But attorneys for Timmy Brent Olsen and Christopher Neal Jeppson, who made that statement Thursday, differ on where a fair trial could be achieved.
Carolyn Howard, one of the attorneys representing Olsen, argued that people living in either Fillmore or Heber City are less likely to have been exposed to the intense media coverage that have surrounded the case.
But Scott C. Williams, Jeppson's attorney, said that Salt Lake City offers a larger juror pool from which to find people who have not been saturated with media coverage or who may have had an emotional stake in the case because it occurred in their community
"It's about the community as we define it as those who identify with the event," Williams said.
But Deputy Utah County Attorney Sherry Ragan said an impartial jury could be empaneled in Utah County.
And 4th District Judge Lynn W. Davis warned that relocating the trial could mean more expense and inconvenience, especially in a small community that may not be prepared to handle such a high-profile case.
Davis said he would issue a written ruling on the change of venue and other motions, including William's request to try Jeppson separately and Olsen's request to dismiss the charges, by June 16.
Olsen and Jeppson have been convicted in federal court of lying to investigators and a grand jury about Kiplyn's disappearance. She was last seen May 2, 1995, at Spanish Fork High School.
