The University of Idaho murder cast a sombre shadow over the campus as the community grappled with the tragic events that unfolded on King Road in Moscow, Idaho.
This situation weaves through a complex tapestry of details, from the incident to the initial assurances of community safety, the subsequent arrest, the revelations in the probable cause affidavit and the ensuing legal developments, including the decision to pursue the death penalty.
What is University of Idaho murder?
In the early hours of November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students met their tragic end via fatal stabbings in an off-campus residence situated near the campus in Moscow, Idaho. Two of the victims, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, were residents of the house, while the third, Kaylee Goncalves, had recently moved out but returned for a nearby party. The fourth victim, Ethan Chapin, was Kernodle’s boyfriend during the night.
The three-storey residence comprised six bedrooms, with two on each floor. All four students were at home by 1:56 a.m. on 13 November after attending a party a day earlier. Goncalves made several unsuccessful phone calls between 2:26 and 2:52 a.m., while Mogen also called Goncalves’ former boyfriend. However, these calls were later deemed unrelated to the crime. Kernodle received a DoorDash order around 4 a.m.
Notably, the city had not witnessed a murder since 2015.
The surviving roommates, initially reported to be on the ground floor, were later revealed to be on the second floor. One of them was awakened by sounds resembling Goncalves and her dog, later hearing a voice saying, “There’s someone here.” Security cameras picked up sounds of whimpering, a thud, and a dog barking around 4:17 a.m. The roommate encountered a figure in black clothing and a mask, who walked past her and exited through the sliding glass door.
The fatal stabbings occurred on the second and third floors of the home, where the victims were found in their beds. No 911 calls were made until 11:58 a.m., and when police arrived, there was no sign of forced entry, damage, or missing items. The surviving roommates had called friends to the home, concerned about an unconscious second-floor victim. The identities of the 911 caller and the figure in black remain undisclosed.
All four victims were pronounced dead at noon, with detectives estimating the killings occurred between 4 a.m. and 4:25 a.m. Goncalves’s dog was found unharmed in the house that night.
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Fall out of University of Idaho murder
On the evening of the day of the incident, the university called off classes. Additionally, a candlelight vigil originally planned for the university’s administration building lawn on the evening of November 16, 2022, was rescheduled two weeks later. Initially, investigators asserted that there was no threat to the community following the day of the killings. However, three days later, Moscow Police Chief James Fry stated: “We cannot say that there is no threat to the community.”
With fall break scheduled to commence after November 18, 2022, and classes set to resume on November 28, 2022, a considerable number of students and residents of the town, unconvinced by the initial assurances of the police and concerned for their safety, departed from the area quite early, before Thanksgiving. Those who remained were uneasy and cautious and this led to some professors cancelling their classes. Due to weather considerations, the candlelight vigil was relocated indoors to the Kibbie Dome and held on the evening of November 30, 2023.
The fathers of Goncalves and Chapin expressed dissatisfaction with the limited flow of information from the police and university to the families of the victims. Speculation and rumours about the case proliferated on social media, with TikTokers, self-proclaimed psychics, and other users contributing to the dissemination of misinformation. In response, the Moscow Police Department rebuked internet sleuths for generating unfounded online rumours that disrupted investigations.
In a news release on December 2, 2022, they stated: “There is speculation, without factual backing, stoking community fears and spreading false facts.”
Moscow County Police Captain, Roger Lanier, emphasised the challenges of tracking down and dispelling rumours and highlighted the need to withhold specific details to safeguard the investigation. The police also cautioned against harassing or threatening individuals potentially involved in the case, indicating that such actions could result in criminal charges.
On December 30, 2022, a 28-year-old individual named Bryan Christopher Kohberger was apprehended in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of felony burglary. The authorities are pursuing the death penalty.
In a statement on February 24, 2023, University of Idaho President, Scott Green, announced that the school had acquired the house where the murders occurred, and it would be demolished for healing purposes. The statement outlined plans for future student involvement in the development of the property.
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University of Idaho murder suspect
MONROE COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY VIA GETTY
Nearly seven weeks after the tragic events, authorities announced the arrest of Bryan Kohberger at his parents’ residence in Pennsylvania, more than 2,500 miles from the crime scene.
Following the revelation of the 28-year-old’s arrest, it was disclosed that Kohberger was visiting family for the holidays when apprehended but was residing in Washington State at the time of the murders. He was identified as a PhD student in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington.
In response to the arrest, Ethan’s family released a statement expressing relief that this chapter was over. However, they acknowledged that the arrest did not alter the outcome or alleviate their pain, stating: “We miss Ethan, and our family is forever changed.”
On January 4, 2023, Kohberger was transported to Idaho, where he faced charges of four counts of murder and one count of felony burglary related to the stabbing deaths of Mogen, Kernodle, Goncalves and Chapin
The subsequent affidavit offered additional details about the killings and the two surviving roommates present during the attack. According to the affidavit, a sheath of the knife used in the stabbings was left at the scene, containing DNA that linked Kohberger to the murders. The affidavit also cited his cell phone pings as evidence.
One of the surviving roommates reported seeing the killer, described as “a figure clad in black clothing and a mask”, leaving the crime scene.
The affidavit alleged that a white sedan, referred to as “Suspect Vehicle 1,” was seen leaving the area at high speed around 4:20 a.m. The vehicle and phone associated with Kohberger allegedly returned to the scene between 9:12 a.m. and 9:21 a.m. the same day.
On May 22, 2023, ‘not-guilty’ pleas were entered for Kohberger during his arraignment. A trial date was initially set for October 2, 2023, but was later postponed indefinitely. In June 2023, prosecutors announced their intention to pursue the death penalty, citing Kohberger’s alleged “utter disregard for human life” in a court filing.
Around August 2023, Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial, leading to the indefinite postponement of the trial, with no new date set.
On October 18, 2023, the demolition of the house, initially paused in July until October, was again postponed without a provided reason.
University of Idaho murder victims
The four students who were the victims are Ethan Chapin, aged 20, from Conway, Washington; Kaylee Goncalves, aged 21, from Rathdrum, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, aged 20, originally from Avondale, Arizona, but resided in Post Falls, Idaho; and Madison Mogen, aged 21, from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Chapin was a freshman, Kernodle a junior, and both Goncalves and Mogen were seniors.
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