Fraser Bohm is scheduled to stand trial, tentatively in September 2026, on four counts of second-degree murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the October 17, 2023 crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu that killed four Pepperdine University seniors. He has pleaded not guilty. A Los Angeles County judge denied his motion to dismiss the murder counts in November 2025, and both the state Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court declined to intervene, clearing the path to trial.
What Happened on PCH
Around 8:30 p.m. on October 17, 2023, Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21, had parked along the shoulder of PCH in the 21600 block and were walking to a nearby house.1KTLA. Friends, First Responders Speak Out Two Years After PCH Crash Kills 4 Pepperdine Students Prosecutors say Bohm, then 22, was driving his BMW at 104 mph in a 45-mph zone when he lost control on a curve locally known as “Dead Man’s Curve.”2People. Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Murder Charges Against Driver Who Fatally Struck Pepperdine Students His car struck three parked vehicles, which were pushed into the four students. All four were pronounced dead at the scene.3Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Man Charged in Fatal Crash That Killed Four Pepperdine University Students in Malibu Bohm was uninjured.4KTLA. Fraser Bohm Pepperdine Murder Charges
Investigators drew the 104-mph figure from the vehicle’s onboard computer. Bohm passed a field sobriety test at the scene, and law enforcement determined he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.5Los Angeles Times. Driver Speeding 104 MPH in Malibu Crash That Killed Pepperdine Students, D.A. Says
The Charges and the Murder Theory
Charges were filed eight days after the crash under Los Angeles County Superior Court case number LA100189.3Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Man Charged in Fatal Crash That Killed Four Pepperdine University Students in Malibu Conviction on all counts could carry multiple life sentences.
The murder counts rest on implied malice. Prosecutors do not need to show Bohm intended to kill; they must show he committed an act with a high probability of death and consciously disregarded that risk. Former District Attorney George Gascón cited “the speed, the reckless disregard for the safety of others” as the basis for charging murder rather than standard vehicular manslaughter.6CBS News Los Angeles. Pepperdine University Students Crash Malibu Murder Trial Judge Fraser Bohm Prosecutors have also pointed to Bohm’s own statements to investigators that he knew PCH “like the back of his hand” and was aware of the dangers of high-speed driving, having previously lost two friends in speed-related accidents.7Fox LA. Defense Seeks Dismissal of Murder Charges in Malibu Crash That Killed 4 Pepperdine Students
At the preliminary hearing, Deputy District Attorney Nathan Bartos told the court, “There has to be a number where we’re looking at murder.”8The Acorn. Not Guilty Plea in Girls’ PCH Death
How the Defense Is Fighting the Case
Bohm is represented by Alan Jackson and Jacqueline Sparagna of Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP. Jackson is a former Assistant Head Deputy of the LA County District Attorney’s Major Crimes Division who prosecuted the Phil Spector murder case and later helped secure Karen Read’s acquittal in Massachusetts in 2025.9People. Who Is Alan Jackson
Jackson has called the case “wildly overcharged from the very beginning,” arguing that crashes like this one are “routinely, nearly always” filed as vehicular manslaughter.6CBS News Los Angeles. Pepperdine University Students Crash Malibu Murder Trial Judge Fraser Bohm The defense’s arguments break down along several lines.
Disputed Speed
The defense contests the 104-mph figure, saying data from the vehicle’s black box shows a speed closer to 70 mph.10ABC7. Fraser Bohm Pleads Not Guilty It has also sought data from Bohm’s own cell phone, arguing its accelerometer readings could “confirm or challenge” the prosecution’s number.11The Acorn. Bohm Wins Crash Data Phone Return in Deadly PCH Incident
A Road-Rage Claim
Bohm’s team says he was fleeing a road-rage encounter with another driver, Victor Calandra, and that his car was clipped and sent into the parked vehicles. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has said it has “no evidence” supporting the road-rage claim,5Los Angeles Times. Driver Speeding 104 MPH in Malibu Crash That Killed Pepperdine Students, D.A. Says and prosecutors take the same position.2People. Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Murder Charges Against Driver Who Fatally Struck Pepperdine Students
Calandra is the prosecution’s key eyewitness. He testified at the preliminary hearing that he saw Bohm driving erratically and, at a red light at Las Flores Canyon, saw him holding a cellphone between his legs with his thumbs moving as if texting. Calandra said he rolled down his window and told Bohm, “Hey, you need to be careful. You’re going to hurt yourself.” After the light turned green, Bohm’s car accelerated, and Calandra arrived at the crash scene moments later.12Pepperdine Graphic. Fraser Bohm Ordered to Stand Trial for Oct 2023 PCH Crash The defense cross-examined Calandra about his own driving history and subpoenaed his phone. Judge Ronald S. Rubinson permitted a defense expert to download the phone’s contents under prosecution supervision, sharing only material strictly relevant to the case.13The Acorn. PCH Case Takes a Turn
The Texting Question
Body camera footage from the scene captured an officer asking Bohm, “You think you were on the phone?” The defense argues the officer suggested texting rather than eliciting an admission, and reporting on the preliminary hearing noted there was no evidence a text went through at the time of the crash.12Pepperdine Graphic. Fraser Bohm Ordered to Stand Trial for Oct 2023 PCH Crash
The Legal Attack on Implied Malice
Jackson moved to dismiss the murder counts under People v. Reyes, the 2023 California Supreme Court decision that sets out two requirements for implied malice murder: an objective prong (the act must carry a high probability of death) and a subjective prong (the defendant must be aware of the probability and deliberately ignore it). Jackson argued speeding did not clear the threshold and that Bohm did not know his exact speed, so he could not have been subjectively aware of the danger level.14Pepperdine Graphic. Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Murder Charges for Fraser Bohm
To attack the objective prong, the defense pulled Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data showing 128 other non-fatal crashes over ten years in the same 0.8-mile stretch, arguing that a fatal outcome in only one of 129 crashes shows speeding there does not carry a “high probability of death.” Prosecutors called the other crashes irrelevant and the sample too small to draw conclusions from.15Pepperdine Graphic. Trial Date Still Not Set for Fraser Michael Bohm
Where the Case Stands
Bohm was arraigned on October 25, 2023. Bail was initially set at $8 million and reduced to $4 million; he posted bond and was released on October 27, 2023, under a condition that he not drive.16ABC7. Fraser Bohm Released on Bond17Court TV. Judge Denies Request to Reduce $4M Bail for Fraser Michael Bohm18Patch. $4M Bail Ties Up Funds Needed to Fight PCH Crash Murder Case, Defense Attorney Says
A two-day preliminary hearing in late April 2025 ended with Bohm held to answer on all eight counts.8The Acorn. Not Guilty Plea in Girls’ PCH Death2People. Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Murder Charges Against Driver Who Fatally Struck Pepperdine Students13The Acorn. PCH Case Takes a Turn
On December 4, 2025, a panel of the Second District Court of Appeal denied Bohm’s petition for review, citing “failure to demonstrate entitlement to extraordinary relief.” In January 2026, the California Supreme Court refused to take the matter, ending the pretrial challenge to the murder charges.19MyNewsLA. CA Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Appeal on Murder Charges for Deadly Crash
On February 10, 2026, Judge Rubinson ordered Bohm’s own cell phone released to a defense forensic expert for a complete data extraction. Bohm had refused to give investigators his passcode, limiting them to a partial download. To protect against tampering, the phone must be transported in a signal-blocking pouch and the extraction performed with prosecution observers present. The judge also ordered the District Attorney’s office to turn over two years of local speeding tickets and records of the 128 non-fatal area crashes.20Daily Mail. Malibu Fraser Bohm Hearing Judge Phone Prosecutors Pepperdine University
At a May 19, 2026 hearing, Judge Rubinson said he wants trial to begin in September 2026, and Jackson agreed with that timeline. Both sides are waiting on outstanding expert reports and discovery. A pretrial hearing is set for July 1, 2026, at the Van Nuys Courthouse.21Pepperdine Graphic. Talk of September Trial Date After Fraser Michael Bohm Appears at Another Pre-Trial Hearing
The Four Women Killed
Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams were all Pepperdine seniors and members of the Alpha Phi sorority who had been set to graduate in 2024. Pepperdine awarded them posthumous degrees and, in April 2024, opened the “Four Lights Memorial,” a permanent installation behind Stauffer Chapel. The university and the families also established the “Our Four Angels Endowed Scholarship” in March 2024.22Pepperdine University. Student Memorial23Pepperdine University. Four Lights Memorial The victims’ families have also filed civil lawsuits against the city and other state and local agencies over the maintenance and design of the highway, separate from the criminal case against Bohm.24Los Angeles Times. Malibu Dangerous PCH Pepperdine Anniversary