The criminal case over the 2023 Pacific Coast Highway crash that killed four Pepperdine University students is back in a Van Nuys courtroom Monday, July 27, 2026, as defense lawyers for Fraser Michael Bohm move yet again to wipe out the murder charges hanging over him. The new bid to dismiss the counts is the latest twist in a legal saga that has already spawned appeals, civil lawsuits and fresh local anger over safety on that notorious stretch of PCH.
Defense attorneys are scheduled to argue for dismissal at a hearing Monday, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. The station reported that the filing follows earlier failed challenges to the murder counts and that the hearing is expected to draw close attention from the victims' families and the Pepperdine community.
Bohm is charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence in connection with the Oct. 17, 2023 collision in the 21600 block of Pacific Coast Highway, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors allege his vehicle slammed into parked cars and four pedestrians; the victims were later identified as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.
Prosecutors have highlighted vehicle data they say shows Bohm pushed his BMW to triple-digit speeds just before impact, and a judge last year rejected a motion to toss the murder counts after reviewing that material, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times reported that airbag and stability-control records indicated the car accelerated toward roughly 104 mph, a detail prosecutors argue supports their implied-malice theory for the murder charges.
The defense has countered that speed alone cannot meet California’s standard for implied malice and has suggested Bohm was being chased in a road‑rage confrontation before he lost control, according to CBS Los Angeles. Lead defense counsel have repeatedly labeled the case overcharged and have signaled they will keep pushing for appellate review if the judge once again refuses to dismiss the murder counts.
Dead Man's Curve And Local Safety Push
The crash took place along a stretch of PCH that residents and traffic experts have long blasted for tight curves, high speeds and scant protection for people on foot. A Los Angeles Times analysis found the Malibu corridor has seen a disproportionate share of serious wrecks, and the deaths of the four Pepperdine students reignited calls for engineering fixes and speed-calming measures on that section of the highway.
Legal Stakes
At the heart of the case is whether prosecutors can persuade a jury that Bohm's driving showed implied malice, meaning a conscious disregard for human life, instead of conduct that would amount to reckless driving punished as manslaughter. The California Supreme Court declined to take up an earlier defense petition to throw out the murder charges, leaving lower court rulings in place, according to reporting by MyNewsLA.
Monday’s hearing could narrow what evidence prosecutors are allowed to present at trial and help determine the schedule for the remaining pretrial battles. Bohm remains free on a $4 million bail package, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, and his attorneys have told media they plan to pursue appellate options if their latest dismissal bid is denied, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
