BMW driver loses bid to toss murder charges in high-speed Pepperdine U crash that killed 4 students

A California antheral accused of causing a clang that killed 4 Pepperdine University students connected Pacific Coast Highway successful Malibu volition entreaty aft a justice rejected his defence team's question to disregard execution counts successful the case.

Fraser Bohm, 24, faces 4 counts of execution successful transportation with the clang that near Niamh Rolston, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21, dormant connected Oct. 17, 2023.

Bohm, a time aft his 22nd birthday, allegedly sped astir a crook successful his BMW, slammed into a parked reddish Mazda and kicked up a unreality of fume and debris. According to tribunal documents, helium careened into different parked car, deed a planter, aggregate garbage cans and past either struck a 3rd parked conveyance oregon a chromatic partition — but helium had nary drugs oregon intoxicant successful his strategy and, according to tribunal documents, had not sent immoderate substance messages successful the moments earlier the crash.

"The 1 happening that is not successful quality is that this was a unspeakable tragedy," Bohm's salient caller defence lawyer, Alan Jackson, told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "Four lives were lost." 

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Fraser Bohm appears successful Los Angeles Superior Court connected October 8, 2025, successful Los Angeles, California. Bohm is accused of sidesplitting 4 Pepperdine University students portion driving astatine precocious velocity connected Pacific Coast Highway successful Malibu. (Frederick M. Brown for New York Post via Pool)

The victims were each successful their elder twelvemonth and members of the Alpha Phi sorority. They were connected ft astatine the clip of the clang and declared dormant astatine the country aft responding officers recovered them betwixt Bohm's BMW and a parked metallic vehicle.

Bohm was arrested connected manslaughter charges, which were aboriginal dropped arsenic investigators dug deeper into the case. They came backmost with execution charges a week aft the crash.

There were nary alcohol, drugs, texting oregon thoroughfare racing progressive successful this incident. A lawsuit similar this is wherefore vehicular manslaughter laws were created.

The Pepperdine University pupil victims, from left: Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, Deslyn Williams and Niamh Rolston. (Pepperdine University/Facebook)

"Fraser and his household grieve for the victims and their loved ones. At the aforesaid time, the California Supreme Court has been wide that velocity unsocial does not equate to murder," Jackson said. 

"There were nary alcohol, drugs, texting oregon thoroughfare racing progressive successful this incident. A lawsuit similar this is wherefore vehicular manslaughter laws were created. It was over-filed arsenic murder, and we volition beryllium asking an appellate tribunal to reverse Judge Rubinson’s determination and disregard the execution charges."

A car was damaged successful the tragic Malibu wreck that killed 4 Pepperdine University seniors erstwhile a BMW mislaid power connected the Pacific Coast Highway. (FOX11)

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Prosecutors allege helium was driving astatine 104 mph successful a 45 mph portion known locally arsenic "Dead Man's Curve."

In court, Jackson argued that the prosecution's lawsuit is not capable to warrant the "implied malice" execution charges nether California law, which requires prosecutors to beryllium that the fishy intentionally committed an enactment that is apt to origin decease and consciously disregarded the danger. 

Fraser Bohm and his mother, Brooke Bohm, get astatine tribunal for his pretrial proceeding successful Van Nuys, California connected Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Bohm is accused of sidesplitting 4 Pepperdine University students portion driving astatine precocious velocity connected Pacific Coast Highway successful Malibu. (LB/Splash News for Fox News Digital)

Prosecutors, astatine Bohm's preliminary hearing, alleged that helium knowingly sped connected a agelong of roadworthy known to beryllium dangerous, which justified the execution charge.

Bohm, who is from the area, allegedly told constabulary helium knew the agelong of roadworthy "like the backmost of his hand" and was alert "speed kills" aft 2 of his friends died successful an earlier crash. According to prosecutors, helium should person known speeding successful the country could enactment lives successful danger.

Victor Calandra, the operator of a bluish GMC pickup, reported seeing Bohm's BMW swerving erratically earlier the crash. The defense, however, claims that Bohm was trying to get distant from Calandra, who has an alleged past of different roadworthy rage incidents, and that his grounds was contradicted by different witness.

Judge Thomas Rubinson successful a pretrial proceeding for Fraser Bohm astatine Los Angeles Superior Court connected October 8, 2025, successful Los Angeles, California. Bohm is accused of sidesplitting 4 Pepperdine University students portion driving successful Malibu. (Frederick M. Brown for New York Post via Pool)

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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson rejected the arguments astatine a proceeding Monday, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.

Last month, the City of Malibu released 4 achromatic doves successful grant of the victims astatine a memorial ceremony. 

Pepperdine University is simply a backstage Christian schoolhouse with a field overlooking the Pacific Ocean.