In Boise, Idaho, a court hearing was held for Bryan Kohberger, who agreed to a plea deal to avoid the death penalty for the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students. Lead prosecutor Bill Thompson provided a detailed account of the investigation, shedding light on how law enforcement gathered evidence against Kohberger, who is accused of a brutal quadruple stabbing.
Thompson’s presentation revealed a complicated investigation that involved DNA evidence, surveillance footage, and cell phone data. Among the gripping pieces of evidence was a Q-tip tainted with DNA, found during a late-night trash pull, and a car almost entirely stripped of evidence. The Door Dash order placed by one of the victims may have unknowingly crossed paths with Kohberger.
Despite the new information, several pivotal questions linger, such as the motive for choosing this particular residence and these victims, who seemed to be strangers to Kohberger. Prior to the murders in November 2022, Moscow, Idaho, hadn’t experienced a homicide in five years. The victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen—were discovered at a rental home near their university campus.
Kohberger, aged 30, had begun working towards a doctoral degree in criminal justice at Washington State University, located nearby. Thompson emphasized that Kohberger had a deep understanding of criminal investigations, as his doctorate included work on crime scene processing. The prosecutor shared that Kohberger’s cell phone was repeatedly in the vicinity of the crime scene in the months leading up to the murders.
A composite of surveillance footage showed Kohberger’s car in the area, gaining attention because of a prior traffic stop. On the night of the crime, Kohberger allegedly entered the victims’ residence through a sliding door at around 4 a.m. He is accused of murdering Mogen and Goncalves on the third floor and leaving a knife sheath behind, which had both the victims’ blood and Kohberger’s DNA.
The ordeal continued downstairs where Koherger reportedly encountered Kernodle, due to a late Door Dash delivery, and killed her as well as her boyfriend, Chapin. Two individuals, including a roommate with potential trial testimony, were left alive. The roommate had seen someone matching the intruder’s description and had reported seeing him leave around 4:19 a.m.
Following the crime, Kohberger allegedly undertook a meticulous attempt to cover his tracks. His strategy involved avoiding detection by using backroads to return to his apartment in Pullman, Washington, delaying turning on his cell phone, and changing his car’s registration state to minimize police attention. By the time authorities connected him to the crime, Kohberger’s living space showed no signs of evidence.
Prosecutors managed to secure a DNA link through garbage obtained from his parents’ home in Pennsylvania, helping confirm his identity as their suspect. With this crucial piece of evidence, Kohberger was arrested and extradited back to Idaho.
While the evidence paints a disturbing picture, key questions persist, notably the reasoning behind targeting these specific individuals. Thompson acknowledged they lack direct evidence implying Kohberger interacted with the victims or had a particular connection to the house. Prosecutors have kept certain case details, such as witness lists and evidence analyses, sealed until the sentencing slated for late July.
The victims’ families are divided following the plea agreement, which commutes what could have been a death sentence to life imprisonment without parole. Families of some victims, like Chapin and Mogen, have accepted the resolution, expressing hopes for healing, while others, like Kaylee Goncalves’ family, oppose the outcome over concerns that Kohberger continues to have a presence and voice.