Idaho Murders Case Update: Bryan Kohberger Planning to Call 400 Witnesses in Trial

Bryan Kohberger has requests for his upcoming trial. 

A February court hearing revealed that the 29-year-old, who has been accused of murdering four University of Idaho students back in November 2022, plans to call over 400 witnesses to take the stand during his legal proceedings, according to Fox News. 

In addition to the witnesses, his defense requested a cell tower investigation to help build an alibi, which would potentially delay the trial further after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial back in August. At the hearing, prosecutors were opposed to providing Kohberger's team the extra time, arguing the suspect could use it to form an alibi based on discovery material, per the outlet. 

"It frankly causes the state great alarm that the defense is discussing calling upwards of 400 witnesses during the innocence phase," a deputy prosecutor told Judge John Judge during a Feb. 28 hearing, per Fox News, "when we potentially don't have a full alibi disclosure." 

And those weren't the only requests the defense put in. In fact, Kohberger's lawyers also expressed the desire to change the location of the upcoming trial due to concerns over how the level of media attention he's received will affect the jurors. 

"A fair and impartial jury cannot be found in Latah County," Kohberger's lead defense attorney Anne Taylor wrote in a January court filing obtained by Fox News, "owing to the extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity, allegations made about Mr. Kohberger to the public by media that will be inadmissible at his trial, the small size of the community, the salacious nature of the alleged crimes, and the severity of the charges Mr. Kohberger faces."

In response, the judge noted that he was "listening carefully to both sides" and scheduled another May 14 hearing to make a final decision on the trial date and a potential venue change. He also set an April 17 deadline for the defense to provide more details on an alibi. (His lawyers previously said Kohberger was out driving alone the night of the murders, according to court documents obtained by NBC News in August.)

Kohberger is being tried for fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in the early hours of Nov. 13. A little over a month after the killings, the Pennsylvania criminology Ph.D. student was taken into custody before being extradited to Idaho days later. He now faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in regards to the students' deaths, and could face the death penalty if convicted. In May, the judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf. 

E! News reached out to lead defense attorney Anne Taylor and the Latah County court for comment but hasn't heard back. 

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