since his arrest in December, the Kohberger trial has been one of the most talked about news events in the area
May 22, 2023
At the arraignment hearing Monday morning, the person suspected of murdering four University of Idaho students, Bryan Kohberger, 28, stood silent when asked how he pleaded during proceedings that lasted under 15 minutes.
Kohberger, a former WSU Ph.D. student and teaching assistant, is ‘standing silent’ according to his lawyer, Anne Taylor.
The judge, John Judge, then proceeded to enter his plea as not guilty to the charges a grand jury indicted him with, the not guilty plea is for all five counts on Kohberger’s behalf.
These charges include felony burglary for breaking and entering into the off-campus house of the students and four counts of first-degree murder of Madison Mogen, 21: Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, in November 2022.
A trial start date was set for Oct 2 and is expected to last up to six weeks. Taylor asked to set a trial date at the end of the speedy trial window, a timetable to which prosecutors agreed.
Prosecutors have 60 days to alert the court if they plan to pursue the death penalty.
Some of the victim’s families were seated in the courtroom for the hearing and Madison Mogen’s family wore the color pink in her honor.
