University of Idaho Murders

On the morning of November 13, 2022, four college students were murdered in Moscow, Idaho. Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin went to the University of Idaho and resided in an off-campus three-story home with six bedrooms, although Goncalves had recently moved out and come back on a fateful day. The group also lived with two other college students, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke who were not home at the time of the murder. Bryan Christopher Kohberger was arrested on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty at this point. 

On the evening of November 12, Ethan and Xana were at an on-campus party at the Sigma Chi fraternity from 8 to 9 pm. At 1:45 am the next day, the couple returned home. The other victims, Madison and Kaylee, decided to go to a downtown sports bar, The Corner Club, at 10 pm, which they left at 1:30 am. At 1:41 am, a food truck happened to be livestreaming and caught the pair talking and smiling and then getting their food and being driven home by what was described by police as a “private party.” Mortensen and Funke later said that the group of four were all home by 2 am, as they had arrived home just an hour prior. The probable cause affidavit states that one surviving roommate was staying on the second floor, the same floor as Kernodle and Chapin before she woke up to the sound of Goncalves and her dog. She later revealed that she also heard a roommate, who she thought was Kaylee, tell her “There’s someone here.” 

The victims were stabbed on the second and third floor of the house, in bed. Madison and Kaylee were found in Madison’s room and Ethan and Xana were found in Xana’s room. At 11:58 am, an unknown individual made a phone call to 911. When police arrived, there was no forced entry and nothing was missing from the home. At noon on November 13, all four victims were pronounced dead. The University of Idaho eventually canceled classes for the following day. The university also scheduled a candlelight vigil for November 16, then postponed it for two weeks. The vigil was moved to November 30 and would be held at the Kibbie Dome, due to weather conditions. In response to internet sleuths and TikTokers spreading theories and disrupting the investigation, the Moscow Police Department released a statement on December 2nd reading, “There is speculation, without factual backing, stoking community fears and spreading false facts” as well as “people harassing or threatening those potentially involved with the case could face criminal charges.” 

Police officers from the Moscow Police Department, the Idaho State Police, and the Latah County Sheriff’s Office were all working on this case at this point. The Latah County coroner conducted autopsies on November 17 and said all had been stabbed multiple times with fatal wounds in the chest and upper body with a large knife. On November 19, police asked the general public to bring forth any videos of the house that were recorded the night of the killings. By December 5, they received 2,600 emailed tips, 2,700 phone calls, and 1,000 pictures and videos regarding the case. A house security camera revealed a white Elantra around the time of the murders, driving several times on the same route near the house. Other footage shows it driving past the residence itself three times before coming back for a final time at 4:04 and speeding away at 4:20 am.  On December 7, police announced they were looking to speak to the owner of a white 2011-2016 Hyundai Elantra spotted near the house at the time of the killings. The car was traced back to 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger who was driving back from Washington. In the summer of 2022, Kohberger moved to Washington to get a PhD at Washington State University, which was less than 8 miles away from Moscow. He was a doctoral student at the time he committed the murders in criminology.  On December 15, a trooper’s body cam showed the Hyundai being stopped twice. Investigators obtained cell phone records that show his phone began using a cell phone tower near the residence 5 hours after the murders, as well as data showing that his phone pinged to the cell phone tower closest to the house at least 12 times between June 2022 and November 13. DNA was also found in the home and traced back to Kohberger. Before arresting him, investigators monitored his home. He was seen several times wearing surgical masks and gloves, which were sent to the lab for testing. Authorities mentioned that Kohberger had also cleaned his car inside and out. When Bryan was arrested, a home search found a knife, a pistol, a black face mask, and fake IDs inside a box. 

Kohberger was detained without bond on December 30 by a SWAT team and state police in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Kohberger went to court for the first time on January 5, 2023, in Latah County on 4 counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. On May 17, Latah County released a statement announcing that Kohberger was indicted on all five charges by a grand jury. Later in May, he refused to enter a plea during his arraignment to which the judge responded by entering a not guilty plea on his behalf. On June 26, the prosecutor’s office for Latah County announced they were seeking the death penalty due to the circumstances. At this time, Kohberger was being held at the Latah County Jail and had been denied bond. On February 24, 2023, University of Idaho President C. Scott Green announced that the residence the killings took place in would be donated to the university. The home was later demolished on December 28, 2023. A memorial garden was also created in memory of Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen, and Ethan Chapin on the college campus. Scholarships in the name of three victims, Mogen, Chapin, and Kernodle, were also created and the university awarded posthumous degrees to all four victims at what ended up being their graduation ceremony.