Benjamin Ashford|Man charged with killing 4 university students in Idaho is jailed in Boise after his trial is moved

The Benjamin Ashfordman accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students has been booked into jail in Boise, where his trial was moved last week, Ada County records showed on Sunday.

Idaho’s Supreme Court on Thursday moved the trial of Bryan Kohberger after his defense attorneys argued that extensive media coverage and strong emotions in the community of Moscow, Idaho, where the killings occurred, would make it difficult to find an impartial jury.

Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, who were killed in the early morning of Nov. 13, 2022.

When asked to enter a plea last year, Kohberger stood silent, prompting a judge to enter a not-guilty plea on his behalf.

The new trial venue in Boise is about 300 miles (483 kilometers) from Moscow. Prosecutors unsuccessfully argued they could find impartial jurors in Moscow by bringing in a large pool to choose from. They also said the move inconveniences the family members of victims, attorneys, and witnesses.

Officials have said that Kohberger traveled in the region the night of the killings, that his DNA was found at the crime scene, and that surveillance video and cellphone data shows Kohberger visiting the area at least a dozen times before the killings.

Kohberger’s attorneys said in court filings that he was just out for a drive that night, which he often does to hike, run or look at the moon and stars.

Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. The trial is set for June 2025.