New police documents detail 'socially awkward', 'annoying' Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger
Brianna Morris-Grant
, ABC
Bryan Kohberger was sentenced this week to life in prison for the 2022 murders of four Idaho university students inside their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Photo:
Kyle Green/Pool/AP via CNN Newsource
A convicted mass killer's co-workers, cellmates and former Tinder matches have labelled him "socially awkward" and "annoying" in newly released police documents.
Bryan Kohberger was sentenced this week
to life in prison for the 2022 murders of four Idaho university students inside their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21 years old, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20 years old, were all killed on November 13, 2022.
Earlier this month
Kohberger accepted a plea deal
and admitted to the killings, offering no motive for the crime.
Minutes after his sentencing, the Moscow Police Department released hundreds of pages of documents online.
The files reveal new details about the case, spanning from the moment police arrived on the scene to the months following Kohberger's arrest.
Roommates of the four students had already detailed hiding from a stranger clad in black in the early hours of that November morning.
One of the two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, told police she heard Ms Goncalves "scream and announce there was 'somebody' inside", according to a police report dated November 13.
"[She] said she locked herself in her bedroom and continued to hear a commotion," the report said.
"[She] said eventually she stopped hearing a struggle and heard a male voice say, 'You're gonna be fine. I'm gonna help you.'"
Other documents described the aftermath of the brutal attack as officers entered the home.
One report, dated November 21, 2022, described dozens of "mostly defensive" injuries to Ms Kernodle.
The four University of Idaho students were found dead at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022.
Photo:
Angela Palermo/Idaho Statesman/TNS/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
An officer wrote it was "obvious an intense struggle had occurred" between Ms Kernodle and Kohberger.
Authorities have previously suggested the other three victims were asleep when they were attacked.
Ms Goncalves's sister, Alivea Goncalves, confronted Kohberger while delivering a victim impact statement at his sentencing hearing.
"You want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most," she said.
"If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night like a paedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f***ing ass."
One tip among the thousands received by police came from a woman who believed she had matched with Kohberger on Tinder several months before the killings.
The woman said Kohberger had told her he was a
criminology student
, and that she had discussed the murder of a friend in her town with him.
"The conversation turned to horror movies and which ones [she] liked the most," the police offer wrote in the March 18, 2024 report.
"[She] told Kohberger she liked the Rob Zombie Halloween movies. To this, [she] said Kohberger asked what she thought would be the worst way to die.
"[She] said she thought it would be a knife. [She] said Kohberger then asked her something to the effect of 'like a Ka-Bar?'"
A Ka-Bar brand knife sheath was found in the Moscow home following the killings.
Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were victims in the Idaho student killings.
Photo:
(Obtained by CNN) via CNN Newsource
The prosecution said Kohberger bought the same brand of knife with the sheath and a sharpener in the months leading up to the killings.
The murder weapon has never been found.
The woman said Kohberger's questions "made her uncomfortable" and she eventually stopped speaking to him.
Kohberger moved to Pullman, Washington, from Pennsylvania, to pursue a PhD in criminology at Washington State University.
He had been called in on multiple occasions for inappropriate and troubling behaviour on campus.
A former teaching assistant who shared an office with Kohberger at the university told police he thought Kohberger was "very intelligent but also selfish", describing him as "dishonest".
The man added Kohberger began to talk "much more than usual" following the November murders.
"[He] characterised Kohberger's conversations as those coming from someone who wanted to vent," the police offer wrote in the October 2023 report.
"[He] stated Kohberger attempted to use his authority as a TA to inappropriately interact with female students."
The former co-worker also noted injuries he saw on Kohberger's face and hands "on two separate occasions" in October and November 2022.
"[He] stated one injury was a large scratch on Kohberger's face which [he] described as looking like the scratches from fingernails," the officer wrote.
"[He] said he also saw wounds to Kohberger's knuckles on two separate occasions.
"When [he] asked Kohberger about what happened to him, Kohberger replied he had been in a car accident."
Other former staffers and students at Washington State University have recalled Kohberger often made female staff uncomfortable.
One report noted a former student who described him sitting in "close proximity" to her "on the rare occasions he would attend class".
"[The student] told me she thought Kohberger was socially awkward but was not able to provide me any other information about him," the police officer noted in his report.
The student's mother contacted police after watching a Dateline special about the Moscow killings.
During a segment talking about photos of university students found on Kohberger's phone, the woman said she identified several photos as being of her daughter and her friends.
Dateline reported "dozens of photos" of women from Washington State University and the University of Idaho found on Kohberger's phone.
The student told police she believed they had been taken from her public Instagram account.
A fellow inmate described Bryan Kohberger as "a f***ing weirdo".
Photo:
Supplied / Police
Kohberger was arrested on December 30, 2022.
A police report included among the released documents stated his name first came to the attention of police on December 18.
Within two years, police had begun to receive information from Idaho inmates regarding Kohberger's behaviour.
In August, a video supplied to police by a prosecutor showed a male inmate talking about being in "max" security with Kohberger.
Asked, "how is he" by another inmate, the man responded: "A f***ing weirdo."
"He continued to say if he wasn't worried about further legal repercussions he would have physically assaulted Kohberger," the officer noted in the report.
"[The other inmate] asked if Kohberger 'did it', referencing the homicides. [He] affirmed this statement and added he had pretty good judgement of people and '[Kohberger's] eyes tell a story.'"
In September, another inmate housed at the Latah County Jail and kept in the cell next to Kohberger for several weeks spoke to police.
"[He] told me Kohberger was highly intelligent and polite for the most part," the officer wrote.
"[He] told me Kohberger quickly became annoying because of some of his habits.
"He told me Kohberger would wash his hands dozens of times each day and would spend 45 minutes to an hour in the shower.
"I asked [him] if Kohberger slept at night. He told me Kohberger would be awake almost all night and would only take a nap during the day.
"[He] said Kohberger did not mention his alleged offenses at all [and] was excited to move to Ada County [Jail].
"[The inmate] stated he had served time at Ada County and noted he did not think Kohberger would like to be there."
Kohberger has been sentenced to four life sentences without the possibility of parole, and waived his right to an appeal.
An Idaho Department of Corrections spokesperson told media he will face two weeks of evaluation before likely being transferred to the state's only maximum-security facility.
In sentencing, Judge Steven Hippler labelled Kohberger a "coward" who "slithered through the sliding glass door at 1122 King Road".
He added the motive behind the murders may never be known.
"[But] by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr Kohberger relevance, we give him agency, and we give him power," he said.
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RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
New police documents detail 'socially awkward', 'annoying' Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger
By Brianna Morris-Grant , ABC Bryan Kohberger was sentenced this week to life in prison for the 2022 murders of four Idaho university students inside their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Photo: Kyle Green/Pool/AP via CNN Newsource A convicted mass killer's co-workers, cellmates and former Tinder matches have labelled him "socially awkward" and "annoying" in newly released police documents. Bryan Kohberger was sentenced this week to life in prison for the 2022 murders of four Idaho university students inside their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21 years old, and Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20 years old, were all killed on November 13, 2022. Earlier this month Kohberger accepted a plea deal and admitted to the killings, offering no motive for the crime. Minutes after his sentencing, the Moscow Police Department released hundreds of pages of documents online. The files reveal new details about the case, spanning from the moment police arrived on the scene to the months following Kohberger's arrest. Roommates of the four students had already detailed hiding from a stranger clad in black in the early hours of that November morning. One of the two surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, told police she heard Ms Goncalves "scream and announce there was 'somebody' inside", according to a police report dated November 13. "[She] said she locked herself in her bedroom and continued to hear a commotion," the report said. "[She] said eventually she stopped hearing a struggle and heard a male voice say, 'You're gonna be fine. I'm gonna help you.'" Other documents described the aftermath of the brutal attack as officers entered the home. One report, dated November 21, 2022, described dozens of "mostly defensive" injuries to Ms Kernodle. The four University of Idaho students were found dead at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, in November 2022. Photo: Angela Palermo/Idaho Statesman/TNS/Getty Images via CNN Newsource An officer wrote it was "obvious an intense struggle had occurred" between Ms Kernodle and Kohberger. Authorities have previously suggested the other three victims were asleep when they were attacked. Ms Goncalves's sister, Alivea Goncalves, confronted Kohberger while delivering a victim impact statement at his sentencing hearing. "You want the truth? Here's the one you'll hate the most," she said. "If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep, in the middle of the night like a paedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your f***ing ass." One tip among the thousands received by police came from a woman who believed she had matched with Kohberger on Tinder several months before the killings. The woman said Kohberger had told her he was a criminology student , and that she had discussed the murder of a friend in her town with him. "The conversation turned to horror movies and which ones [she] liked the most," the police offer wrote in the March 18, 2024 report. "[She] told Kohberger she liked the Rob Zombie Halloween movies. To this, [she] said Kohberger asked what she thought would be the worst way to die. "[She] said she thought it would be a knife. [She] said Kohberger then asked her something to the effect of 'like a Ka-Bar?'" A Ka-Bar brand knife sheath was found in the Moscow home following the killings. Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were victims in the Idaho student killings. Photo: (Obtained by CNN) via CNN Newsource The prosecution said Kohberger bought the same brand of knife with the sheath and a sharpener in the months leading up to the killings. The murder weapon has never been found. The woman said Kohberger's questions "made her uncomfortable" and she eventually stopped speaking to him. Kohberger moved to Pullman, Washington, from Pennsylvania, to pursue a PhD in criminology at Washington State University. He had been called in on multiple occasions for inappropriate and troubling behaviour on campus. A former teaching assistant who shared an office with Kohberger at the university told police he thought Kohberger was "very intelligent but also selfish", describing him as "dishonest". The man added Kohberger began to talk "much more than usual" following the November murders. "[He] characterised Kohberger's conversations as those coming from someone who wanted to vent," the police offer wrote in the October 2023 report. "[He] stated Kohberger attempted to use his authority as a TA to inappropriately interact with female students." The former co-worker also noted injuries he saw on Kohberger's face and hands "on two separate occasions" in October and November 2022. "[He] stated one injury was a large scratch on Kohberger's face which [he] described as looking like the scratches from fingernails," the officer wrote. "[He] said he also saw wounds to Kohberger's knuckles on two separate occasions. "When [he] asked Kohberger about what happened to him, Kohberger replied he had been in a car accident." Other former staffers and students at Washington State University have recalled Kohberger often made female staff uncomfortable. One report noted a former student who described him sitting in "close proximity" to her "on the rare occasions he would attend class". "[The student] told me she thought Kohberger was socially awkward but was not able to provide me any other information about him," the police officer noted in his report. The student's mother contacted police after watching a Dateline special about the Moscow killings. During a segment talking about photos of university students found on Kohberger's phone, the woman said she identified several photos as being of her daughter and her friends. Dateline reported "dozens of photos" of women from Washington State University and the University of Idaho found on Kohberger's phone. The student told police she believed they had been taken from her public Instagram account. A fellow inmate described Bryan Kohberger as "a f***ing weirdo". Photo: Supplied / Police Kohberger was arrested on December 30, 2022. A police report included among the released documents stated his name first came to the attention of police on December 18. Within two years, police had begun to receive information from Idaho inmates regarding Kohberger's behaviour. In August, a video supplied to police by a prosecutor showed a male inmate talking about being in "max" security with Kohberger. Asked, "how is he" by another inmate, the man responded: "A f***ing weirdo." "He continued to say if he wasn't worried about further legal repercussions he would have physically assaulted Kohberger," the officer noted in the report. "[The other inmate] asked if Kohberger 'did it', referencing the homicides. [He] affirmed this statement and added he had pretty good judgement of people and '[Kohberger's] eyes tell a story.'" In September, another inmate housed at the Latah County Jail and kept in the cell next to Kohberger for several weeks spoke to police. "[He] told me Kohberger was highly intelligent and polite for the most part," the officer wrote. "[He] told me Kohberger quickly became annoying because of some of his habits. "He told me Kohberger would wash his hands dozens of times each day and would spend 45 minutes to an hour in the shower. "I asked [him] if Kohberger slept at night. He told me Kohberger would be awake almost all night and would only take a nap during the day. "[He] said Kohberger did not mention his alleged offenses at all [and] was excited to move to Ada County [Jail]. "[The inmate] stated he had served time at Ada County and noted he did not think Kohberger would like to be there." Kohberger has been sentenced to four life sentences without the possibility of parole, and waived his right to an appeal. An Idaho Department of Corrections spokesperson told media he will face two weeks of evaluation before likely being transferred to the state's only maximum-security facility. In sentencing, Judge Steven Hippler labelled Kohberger a "coward" who "slithered through the sliding glass door at 1122 King Road". He added the motive behind the murders may never be known. "[But] by continuing to focus on why, we continue to give Mr Kohberger relevance, we give him agency, and we give him power," he said. - ABC
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
From ‘you're a joke' to ‘I've forgiven you': Families of Idaho murder victims address Bryan Kohberger at sentencing
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing on July 23 in Boise, Idaho. Photo: Kyle Green/Pool/AP via CNN Newsource By Eric Levenson , Dakin Andone , Maureen Chowdhury , Antoinette Radford , CNN The family of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the four University of Idaho students killed by Bryan Kohberger in 2022, called him a "joke," "loser," and "as dumb as they come" in a day of searing victim impact statements. "If you hadn't attacked them in their sleep , in the middle of the night like a pedophile, Kaylee would have kicked your fucking ass," her sister Alivea Goncalves said to him, earning a round of applause from some of those gathered in the Boise, Idaho, courtroom. The impact statements from the victims' families were part of a dramatic sentencing hearing that represented the final opportunity for the families to speak in court and reflect on their loved ones, Kohberger and the case's controversial plea deal. Kohberger, too, had an opportunity to speak to the court and answer the question that remains frustratingly unclear: Why? Yet he was as unknowable as ever. Wearing an orange prison outfit, Kohberger kept a flat affect throughout the hearing and did not appear to react to any of the statements. And when he had his turn to speak to the court, he said only three words: "I respectfully decline." Earlier this month, the former criminology graduate student admitted to fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students - Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen - in their off-campus home during the overnight hours of November 13, 2022. He pleaded guilty to burglary and four counts of first-degree murder, and in exchange, prosecutors agreed to a sentence of life in prison, taking the death penalty off the table. Speaking directly to Kohberger, Alivea Goncalves said her sister would "call you exactly what you are: sociopath, psychopath, murderer." She called Kohberger "defendant" and asked a series of questions she said "reverberate violently" in her own head. "Sit up straight when I talk to you," she said. "How was your life right before you murdered my sister? Did you prepare for the crime before leaving your apartment? Please detail what you were thinking and feeling at the time." "If you were really smart, do you think you'd be here right now?" She dismissed him as a sociopath, a psychopath and a delusional and pathetic loser. He is "as dumb as they come," she said, adding that "no one thinks that you are important." "The truth is, you're basic," she said. "Let me be very clear: Don't ever try to convince yourself you matter just because someone finally said your name out loud. I see through you," she said. Steve Goncalves, the victim's father, turned the lectern to directly face Kohberger in his impact statement. "The world's watching because of the kids, not because of you. Nobody cares about you. … In time, you will be nothing but two initials, forgotten to the wind," he said. He called Kohberger a "joke" and described how easy it was to track him down. "Police officers tell us within minutes they had your DNA. Like a calling card. You were that careless. That foolish. That stupid. Masters degree? You're a joke. Complete joke," he said. Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen Photo: (Obtained by CNN) via CNN Newsource Bethany Funke, a roommate of the four slain students, wrote a statement - read aloud by a friend - about her survivor's guilt and her regrets about not immediately calling 911. "I was still out of it and still didn't know what happened. If I had known, I of course, would have called 911 right away," Funke wrote. "I still carry so much regret and guilt for not knowing what had happened and not calling right away, even though I understand, it wouldn't have changed anything." "That was the worst day of my life, and I know it always will be," she added. "Why me? Why did I get to live and not them?" Dylan Mortensen, who also lived with the victims, read aloud her statement through tears, describing what the perpetrator had taken away from all of them. "He didn't just take their lives, he took the light they carried into every room. He took away how they made everyone feel safe, loved, and full of joy. He took away the ability for me to tell them that I love them and that I'm so proud of them. "He took away who they were becoming, and the futures they were going to have. He took away birthdays, graduations, celebrations, and all the memories that we were supposed to make," she said. "All of it is gone. And all the people who loved them are just left to carry that weight forever." "He didn't just take them from the world, he took them from me. My friends, my people who felt like my home. The people I looked up to and adored more than anyone. He took away my ability to trust the world around me. What he did shattered me in places I didn't know could break." Mortensen said she has panic attacks "that slam into me like a tsunami out of nowhere" and send her heart racing. She also said she had a dream last year in which she was able to say goodbye to her slain roommates. "I told them I won't be able to see you again, so I need to tell you goodbye. They all kept asking why, and all I could say was I can't tell you but I have to," she said. "When I woke up, I felt shattered and heartbroken but also strangely grateful, like maybe in some way that dream gave us the goodbye we never got. Still, no dream can replace them, and no goodbye will ever feel finished." Scott Laramie, Mogen's stepfather, read a statement on behalf of him and Mogen's mother, Karen Laramie, saying their daughter was "our gift of life, our purpose and our hope." Laramie said the tragic loss of their daughter has left a "vast emotional wound" that will "never heal." "Since Maddie's loss, there's emptiness in our hearts, home and family. An endless void," Laramie said. "We will grow old grow without our only child." Ben Mogen, Mogen's father, said she was much more than his only child. "She was the only great thing I ever really did. And the only thing I was ever really proud of." He described struggling with addiction and substance abuse and how her daughter helped him. "When I wasn't wanting to live anymore, she was what would keep me from not caring anymore. Knowing that she was out there and was such a beautiful person kept me alive in a lot of rough moments," he said. Mogen's grandmother, Kim Cheeley, told a charming story about how Mogen, her first granddaughter, gave her an unusual nickname. Mogen, then a 1.5-year-old, called her grandmother the same way she mispronounced "banana" - "ba-deedle-deedle." From then on, Cheeley became known as "Deedle," she said. A couple of years before her death, Mogen bought Cheeley a necklace with "Deedle and Maddie" engraved on it, which has become one of her "treasured" possessions, she said. Following her granddaughter's death, Cheeley added an angel wing to the necklace, she told the court. "It's one of my treasured possessions," she said. Several members of the family now have an angel wing tattoo in honor of her granddaughter, Cheeley said. "I wanted mine where I could see and touch it often," she said, rubbing her left forearm. Kim Kernodle, the aunt of Xana Kernodle, said the loss of her niece at first spurred anger within their family but recently has brought them closer. "You united us with your actions," she said. "We have family and friends now that we never knew we had." Unlike many of those who spoke in court Wednesday, she offered Kohberger absolution. "Bryan, I am here today to tell you that I have forgiven you, because I can no longer live with that hate in my heart, and for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you," she said. "And anytime you want to talk and tell me what happened, you have my number. I'm here, no judgment, because I do have questions that I want you to answer. I'm here. I'll be that one that will listen to you, OK?" Jeff Kernodle, Xana Kernodle's father, offered his own regrets. On the night the students were killed, he said he almost went to his daughter's home but he had been drinking, and she told him not to drink and drive. Now, he said, he wishes that he had. "You would have had to deal with me," he told Kohberger. - CNN
1News
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German backpacker's Australian outback rescue 'sheer luck'
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