Driver charged with murder of 4 Pepperdine University students on PCH in Malibu out on bond

A 22-year-old driver facing four counts of murder after the vehicle he was driving earlier this month hit and killed four Pepperdine University students on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu has been released on Bond.  

Fraser Bohm was taken into custody on Oct. 24 and charged with four counts of murder for the deaths of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. 

The crash happened on Oct. 17, when the four college seniors were hit by a vehicle allegedly driven by Bohm. The 22-year-old was arrested at the scene for gross vehicular manslaughter but was released from custody hours later while authorities investigated the circumstances of the crash. 

According to jail records obtained by KTLA, Bohm was released on bond on Oct. 27 at around 8:30 p.m.  

Michael Kraut, the defense attorney for Fraser Bohm, claimed that the 22-year-old was involved in a road rage incident that began at Duke’s Malibu, the famous bar and restaurant located on PCH about three miles west of the deadly crash site.

Kraut said security footage has been located that corroborates those claims, even going so far as to say they’ve identified the driver of the other vehicle and that authorities have arrested the wrong person.

“We’ve actually been able to track down who this person is, and the person who admitted to a family member that they did drive him off the road,” Kraut said.

After a court appearance on Oct. 25 where Bohm pleaded not guilty, his bond was reduced from $8 million to $4 million.

The crash happened on a stretch of road known to locals as “Dead Man’s Curve,” due to the high number of accidents which often involve speeding drivers.

Neighbors, Pepperdine officials and traffic safety advocates held demonstrations last week, calling for safety improvements along the dangerous roadway, including speed cameras, lower speed limits and more active patrols by law enforcement.