The families of four University of Idaho students killed in November 2022 are headed to a federal jury trial against Washington State University, with proceedings scheduled to begin in the fall of 2027 in Seattle.
U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson signed a scheduling order on June 1 setting the trial to begin September 13, 2027. The proceedings are expected to run approximately 20 days in federal court.
The four students — Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin — were killed at an off-campus home in Moscow in November 2022. Bryan Kohberger, who was at the time a graduate student and teaching assistant at WSU in Pullman, Washington, was identified as the killer. The case drew national attention and brought lasting grief to the University of Idaho community and the wider Palouse region.
What the Families Allege Against WSU
The lawsuit, filed in January by the personal representatives of each victim’s estate, centers on claims that WSU was aware of troubling behavior by Kohberger prior to the killings and failed to act appropriately. The families argue that WSU’s actions — or inaction — played a role in the deaths of the four students.
The personal representatives bringing the case are Steve Goncalves on behalf of Kaylee Goncalves, Karen Laramie on behalf of Madison Mogen, Jeffrey Kernodle on behalf of Xana Kernodle, and Stacy Chapin on behalf of Ethan Chapin.
Among the central issues the case will examine are WSU’s policies on threat assessment, its hiring and complaint-handling procedures, and records held by the WSU Police Department relating to safety escorts for female students and employees. The families have identified nearly 90 potential witnesses as the case moves toward trial.
The litigation is not focused on the criminal proceedings against Kohberger, which have moved through the Idaho court system separately. Instead, this civil action targets the institution that employed Kohberger and asks whether WSU bore a duty to act on warning signs before the tragedy unfolded.
No Settlement Expected Before Trial
The families have made clear they do not anticipate resolving the matter out of court. No mediation is planned at this stage, signaling that both sides are preparing for a full trial in Seattle more than a year from now.
The scheduling order lays out a detailed timeline leading up to the September 2027 trial date. Attorneys have until June 29, 2026, to add any additional parties to the case. Expert witness reports are due in February 2027, with evidence gathering set to conclude by April 2027. Any motions asking the court to resolve the case before trial must be filed by May 2027.
The breadth of the witness list — approaching 90 individuals — reflects the scope of the families’ allegations and suggests the trial will examine WSU’s institutional culture and administrative procedures in considerable depth.
What Comes Next
With the scheduling order in place, both sides will spend the coming months building their cases. The June 29 deadline for adding parties is the nearest procedural milestone, followed by a months-long period of discovery and expert preparation running through early 2027.
For Moscow and the surrounding Latah County community, the civil case keeps a painful chapter of recent local history in the public eye. The killings at the off-campus home on King Road shook the University of Idaho and the broader Palouse region deeply, and many residents have followed the legal proceedings closely since Kohberger’s arrest in late 2022.
The federal trial is not expected to begin until September 13, 2027, giving all parties more than a year to prepare. Whether the case proceeds all the way to a jury verdict — or whether settlement discussions emerge closer to the trial date — remains to be seen, but the families have signaled a clear intention to see the matter through in court.
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