Photo of University of Idaho, courtesy of Unsplash.
The vibrant art community in Moscow, Idaho, has long been a defining characteristic of the city. For over seven years, the small town had reported no murders. Known for its quaint charm and peaceful atmosphere, Moscow seemed an unlikely setting for the gruesome murders that unfolded in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death in an off-campus house — two of whom were childhood best friends, two of whom were dating. In an instant, the futures of four young college students were tragically cut short. Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20 — were seen spending a Saturday night out near the university campus before returning to the house Sunday morning. Two other roommates, Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen, were also at the house when the attack happened but were unharmed.
For 47 days, the community waited.
The community criticized law enforcement officials for their lack of transparency and for sending mixed messages about the case. Hours after the victims’ bodies were discovered, the public was informed that the Moscow police department “does not believe there is an ongoing community risk.” But that changed the following day when Moscow Police Chief James Fry said at a news conference Nov. 16: “We cannot say there is no threat to the community.” This shift in narrative raised questions about why, after a quadruple homicide had just occurred, the police department initially suggested that there was no clear threat to the community, leaving people with a false sense of security.
Speculations intensified in the absence of a motive. Fear roamed the quiet streets of the once idyllic community, born not only out of the grisly acts themselves but also out of the unknown. Stemming from unpredictability, there’s an intangibility to the fear of the unknown that makes it all the more nerve-wracking. Who is responsible? Will it happen again? Who’s next? This kind of fear festers in the mind, cultivating paranoia and distrust. Old neighbors and friends begin to appear as possible perpetrators. With each passing day bringing with it a mounting sense of dread, the victims’ families were left increasingly frustrated with the case’s painfully slow progress.
Suddenly, an arrest was made. After weeks of extensive police investigation, Bryan Kohberger was apprehended in Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, 2022.
Unsealed court documents detail that night’s events and which pieces of information led to the arrest. Despite the ruthlessness of the murders, police found no signs of forced entry or damage inside the home. Autopsies performed on the bodies pointed to defensive wounds but indicated no signs of sexual assault.
According to the court documents, Mortensen was sleeping on the second floor — the same floor as Kernodle and Chapin — before she was awoken at 4 a.m. by what sounded like Goncalves in her upstairs bedroom playing with her pet dog. Mortensen later thought she heard Goncalves saying something to the effect of, “there’s someone here.” Investigators believe the noise could’ve come from Kernodle, as her phone indicated she was on TikTok at this time.
Mortensen opened her door three times within a short period. Once, after she heard the comment about someone being in the house. The second was when she heard what sounded like crying coming from Kernodle’s room and a male voice saying, “It’s OK, I’m going to help you.” A neighbor’s security camera picked up voices or whimpering, a loud thud and a dog barking numerous times beginning at around 4:17 a.m.
When Mortensen opened her door for the third time, she saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask walking toward her. She described the person as 5’10” or taller, male, and athletically built with bushy eyebrows. The man walked past her — seemingly without seeing her — towards the back sliding glass door. Investigators suspect this was when the murderer left the scene. Mortensen stood in a “frozen shock phase” and then locked herself in her room.
At six feet tall and 185 pounds with bushy eyebrows, Kohberger’s physical description is consistent with Mortensen’s account.
Accordant with Mortensen’s testimonies was the discovery of a diamond-patterned shoe print found outside of her bedroom. The only other evidence at the scene was a tan leather knife sheath on Mogen’s bed, with a single source of male DNA left on the button snap of the sheath.
Camera footage in the neighborhood indicated numerous sightings of a white Hyundai Elantra without a front license plate that night. The Moscow Police Department noticed the car drove off on a road leading to Pullman, Washington, a nearby college town. Subsequently, investigators accessed video footage from the Washington State University campus and saw the vehicle at approximately 5:25 a.m. A query of white Elantras registered at WSU found a car owned by Bryan Kohberger. His car was registered in Pennsylvania, a state that does not require a front license plate to be displayed.
But out of all the evidence, possibly the most damning is Kohberger’s cell phone records.
At approximately 2:47 a.m., Kohberger’s phone stopped reporting to cellular towers and was not reported again until two hours later. Investigators believe this was an attempt to conceal his location by turning off his phone. The movements of his phone were then found to be consistent with the movements of the white Elantra observed on the security cameras in Pullman.
The phone records also show that his phone had been in the area of the residence at least 12 times before Nov. 13, 2022. All these occasions, except for one, occurred in the late evening and early morning hours.
A Ph.D. student in criminology at WSU at the time of the murders, Kohberger previously studied psychology and criminology at DeSales University. During his time as a master’s student at DeSales, Kohberger was approved for a research project that sought to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime. More specifically, he was researching the thoughts and feelings of ex-convicts during their most recent offense that led to a conviction. Kohberger posted a Reddit survey on subreddits r/ExCons and r/prisons with a throwaway account in search of participants for this project. One of his questions asked, “After committing the crime, what were you thinking and feeling?” Another read, “After arriving, what steps did you take prior to locating the victim or target (i.e., person or object)? Please detail your thoughts and feelings.”
Assuming Kohberger is the murderer, I wonder if his obsession with studying criminology was a cause or an effect. Maybe the Idaho killings served as a disturbing real-life assessment of his ability to commit a heinous crime and evade punishment. And given Kohberger’s education in criminology, why was the crime carried out in such a careless manner? Why would someone with Kohberger’s knowledge of crime drive his own car, carry a phone and leave behind the murder weapon sheath with his DNA on it?
Charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary, prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.
Because of the moral and legal complexities involved in capital punishment cases, the trial has been delayed far longer than expected. The irreversible nature of capital punishment underscores the gravity of any mistakes that could be made during legal proceedings. As we approach the trial date, we can expect discussions about the death penalty to become even more intense.
The judge previously presiding over the case, John C. Judge, wrote in a ruling that Kohberger’s lawyers tried to throw out the grand jury indictment, alleging that the prosecution did not properly withhold evidence from the public, that the grand jury was biased and that the evidence was inadmissible and insufficient. The judge argued that there was no evidence of grand juror bias or prosecutorial misconduct and that there was enough admissible evidence to believe that Kohberger committed the crimes. Kohberger’s defense team challenged this ruling in the Idaho Supreme Court but had the appeal denied again.
Although Kohberger’s lawyers failed to throw out the grand jury indictment, they successfully argued for a change of venue for the trial. On Sept. 12, Idaho’s State Supreme Court announced the decision to move the trial itself to Boise. Some 300 miles away from Moscow, the ruling was made to avoid a biased petit jury. Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan wrote, “While the issue of extensive, sensationalized coverage is not unique to Latah County, it is potentially more impactful given the volume of coverage coupled with the smaller population.” With the trial set for August 2025, the prolonged delay has left many questioning the continued wait for the victims’ families, who anxiously anticipate closure from this trial.
In the uncertainty surrounding the case’s verdict, several crucial pieces of evidence surface as determining factors that could sway the outcome. First and foremost is Mortensen’s eyewitness testimony. Considering the time that’s passed, both the prosecution and defense will scrutinize the credibility and reliability of her testimony. Secondly, the DNA sample found on the sheath of the suspected murder weapon adds another layer of complexity to the case. Depending on the validity of the forensic analysis of the DNA sample, the sheath could either implicate Kohberger’s guilt or innocence. And perhaps the most crucial piece of evidence in determining the case’s outcome lies in the cell phone records. In an age where digital technology permeates every aspect of daily life, cell phone records can offer insights into an individual’s activities leading up to and following an alleged crime.
As the community continues to grapple with the horrifying tragedy that claimed the lives of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen in their off-campus home, it’s important to acknowledge that Bryan Kohberger’s family are victims in their own right. Facing an unending burden of guilt and wrestling with feelings of responsibility for their son’s actions, they too are mourning. They grieve for their son, who while still alive, is forever altered in the eyes of the world due to his alleged involvement.
Why did this particular case become so sensationalized in the first place? A part of it may stem from the victims’ social media presence. Their accounts’ images and videos showed that they were ordinary college students eager to begin their lives. The whole case is shrouded in mysteries yet simultaneously feels relatable — as if it could happen to my roommates and I, or to anyone. Crime disrupts our perception of a secure and rational world, even more so when it occurs in a place meant for education. The juxtaposition between murder and a traditionally safe environment forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about our vulnerability. With a newfound wariness, I catch myself looking over my shoulders more often, realizing that the world can be so unpredictable. Amid profound loss, questions persist, with the hope that answers emerge from the trial.
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