Man indicted in slayings of four Idaho college students

The man who is accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students has been indicted on murder charges in connection with their deaths, allowing a preliminary hearing to be skipped and the court process to advance. 

Bryan Kohberger was arrested in December and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a felony charge of burglary following the killings a month before, but he was scheduled to appear before a preliminary hearing that was set to begin June 26. Prosecutors would have needed to demonstrate to a judge that they had enough evidence to move forward with the case. 

But the grand jury indicted Kohberger, who was a graduate student studying criminology at Washington State University at the time, on the same charges Tuesday, allowing the preliminary hearing to be skipped. 

Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial in January. 

Authorities had for weeks searched for a suspect in the deaths of students Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at a rental home in Moscow, Idaho, near campus. 

Officials matched a white sedan that was caught on surveillance footage around the time of the killings to one that Kohberger allegedly owns and matched traces of DNA on a knife sheath found inside the house to Kohberger. 

Authorities have not declared a possible motive. 

Kernodle, Mogen and Goncalves lived at the house, while Chapin, who was Kernodle’s boyfriend, was visiting at the time. 

Officials have said they did not see signs of forced entry and believe all four were asleep when they were stabbed. 

The indictment will allow Kohberger to be formally arraigned, which NBC News reported will happen Monday.