BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Nearly two months after four University of Idaho students were killed near campus — and two weeks after a suspect was arrested and charged with the crime — the scenic grounds of school are starting to feel a little closer to normal.
On Wednesday, the first day of classes after the winter break, students were once again pacing the university’s frosty sidewalks and crowding the food court in the center of campus.
There’s a general sense of relief in the air, university spokeswoman Jodi Walker said.
“The students are back and enrollment is good,” Walker said Wednesday, the first day of classes after winter break. “I think everyone is happy to be back under these circumstances. They are relieved that an arrest has been made and ready to focus on the semester.
The Nov. 13 stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin left the rural community of Moscow, Idaho, stricken with grief and fear, prompting nearly half of the university’s students to leave town for the perceived safety of online classes.
Weeks passed with no suspect named and few details revealed, but on December 30, a 28-year-old doctoral student from Washington State University – located just 10 miles from the University of Idaho – was arrested at his parents’ home in eastern Pennsylvania. Bryan Kohberger was extradited to Idaho last week and will appear in court on Thursday when a magistrate discusses the planning with his attorney and the prosecutor.
It’s too early to tell exactly how many students have decided to return to in-person classes, Walker said. These numbers are counted in about two weeks to give students time for any last minute schedule changes.
Statistics professor Christopher Williams said enrollment in his short 400-level course on statistical programming has increased 500% since the arrest. He said more students could register before the 10-day registration window closes.
“For more than a month or two, there was only one person in the course, and I was worried it might be canceled,” Williams said. “It has gone to six now, which may mean that some of these people have just decided to come back. I feel like people come here and look at their schedule to see what they’re going to take.
When Williams stopped at the student union building for lunch at the food court, it was busier than it had been in weeks, he said.
“He looked a lot more crowded than I saw him, especially towards the end of the last half,” Williams said.
Students will have the chance to enroll in a series of after-school self-defense classes starting today, Walker said, as well as various violence prevention and safety planning programs. There is always extra security on campus, as well as ongoing counseling and other support services for students, she said.
But it feels like the students have rallied together and are determined to succeed despite the horrific circumstances of the past semester, Walker said, bolstered by news of the arrest.
“It certainly doesn’t diminish what happened, but we are looking for a way forward,” she said. “There’s always grief, confusion, frustration and anger, and all the emotions that go with that. Tenacity and resilience, and they seem really eager to come back and show that they’re vandals indeed.
The Latah County Jail, where Kohberger is being held without bail, is about a 20-minute walk from campus. Kohberger has not yet had a chance to enter a plea, and a magistrate judge issued a gag order barring attorneys and any agencies involved from speaking about the case.
On Thursday, he is expected to appear for a status hearing, where the judge will have a chance to check in with lawyers and work out any logistical issues.
Sometimes decisions will be made at status conferences that will change the trajectory of the case – for example, a defendant might waive their right to a speedy trial or agree to skip the preliminary hearing – but more often, Conferences are about things like agreeing on future court dates, discussing how many days each side will need to present their testimony, or making sure both sides have access to all the evidence they need.
The next major court appearance could be a preliminary hearing, when prosecutor Bill Thompson will have to show the magistrate that he has enough evidence to warrant pursuing the felony charges. If the magistrate judge agrees, the case will be “bound” to Idaho’s 2nd District Court, and a district judge will take the felony case. Kohberger will then have the opportunity to argue the charges. If he pleads not guilty, the case will begin to prepare for trial. If he pleads guilty, a sentencing hearing will be scheduled.
There is no guarantee that a preliminary investigation will take place, however. Defendants often agree to skip preliminary hearings for all sorts of reasons, and skipping one does not imply an admission of guilt. Likewise, if a defendant loses a preliminary hearing, he is still presumed innocent in the eyes of the law and the preliminary hearing cannot be used against him when the case is tried.
The prosecutor has not yet said whether he would seek the death penalty in the Kohberger case. If Thompson decides to seek the death penalty, he must file a formal notice with the court no later than 60 days after Kohberger pleads guilty.
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