The four University of Idaho student murders

By Nadya Poisac-Nguyen ‘23

Content Warning: This article will cover topics of violence and murder. All of this information is as of January 6, 2023.

*The victims’ house and the location of the murders; courtesy of* *CNN*

Four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death overnight in their home on November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. These murders made national news with information and theories being widely spread across news outlets and social media. Police are calling it one of the most brutal scenes they’ve ever seen.

On the night of the murders, victims Madison Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, slept on the third floor. Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend who did not live there, Ethan Chapin, 20, slept on the second floor. The two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, slept on the first floor.

*The six students in the house the night of the murders, the victims are circled in red; courtesy of the* *New York Post*

CBS News reported that the next morning police responded to a call about an unconscious person at 11:58 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, they found the four deceased students. The dispatcher stated they spoke to multiple people, all of whom have been cleared.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt reported that the students had been stabbed to death with a large, fixed-blade knife. Up until then, the police had estimated the murders occurred between the hours of 3:00 a.m to 4:00 a.m, this would later change as new information surfaced.

Autopsies indicate they were likely asleep when they were stabbed. Some of the victims showed defensive wounds, and none showed signs of sexual assault.

Police were still trying to determine the point of entry the attacker took as there were no signs of forced entry. The police also stated they believed the attacks were targeted, but had not released any information on why.

According to ABC News, on December 7, police asked the public for help in locating a white Hyundai Elantra that was seen in the area of the killings. They stated the person or people in the car had critical information.

On December 29, six weeks after the massacre, police arrested 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger and charged him with four counts of murder in the first degree, as well as felony burglary.

They had been following the white Hyundai Elantra, which belonged to him. Thanks to genetic genealogy, Kohberger’s DNA was matched to genetic material recovered from the murder scene.

*Bryan Kohberger, 28; courtesy of* *CNN*

Kohberger is a graduate student at Washington State University, only nine miles away from Moscow. He finished his first semester in getting his Ph.D. in criminal justice.

Before Christmas, Kohberger drove from Idaho all the way to Pennsylvania to his parents’ house where he was arrested. The police have released no motive for the murders. Authorities are expected to release more information once Kohberger is transferred back to Idaho.

The affidavit (a sworn written testimony) for Kohberger’s case was released on January 5, and key details of the case that were previously unreleased were finally made public.

Brett Payne, acting peace officer, stated that he found a tan leather knife sheath on the table next to Mogen’s side in Goncalves' and Mogen’s room. The Idaho State Lab detected a single source of male DNA on it. Detectives were able to match DNA from the knife sheath to DNA found in trash from the Kohberger family residence by Pennsylvania agents.

The affidavit also indicated that Kohberger’s phone records show that he had scouted the house for months before the attack. Records also indicated that he had returned to the residence at around 9 a.m. the following morning.

Now, police have narrowed the timeframe of the attacks to be between 4 a.m. to 4:25 a.m.

Timeline of events leading up to the attack:

NBC News reported that Kernodle and Chapin were seen at a party at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, just a couple blocks down from their house at around 9 p.m.

At 10 p.m., Gonclaves uploaded a photo on her Instagram featuring her friends. Gonclaves and Mogen went to the Corner Club from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

At around 1 a.m., Mortensen and Funke, the two unharmed roommates, returned home.

At around 1:30 a.m., Gonclaves and Mogen are seen on a security camera ordering food at a food truck.

Kernodle and Chapin returned to their home at around 1:45 a.m. Gonclaves and Mogen took a car home and arrived at 1:56 a.m.

From around 2:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. Goncalves and Mogen made nine phone calls to Gonclaves’ ex-boyfriend, Jack DuCoeur, who was cleared as a suspect.

Funke and Mortensen (first floor) stated that all residents were in their rooms by 4 a.m. with the exception of Kernodle (second floor), who received a DoorDash order at 4 a.m.

Mortensen awoke to the noise of what she believed to be Gonclaves (third floor) playing with her dog, and stated she believed she heard Gonclaves say something along the lines of “there’s someone here.”

Mortensen looked outside her window but didn’t see anyone. She then opened her door and believed she heard crying from Kernodle’s room and a male voice said something to the effect of “it’s okay, I’m going to help you.”

At around 4:17 a.m. a neighbor’s security camera less than 50 feet away from Kernodle picked up audio of what resembled voices or a whimper, followed by a loud thud.

Mortensen then opened her door for the third time and saw a figure in black clothing who was approximately 5’10” or taller with bushy eyebrows. As Mortensen stood in a “frozen shock phase,” the figure walked right past her and out the sliding glass door. Then she locked herself in her room.
Fox News reported that Kohberger appeared before a judge on January 4, 2023, and was ordered hold without bail. He was charged with burglary with intent to commit murder, and will face a one to ten year prison sentence. He will face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted of the highest counts of first-degree murder, one for each victim.