A 23-year-old driver accused of killing four Pepperdine University students in a high-speed crash in Malibu has hired the same lawyer who recently secured an acquittal for Karen Read in a high-profile murder case.
Fraser Bohm appeared in court on Wednesday charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter over the deaths of Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21. The women, all members of the Alpha Phi Sorority, were struck on 17 October 2023 along a notorious stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway known as “Dead Man’s Curve”.
At the hearing in Van Nuys, California, defence attorney Alan Jackson entered not-guilty pleas on Bohm’s behalf. Jackson represented Karen Read in a murder trial over the death of her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, which ended in acquittal. He has also represented actor Kevin Spacey and prosecuted music producer Phil Spector.
Prosecutors allege Bohm was driving at more than 100mph when he lost control of his BMW and hit the women, who had pulled over in a parking lane. Data retrieved from the car reportedly showed he accelerated from 93mph to 104mph seconds before the collision. ‘He consciously decided to get that vehicle up to the speed of 104 miles an hour,’ Deputy District Attorney Nathan Bartos said earlier. ‘And he lost control of his vehicle. This was not an accident.’
Bohm’s previous defence lawyer had argued he was being chased in a road-rage incident, but investigators said they found no evidence to support that claim. Bohm, who was not injured, remains in custody with bail set at $8m, reduced from $12m. Jackson said he intends to seek a further reduction.
Judge Thomas Rubinson granted a defence request to postpone the case until 5 September. The university has paid tribute to the four women, who were due to graduate in 2024 and later received posthumous degrees. Locals have long called for safety improvements on the dangerous highway.
