BOISE, ID – A judge has denied a second motion by Bryan Kohberger’s legal team to strike the death penalty as a potential sentence in the case involving the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022.

In the most recent ruling, Judge Steven Hippler dismissed the defense’s claim that the overwhelming amount and disorganization of evidence being presented by the prosecution had undermined Kohberger’s right to a fair trial. The defense had argued that the volume—totaling around 68 terabytes—was unmanageable and therefore warranted removal of the death penalty from consideration.

Judge Hippler concluded that no due process violation had occurred. He noted that the defense did not request additional tools or resources to manage the evidence and had not demonstrated that they were incapable of reviewing it. The judge emphasized that a lack of organization in the prosecution’s materials did not rise to the level of a constitutional breach.

This ruling comes just days after another major legal setback for Kohberger’s defense. In a separate decision, the court rejected an earlier motion to eliminate the death penalty based on Kohberger’s diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Judge Hippler stated that, while the diagnosis might be relevant during sentencing, it does not legally exempt an individual from capital punishment under existing U.S. law.

Kohberger, 29, is accused of murdering Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin in a rental home near the University of Idaho’s Moscow campus in November 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.

The Boise trial is set to begin on August 11, 2025, with jury selection scheduled to start on July 30.