Four University of Idaho students murdered in off-campus home

On the morning of Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, Ethan Chapin (20), Madison Mogen (21),  Xana Kernodle (20) and Kaylee Goncalves (21) were found dead in their house near the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho. 

Details of the crime are constantly being uncovered, and the authorities have brought their prime suspect, Bryan Kohberger, to court. Kohberger is a 28-year-old graduate student working on his Ph.D. in Criminology at Washington State University. His classmates have described him as “super awkward” and “always looking for a way to fit in.” 

Authorities arrested Kohberger in northeastern Pennsylvania on Dec. 30, and spoke of DNA evidence being a main factor in linking him to the crime. Kohberger is said to be the only suspect.

On Jan. 5, 2023, more details about Kohberger’s  DNA were released in court as the investigators shared that male DNA was found on a knife sheath left at the crime scene. This DNA was later matched to a sample recovered from the trash found at the Kohnberger family’s Pennsylvania home. The case is still ongoing because there is no direct evidence, such as eyewitnesses, video footage or any type of confession. The circumstantial evidence suggesting Bryan Kohberger to be the culprit include videos of his car circling the crime scene before the murders, multiple pings of his cell phone to local service towers and hair strands found in his house containing his DNA. The car was seen on multiple security cameras between approximately 3:30 a.m. to 4:20 a.m., which is when authorities believe the murders took place. One of the two surviving roommates says that around 4 a.m. she heard strange noises and cries, and saw someone “in black clothing and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose” that walked out the back door. This roommate also gave a description of the person she saw in the home that matches the silhouette features of Kohberger. 

Kohberger is currently facing four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. He is being held at Latah County Jail in northern Idaho. On Jan. 12, he went to court in Idaho, and his preliminary hearing was set for June 26, leaving his defense team time to prepare.