Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger is back in court for pre-trial hearings ahead of his summer murder trial for the brutal stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students.

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 was charged with four counts of murder in the first degree and felony burglary for allegedly killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022.

Idaho lawmakers have introduced a bill to make a firing squad the primary method of execution in the state. Under Idaho law, lethal injection is the primary method, but executions by firing squad are allowed if executioners can't obtain the drugs required.