Brian Koberger, a 29-year-old criminologist charged with four counts of home invasion murder, will soon be changing his environment after serving more than 18 months in the Latah County Jail in Moscow, Idaho.
In a one-page order signed by Chief Justice Richard Bevan, the Idaho Supreme Court selected Ada County as the location for Koberger's trial, appointed District Judge Steven Hipler to the case and ordered Koberger transferred to a prison near the Boise courthouse.
Ada County has a large courthouse that can accommodate the large numbers of reporters and members of the public who will attend Koberger's trial, scheduled to begin next year, and Hipler has experience trying high-profile murder cases.
“Judge Hippler seems like an experienced judge who handles high-stakes cases,” said David Gelman, a New Jersey lawyer who has followed the fray. “Of course, given the national attention this case has drawn, that's going to be a whole different story.”
Brian Koberger appoints new judge in student stabbing trial
Brian Christopher Koberger arrives at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 3, 2023, to waive extradition to Idaho to face murder charges in the stabbing deaths of four college students. (Image direct from Fox News Digital)
Last month he oversaw the trial of a brutal prison assault in which the victim was so severe that he died from his injuries while in hospital. In March, Judge Hipler sentenced a drunk driver to life in prison for intentionally hitting two pedestrians, one of whom was killed.[the defendant] “His community is not safe at this time, nor will it be for a long time.”
Judge Hipler presided over the murder trial last year of David Randall, who tortured, beat and stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death when she dropped him off to pick up some luggage. The killer initially pleaded guilty in a plea deal to avoid the death penalty, but then tried to withdraw the charges. Judge Hipler rejected his arguments and ultimately sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
The victim, Darla Fletcher, was stabbed more than 50 times with a screwdriver and drumsticks, the Idaho Statesman reported at the time.
Madison Morgen (top left) leans on her best friend Kaylee Gonsalves' shoulder and smiles with Ethan Chapin, Zana Kernodle and two other housemates in Gonsalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death. (@kayleegoncalves/Instagram)
In 2022, Judge Hipler sentenced the parents of 9-year-old Emrik Osuna to life in prison for the murder of their son. Osuna was tortured, beaten and starved, and police were able to recover evidence from a “nanny camera” that was running in their apartment. Judge Hipler also imposed a 100-year restraining order that prohibited the parents from speaking to their other children.
Judge Hipler has often agreed to prosecutors' sentencing requests but has never imposed the death penalty – records show he took office in 2013, the year before Idaho's last execution took place.
Ada County Jail, Boise, Idaho, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Fox News Digital)
Prosecutors in Koberger's case have already said they intend to seek the death penalty if convicted. The defense has asked for the death penalty to be waived.
Brian Koberger's defense seeks change of venue, citing “mob mentality” in Idaho town
Ada County is the most populous county in Idaho and contains the city of Boise, which is the county seat and state capital. Ada County has nearly 500,000 residents, while Latah County has fewer than 40,000 residents.
Investigators stand outside the home where four University of Idaho students were killed in November 2022 in Moscow, Idaho, on Oct. 31, 2023. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Latah County District Judge John Judge last week agreed to the defendants' request for a change of venue, writing in his order that the state Supreme Court has the final say on where the case will be moved.
Some legal experts in Boise had expected Hippler to be selected, said Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based lawyer who previously represented convicted “Cult Mom” killer Lori Vallow, whose trial was also held in Ada County after it was relocated.
She said she expects the trial will be held as scheduled in June 2025, but the judge is likely to announce his presence soon.
Brian Koberger appeared in court on October 26, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. (Kai Eiselein/Pool)
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“I think they want to get things moving and established,” she told Fox News Digital. “Judge Hippler will want to set his own timeline and deadlines and stick to them.”
Prosecutors had asked that the trial be held in a courthouse next to the Moscow prison where Koberger, 29, is being held without bail since his arrest at his parents' Pennsylvania home shortly after the Nov. 13, 2022, murder, about seven weeks after the murder.
Ada County Sheriff's Office, Boise, Idaho, September 13, 2024. (Fox News Digital)
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The defense argued that the local community and media coverage was too biased for him to receive a fair trial in Latah County, and that he would face a lynch mob if acquitted. Ada County was included in a list of three large counties that the defense said they would “willingly agree to” a change of venue.
Lawyer Elisa Massos speaks with fellow lawyer Ann Taylor during a hearing for defendant Brian Koberger at the Ratatoha County Court in Moscow on August 18, 2023. (August Frank/Lewiston Tribune/Pool)
Koberger is accused of breaking into the six-bedroom rented home at 4am on November 13, 2022, and killing the four students inside with a large knife.
They were Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Gonsalves, 21, Zana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, also 20.
All four attended the University of Idaho, and the house, which has since been demolished, was located just steps from the campus.
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Koberger was studying for a doctorate in criminology at nearby Washington State University, about 10 miles across the state line.
The judge set Koberger's not guilty plea date for arraignment in May 2023. Koberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony theft.
