By LAUREN SILVER
MOSCOW, Idaho (Court TV) – The man accused of brutally murdering four college students in their off-campus rental home is scheduled to have an additional court hearing this month.
Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, who were found stabbed to death in their home near the University of Idaho campus on Nov. 13, 2022.
FILE – A flyer seeking information about the killings of four University of Idaho students who were found dead is displayed on a table along with buttons and bracelets on Nov. 30, 2022, during a vigil in memory of the victims in Moscow, Idaho. A suspect in the killings of four University of Idaho students was arrested in eastern Pennsylvania, a law enforcement official said Friday, Dec. 30. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
On Monday, a new hearing was scheduled in Kohberger’s case to be held on May 25, approximately one month before his scheduled preliminary hearing in the case. Documents obtained by Court TV indicate the May 25 motion hearing will be related to the Goncalves’ family motion to appeal a gag order in the case.
RELATED: Court denies request to lift gag order in Idaho killings
Last week, the Idaho Supreme Court rejected a request by 30 news organizations to lift the gag order imposed by the court in Kohberger’s case. The order bars attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officers and others involved in the case and investigation.
The family of Kaylee Goncalves has separately filed a motion challenging the gag order, arguing that it is unduly broad and places an undue burden on the families.
Kohberger’s attorneys have argued the gag order is necessary to ensure their client receives a fair trial.
The Goncalves family has created a Facebook page to collect tips and to keep their daughter’s story in the news. The page has 38,000 followers and is managed by a private investigator.
WATCH: Idaho Students Murdered: Kaylee Goncalves Dad Speaks Out
A separate legal issue involving one of the two surviving roommates was resolved last week when Kohberger’s attorneys agreed to quash their motion for a subpoena requiring Bethany Funke to appear and testify in-person at the June 26 preliminary hearing. Funke, who lives in Nevada, argued through her attorney that Kohberger’s attorneys had no legal standing to require her to appear.
Bryan Kohberger, right, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, appears at a hearing in Latah County District Court, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool)
The two sides reached an agreement where Funke agreed to an interview with Kohberger’s defense attorneys in Nevada prior to the hearing. In the affidavit attached to the original subpoena, a private investigator said Funke has exculpatory evidence in the case relative to Kohberger, but did not elaborate on what that evidence may be.
The hearing on the Goncalves’ family motion is scheduled for May 25 at 10 a.m.
For more news on the Idaho Student Killings Trial, click here.
