What Idaho Murderer Bryan Kohberger Told Police After He Was Arrested
Authorities have released chilling details about Bryan Kohberger's initial police interview.
In Moscow Police Department documents submitted to court in July and obtained by E! News, Corporal Brett Payne—the lead detective in the murder investigation of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin—said Kohberger engaged in "small talk" about college sports following his arrest in December 2022.
"Kohberger stated he didn't follow WSU football much but was a baseball fan," Payne, who conducted the interview with ISP Detective Sergeant Darren Gilbertson, wrote in his report. "Kohberger then asked if it was OK to engage in small talk like we were, to which we replied it was."
Kohberger told authorities—who detained him at his parents' home in Pennsylvania after linking his car to the Idaho crime scene—that he had never been to the Pacific Northwest before moving to Washington State University for his PhD program, but had since formed a deep connection to the area.
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'He began to speak about the beauty of the environment and its relationship to God and a higher power,' the officer wrote. 'We spoke about this for some time and Kohberger said he was raised Christian but was always a skeptic except when confronted with the beauty of the natural world.'
During the interrogation, Payne said Kohberger also spoke about being a student of criminology and "how he became interested in criminal justice." According to Payne, the WSU graduate student "stated he thought about being a police officer but did not want to make that commitment unless he was absolutely sure."
"Kohberger then stated he understood why were engaging in small talk but would appreciate it if we explained to him what he was doing there," Payne's report read. "Det. Gilbertson asked Kohberger if he watched the news. Kohberger said 'I watch the news.'"
Payne continued, "Det. Gilbertson then said we were there because of what happened in November jut [sic] off the University of Idaho Campus. Det. Gilberston asked Kohberger if he knew what that was to which Kohberger replied 'of course.'"
Payne said Kohberger told the investigators that he "was aware of a homicide because of a WSU alert he received" following the murders.
When asked if he wanted to discuss the incident, "Kohberger replied, 'Well, I think I would need a lawyer,'" according to Payne.
After explaining to Kohberger that the interview would be about the killings, Payne said the then-28-year-old "sat back and said he had the utmost respect for law enforcement but stated it was a constitutional right to speak to an attorney."
"Kohberger asked what specifically we wanted to talk to him about and the reason," Payne recounted. "I told Kohberger he invoked his Fifth Amendment Rights and we were not going to ask him any further questions."
Per the investigator, he and Gilbertson ended the interview shortly after Kohberger "asked again for the reason he was there but added he would like to talk to an attorney."
More than two years after the interrogation, Kohberger—who waived his right to a speedy trial—confessed to the killings as part of a plea deal he struck with prosecutors. At a July 23 sentencing, he received four consecutive life in prison sentences for the murders of Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin, who were all stabbed to death at an off-campus home in November 2022.
Kohberger opted not to speak during his sentencing, prompting presiding Judge Steven Hippler to call him "worst of the worst."
'Even in pleading guilty, he has given nothing hinting at remorse or redemption, nothing suggesting a recognition, an understanding or even a regret for the pain that he has caused," the judge told the courtroom. 'Therefore, I will not attempt to speak about him further other than to simply sentencing him."
For more on the investigation into Kohberger and the Idaho murders, keep reading.
Who Were Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle?Were There Any Survivors?Who Is Bryan Kohberger and How Was He Found?What Was Kohberger's Initial Defense?Where Was the Trial Set?What Was the Verdict in the Trial?Did Kohberger Take a Selfie After the Murders?What Did Kohberger Google Before the Murders?Did Kohberger Confess to Killing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle?How Long Is Kohberger's Prison Sentence?
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