The man suspected of killing four University of Idaho students appeared in court again on Thursday, where he waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing and vowed through his attorney to challenge the evidence against him.
The 28-year-old suspect, who will not be named per Daily Wire policy, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He was ordered held without bail for the foreseeable future, with his next court date scheduled for June 26.
Latah County Magistrate Judge Megan Marshall announced at the hearing that there would be “no bail at this point in time pending further proceedings.” She also asked the suspect if he understood the charges against him and that waiving his right to a speedy preliminary hearing meant he couldn’t challenge the delay at a future date.
The reason for the delay is so that his attorneys can gather evidence to challenge the charges against him, Fox News reported.
The suspect still has not entered a plea, waiting to see whether the state of Idaho pursues the death penalty against him. Statements from his attorneys, however, indicate he is likely to plead not guilty, Law & Crime reported.
While in prison, the suspect is reportedly having his vegan diet accommodated. Latah County Sheriff Richard Skiles told NewsNation that he hasn’t heard of anything out of the ordinary when it comes to the suspect’s behavior in jail. He did say, however, that jail officials are trying to accommodate the suspect’s vegan diet, “but we are not going to buy new pots and pans or anything like that.”
The suspect is accused of killing Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Ethan Chapin, 20; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Madison Mogen, 21, as they slept in their off-campus residence in Moscow, Idaho, in the early morning hours of November 13. Court records explaining how he came to be arrested were released last week.
Those records showed that one of the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, told police she opened her door multiple times after hearing noises upstairs, and on the third time, she saw a man wearing black clothing and a mask over his nose and mouth walking toward her. She said the man was 5’10” or taller, athletically built but not muscular, with bushy eyebrows. She said the man walked past her as she stood in a “frozen shock phase.” She said he walked out of the house, and she locked herself in her room.
Police matched the suspect to a cell phone and white Hyundai Elantra that were traced to the area of the crime on the date it occurred. They also learned that the suspect registered his vehicle in Washington and received Washington plates on November 18 – five days after the murders.