Hippler was appointed to oversee the trial, replacing Judge John Judge, when the trial moved from Latah County to Boise after the defense successfully argued that he would not have an impartial jury in the tight-knit community of Moscow because of the extensive media coverage potentially tainting the jury pool.

Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

Judge to rule this week on DNA evidence in Bryan Kohberger case as defense challenges genetic genealogy linking him to Idaho college murders.