In the lead-up to the tragic stabbings of four University of Idaho students in November 2022, Bryan Kohberger, a 27-year-old criminology PhD student at Washington State University, faced mounting pressures both academically and socially. Despite his position as a teaching assistant, complaints about his demanding nature led to a meeting with a dean regarding his professional behavior. Amid these challenges, Kohberger’s online activity revealed significant interest in female students from both universities, including several connections to the victims.
Investigators allege that Kohberger murdered Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin shortly after they returned home from a night out. Data collected from his cellphone indicates frequent late-night visits to the vicinity of the victims’ residence in the weeks before the murders, specifically highlighting a concerning search history that included queries related to sociopathic traits and violent pornography.
On the night of the killings, video footage captured a white Elantra—matching Kohberger’s car—circling the area around the victims’ home. Eyewitness accounts described a masked figure leaving the residence shortly after the stabbings. The brutal attack reportedly targeted Mogen and likely Kernodle next, with Kohberger’s phone records showing evidence of his presence nearby shortly before the murders.
After the incident, Kohberger attempted to erase any incriminating digital footprints, yet authorities ultimately connected him through DNA evidence found on a knife sheath at the crime scene. He was arrested in late December 2022, charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. His defense lawyers maintain his innocence, highlighting the possibility of an alternative suspect as the case heads toward trial in August.
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