The Idaho Supreme Court rejected the appeal of the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022.

29-year-old suspect Bryan Kohberger is facing four counts of murder and one count of burglary in connection with the widely publicized killings.

His lawyers claim he cannot receive a fair trial for various reasons, citing prosecutorial misconduct, pre-trial publicity and other issues.

Idaho Supreme Court weighs in

A motion to dismiss the charges was rejected in January by Latah County District Court Judge John Judge, which led Kohberger to seek the state Supreme Court.

His lawyers said the correct standard of proof for an indictment is "beyond a reasonable doubt" rather than the lower bar of "probable cause."

The judge in the case, John Judge, said the argument was "historically interesting and creative" but ultimately wrong. Kohberger's lawyers also argued the charges were flawed because of grand jury bias and other issues with the investigation.

"Kohberger has failed to successfully challenge the indictment on grounds of juror bias, lack of sufficient admissible evidence, or prosecutorial misconduct," Judge wrote.

This week, the Idaho Supreme Court rejected Kohberger's appeal, while agreeing to keep his motion under seal.

Moscow killings

Kohberger was arrested at his family home in Pennsylvania in December 2022 following a manhunt that grabbed national headlines.

The suspect was a PhD student in criminal justice at Washington State University, miles west of Moscow, Idaho, where the four victims, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen, were found stabbed to death in a three-story rental home.

Police linked Kohberger to the crime through his white Hyundai Elantra and DNA that was found on a knife sheath at the crime scene. Kohberger's lawyers have argued the DNA evidence may have been planted.

"What the State’s argument asks this Court and Mr. Kohberger to assume is that the DNA on the sheath was placed there by Mr. Kohberger, and not someone else during an investigation that spans hundreds of members of law enforcement and apparently at least one lab the State refuses to name," his lawyers wrote.

Kohberger is also seeking to have the trial moved out of Latah County, citing the extensive and "inflammatory" pre-trial publicity. A hearing on that request will be held in May.

The judge has imposed a gag order limiting what can be shared publicly about the high-profile case.

There is still no trial date.