Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

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.