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Suspect in Idaho student murders appears in court

Accused murderer Bryan Kohberger appeared in Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho on Thursday.

By: Lilia Luciano, Sarah Lynch Baldwin – CBS News

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Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students at a home near campus in November, appeared in an Idaho court Thursday for the second time.

A preliminary hearing for his case was set for June 26. He waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing, with his defense team asking the court for time to prepare for the case.

Kohberger, 28 years old, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed at the women's rental home in Moscow, Idaho. He also faces a count of felony burglary.

One of Kohberger's neighbors in Pullman, Washington, said the suspect spoke to him about the killings days after they occurred.

"He brought it up in conversation," the neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told CBS News on Wednesday. "[He] asked if I had heard about the murders, which I did. And then he said, 'Yeah, seems like they have no leads. Seems like it was a crime of passion.'"

"At the time of our conversation, it was only a few days after it happened so there wasn't much details out," the neighbor said.

Kohberger was arrested on December 30 at his family's home in Pennsylvania — more than a month after the November 13 murders. An affidavit detailing how police tracked down the suspect was unsealed after he was extradited to Idaho.

Now, a dean at the University of Idaho says the administration's goal as the spring semester begins is to return a sense of normalcy for students, and that safety is a top priority.

"It was a shock for many of our students ... that something like this would happen here," said Dean of Students Blaine Eckles.

Eckles said the sheriff's office in the county will have a presence on campus and that the university hired additional campus security officers. He also said they're still "in very close partnership" with the Moscow Police Department.

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