Idaho student stabbings trial delayed after suspect Bryan Kohberger waives speedy trial

The murder trial for the man accused of stabbing four Idaho college students to death last year has been postponed after he waived his right to a speedy trial, court documents show.

Defense attorney Anne Taylor told a judge Wednesday she might not be prepared for Bryan Kohberger's trial to begin in October as scheduled, KTVB reported.

Kohberger is charged with the murders of Ethan Chapin, 20; Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; and Xana Kernodle, 20, who were found fatally stabbed last November in an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, near the University of Idaho campus.

"This case carries enormous weight for the families and the community and this additional time allows both sides to be fully prepared for the next trial date," Shanon Gray, an attorney representing the Goncalves family, told USA TODAY in a statement Thursday.

Kohberger, who was studying criminology at a nearby school, was arrested after investigators said they linked him with DNA found on a knife sheath left at the crime scene and discovered through surveillance footage that his car was in the neighborhood around the time of the killings. His attorneys said in previous court filings that he was out driving alone that night and not at the crime scene.

What's next in the case?

Kohberger signed a waiver for his right to a speedy trial, according to a new court filing. The filing shows a trial is no longer required to start within six months from Kohberger's arraignment, which happened in May.

The trial had been scheduled to begin October 2. A new trial date will be scheduled after Kohberger's next hearing in September.

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has said he intends to pursue the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. A judge previously entered a not-guilty plea on Kohberger's behalf.

Taylor said on Wednesday she plans to file a motion to strike the death penalty and to ban cameras in the courtroom, KTVB reported.

Contributing: The Associated Press

TIMELINE OF IDAHO KILLINGS:When and where the victims were targeted