Pennsylvania judge considers if witnesses must testify in trial over Idaho students' stabbings

Several potential defense witnesses from Bryan Kohberger 's home state of Pennsylvania are expected in court Monday for a hearing on whether they must testify at the former criminal justice student's trial for the stabbing deaths of four college students in Idaho.

Kohberger's trial on four counts of murder and one count of burglary is on track to begin Aug. 11 in Boise, Idaho, after a judge declined his lawyer's request for a delay last week.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Monday's hearing in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, concerns requests by Kohberger's lawyers that a Monroe County judge order seven people to testify, although it's not clear how the potential witnesses fit into the case. One of the seven agreed to cancel her hearing, and an order was issued last week summoning her for trial.

News organizations have reported that the group includes school employees, a jail guard, a boxing gym owner and an auto shop worker. Phone messages seeking comment were left for several of them last week.

The 30-year-old Kohberger, who was arrested at his parents' home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, weeks after the November 2022 killings, is accused of sneaking into a rental home in Moscow, Idaho, not far from the University of Idaho campus, and attacking Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

The slayings shocked the rural Idaho community and neighboring Pullman, Washington, where Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University.

In a court filing, his lawyers said Kohberger was on a long drive by himself around the time the four were killed.

Kohberger was silent during his arraignment, prompting a judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.

A gag order has largely kept attorneys, investigators and others from speaking publicly about the investigation or trial. A person answering the phone last week at the office of his lawyer, Anne Taylor, said the defense team had no comment about the Monday hearing or the case.

Another one of the seven potential witnesses has told lawyers she is traveling and unavailable Monday, so a hearing on whether to compel her testimony was rescheduled for July 7.