An Idaho grand jury has indicted the man suspected in the slayings of four college students in November, paving the way for an arraignment on murder charges.

A preliminary hearing in the case against Bryan Kohberger, 28, was originally scheduled for next month, following his arrest in December on four counts of first-degree murder and burglary for allegedly breaking into a Moscow, Idaho, home with the intent to commit a felony.

But the prosecutors’ decision to impanel a grand jury, which was not anticipated, allows the state to avoid the weeklong preliminary hearing that would have required it to present evidence before a judge, as well as permit the defense counsel to cross-examine witnesses.