The driver accused of killing four sorority sisters in a high-speed crash in Malibu has hired the attorney who secured Karen Read's acquittal in a high-profile murder case. Fraser Bohm, 23, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with murder and vehicular manslaughter over the deaths of four Pepperdine University students.
The victims, Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21, were killed on 17 October 2023 when Bohm's BMW allegedly struck them at over 100mph on the Pacific Coast Highway. The women, members of the Alpha Phi Sorority, had exited their vehicle and were walking in a parking lane when they were hit.
Bohm's attorney, Alan Jackson, entered not-guilty pleas on his client's behalf. Jackson, a prominent criminal defence lawyer, recently represented Karen Read in a murder trial in Massachusetts, where she was acquitted of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. He has also represented Kevin Spacey in a sexual assault case and prosecuted music producer Phil Spector for murder.
Prosecutors allege that data from Bohm's BMW showed he accelerated from 93mph to 104mph seconds before the crash. Deputy District Attorney Nathan Bartos said at a previous hearing: "He consciously decided to get that vehicle up to the speed of 104 miles an hour. And he lost control of his vehicle... This was not an accident."
Bohm's previous lawyer argued he was being chased in a road-rage incident, but Los Angeles sheriff's investigators found no evidence of this. Bohm is being held on $4 million bail, reduced from $8 million, and Jackson said he intends to seek a further reduction. The case was adjourned until 5 September.
Pepperdine University paid tribute to the "four remarkable women," saying: "We deeply grieve the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of these bright young women." The students, who were due to graduate in 2024, were awarded posthumous degrees last year. Locals have long campaigned for safety improvements on the stretch of highway known as "Dead Man's Curve."
