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Accused Pepperdine killer Fraser Bohm fights to prevent blood-smeared ‘laughing gas’ canister found in BMW following crash from being shown at trial
A judge has postponed a decision on whether prosecutors can show jurors a large nitrous oxide canister allegedly found on Fraser Bohm’s lap after a fatal crash. Bohm is accused of killing four Pepperdine University students in 2023; his defence argues the canister could wrongly suggest he was using the gas.
The hearing was delayed until 20 November because lead defence lawyer Alan Jackson had recently undergone surgery. Prosecutors say they do not intend to claim Bohm was under the influence, but argue the 10-to-12-pound canister was a distraction as he drove. Investigators say the BMW’s recorded speed rose from 93mph to 104mph shortly before the crash, on a stretch with a 45mph limit; Bohm has pleaded not guilty to murder and gross-negligence manslaughter charges.
In short
- Ruling on the canister’s use at trial is delayed until 20 November.
- Prosecutors cite it as a possible distraction, not evidence of drug use.
- Bohm faces charges over a crash that killed four students.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Prosecutors can argue the canister is relevant because its size may have distracted Bohm while he was driving, and jurors should be able to consider physical evidence found in the car when assessing how the crash happened. They say they do not intend to claim he inhaled the gas, so the evidence could be presented for its potential effect on driving rather than as proof of intoxication.
The case against
The defence can argue that displaying a blood-smeared nitrous oxide canister risks leading jurors to infer drug use or impairment, despite prosecutors saying they will not make that allegation. If the canister does not reliably show that it distracted Bohm or otherwise explain the crash, its vividness could prejudice a fair assessment of the evidence.
Explained simply
Fraser Bohm is the driver accused over a 2023 crash in Malibu, California, that killed four Pepperdine University students. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and gross-negligence manslaughter charges.
Nitrous oxide, sometimes called laughing gas, is used for medical and other purposes and can also be misused for its intoxicating effects. Prosecutors say a large canister found in the BMW may have distracted the driver; the defence says showing it could lead jurors to assume Bohm had used the gas.
The case turns on what can fairly be presented to a jury and how the crash happened. Evidence about the canister is separate from the speed data investigators cite, and does not by itself establish whether Bohm was under the influence.