Latest news with #DylanMortensen
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Idaho college murders: Sole eyewitness Dylan Mortensen needs 'trauma therapy'; GoFundMe page set up
The family of Dylan Mortensen, one of the two surviving roommates from the 2022 University of Idaho murders, has launched a fundraising campaign to help her rebuild her life more than two years after the tragedy. University of Idaho murder survivor Dylan Mortensen bravely gave her court testimony ahead of accused Bryan Kohberger's sentencing.(REUTERS) Mortensen, who was an eyewitness in the high-profile case, has maintained a low profile since the killings of her four roommates - Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin - in their off-campus Moscow, Idaho home in November 2022. 'Silently and bravely' moving forward According to the GoFundMe page, set up by relatives, Mortensen has spent the past two and a half years 'silently and bravely putting one foot in front of the other,' cooperating with law enforcement and working through the trauma of the murders. Her family wrote that she has had to adjust to 'a new reality' - one that is 'forever lacking peace, security, safety, and her closest friends.' They added that public scrutiny and online criticism have added to her emotional burden, though they hope social media can also serve as a platform for kindness and support. Bethany Funke, the other surviving roommate, has largely avoided the public spotlight since the killings. Court records and police statements indicate she was also inside the house at the time of the murders but did not witness the attack. Funke later moved out of Idaho, and her name surfaced briefly during pretrial proceedings when the defense sought her testimony - a request she initially contested before agreeing to cooperate. Relocation, trauma therapy, and safety measures According to the fundraiser, contributions will help Mortensen leave her current location for a safer, more private environment - a move her family says is critical to her long-term well-being. Funds will also cover the cost of intensive, ongoing trauma therapy to address the emotional and psychological toll of surviving such a violent crime. In addition, part of the donations will go toward extra security and privacy measures, ensuring she can live without the constant fear of being approached or harassed. 'If you aren't able to support her financially but still want to help, we would sincerely appreciate sharing this to spread the word,' her family wrote, urging the public to help surround Dylan with 'support, love, and light' after such a dark period in her life. Mortensen's emotional courtroom statement In July 2025, Dylan Mortensen faced Bryan Kohberger in court to deliver her victim statement ahead of his sentencing. Holding back tears, she described how the attack had left her deeply scarred both emotionally and physically. 'What he did shattered me in places I didn't know could break. I should have been figuring out who I was,' she told the court. 'I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable.' Mortensen went on to reveal that she now suffers from regular panic attacks and an overwhelming fear of being alone. 'I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't stop shaking. It's far beyond anxiety. It's my body reliving everything over and over again. My nervous system never got the message that it is over, and it won't let me forget what he did to them,' she said. Also read | Bryan Kohberger's Tinder match reveals chilling knife talk before Idaho murders Kohberger sentenced to life without parole Bryan Kohberger, 30, has been sentenced to four consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole for the November 2022 murders. The former criminology student showed no visible emotion as he listened to hours of harrowing victim impact statements from grieving family members. The brutal killings shocked the small college town of Moscow and gripped national headlines until Kohberger's arrest nearly two months later. In delivering the sentence, Judge Steven Hippler described Kohberger as 'the worst of the worst,' adding, 'I'm unable to find anything redeemable about Mr. Kohberger.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
What Idaho Victims' Surviving Roommates Said at Bryan Kohberger's Sentencing
The surviving roommates of the four University of Idaho students murdered by Bryan Kohberger spoke out at his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, July 23. Kohberger, 30, was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences after pleading guilty earlier this month to the murders of Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle shared an off-campus house with Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke in Moscow, Idaho, which was targeted by Kohberger on the night of November 13, 2022. (Chapin was sleeping over with his girlfriend, Kernodle.) On Wednesday, Mortensen delivered an emotional victim impact statement as Kohberger's sentence was handed down, while a friend read out a statement prepared by Funke. New Docuseries Tries to Answer Why 4 College Students Were Murdered in Idaho: Biggest Revelations Scroll down to read what they said: Dylan Mortensen 'What happened that night changed everything,' Mortensen said through tears, per CBS News. 'Because of him, four beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason.' 'What he did shattered me in places I didn't know could break,' Mortensen continued. 'I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable.' According to Mortensen, since the murders, she has experienced panic attacks and been terrified of being alone. 'I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't stop shaking. It's far beyond anxiety. It's my body reliving everything over and over again. My nervous system never got the message that it is over, and it won't let me forget what he did to them,' she said. New Docuseries Tries to Answer Why 4 College Students Were Murdered in Idaho: Biggest Revelations Mortensen addressed Kohberger, calling him a 'hollow vessel, something less than human, a body without empathy, without remorse.' She said, 'He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me: my friends, my safety, my identity, my future.' Mortensen said Kohberger would 'never get to take my voice,' describing how she will continue to honor her slain friends. 'He will never take the memories I had with them. He will never erase the love we shared, the laughs we had or the way they made me feel seen and whole. Those things are mine. They are sacred, and he will never touch them,' she said, adding, 'He will stay here, empty, forgotten and powerless.' Bethany Funke In a statement read out by a friend, Funke described feeling guilt over the events of the fateful day she and Mortensen discovered their friends' bodies. 'I still carry so much regret and guilt for not knowing what happened and not calling [911] right away even though I understand it wouldn't have changed anything, not even if the paramedics had been right outside the door,' she said, per CBS News and E! News. Funke said she has experienced survivor's guilt over the deaths of her roommates, which has been exacerbated by vitriol shared via social media. Bryan Kohberger Reacts Chilling Statement From Victim's Mother After Life in Prison Sentence 'I was getting flooded with death threats and hateful messages of people who did not know me at all or know the dynamic of our friendship. The media harassed not just me but also my family,' she said. 'People showed up at our house, they called my phone, my parents' phones, other family members phones—and we were chased while I was still trying to survive emotionally and grieve.' Funke concluded her statement, 'For a long time, I could barely get out of bed. But one day I realized I have to live for them. They did not get the chance to keep living, but I do. And I cannot take that for granted. So now, every day I remind myself to live for them. Everything I do, I do with them in mind.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Idaho Murders Survivor Dylan Mortensen Needs Relocation and ‘Long-Term Trauma Therapy,' Family Says
Relatives of Dylan Mortensen, one of the surviving roommates in the University of Idaho murders, gave an update on how she's doing after Bryan Kohberger's sentencing. Just a week after Kohberger, 30, was sentenced to life behind bars for the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, Mortensen's aunts Kate and Ellie set up a GoFundMe page to help their niece adjust to her 'new reality.' Mortensen, 21, and fellow roommate Bethany Funke survived the November 2022 murders at an off-campus student house in Moscow, Idaho. 'It's been two and a half years of Dylan silently and bravely putting one foot in front of the other, cooperating with law enforcement, processing, and healing from the unimaginable,' Mortensen's aunts explained. 'Dylan has had to learn how to live in her new reality — forever lacking peace, security, safety and her closest friends.' Disturbing Takeaways From Unsealed Idaho Murders Documents After Bryan Kohberger Gets Life in Prison Mortensen's family are hoping to raise funds 'to support Dylan in building back her life and her future.' They said that going forward, Mortensen 'will require relocation, intensive long term trauma therapy, and extra security and privacy measures.' 'Thank you for helping us to fill Dylan's world with support, love and light after such a dark time. We deeply appreciate it,' Kate and Ellie concluded. In an update, they later added: 'Dylan is overwhelmed with gratitude for all of the messages, donations and support. She reads every message and is so grateful for your kindness. Thank you for making a difference in her life.' The GoFundMe page has raised nearly $100,000 as of early Monday, August 4. Mortensen and Funke, 21, both delivered emotional victim impact statements during Kohberger's July 23 sentencing in Boise, Idaho. Mortensen bravely addressed the courtroom, while a friend delivered Funke's statement on her behalf. 'What happened that night changed everything,' Mortensen said while holding back tears. 'Because of him, four beautiful, genuine, compassionate people were taken from this world for no reason.' 'What he did shattered me in places I didn't know could break. I should have been figuring out who I was,' she continued. 'I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable.' Mortensen said that since the killings, she has suffered regular panic attacks and is terrified of being alone. Where Is Bryan Kohberger Going to Prison After Receiving 4 Life Sentences for Idaho College Murders? 'I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't stop shaking. It's far beyond anxiety. It's my body reliving everything over and over again. My nervous system never got the message that it is over, and it won't let me forget what he did to them,' she said. Addressing Kohberger, Mortensen called him a 'hollow vessel' and 'something less than human.' 'He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me: my friends, my safety, my identity, my future,' she said. Kohberger pleaded guilty to the murders of Mortensen's roommates Goncalves, Mogen and Kernodle as well as Kernodle's boyfriend, Chapin, who was sleeping over, after agreeing a plea deal in early July to avoid the death penalty. Kohberger was moved into solitary confinement in an Idaho prison on Tuesday, July 29, a week after his sentencing. A spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Correction told Us Weekly last week that Kohberger was transferred to 'long-term restrictive housing on J Block at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Idaho murders: Prosecutor reveals why he believes killer Bryan Kohberger left 2 of 6 friends alive
The lead prosecutor on the Idaho murders case believes quadruple killer Bryan Kohberger did see the surviving housemate that saw him but left her alive because he 'was scared'. Kohberger, now 30, killed four Idaho State University students in their share house in Moscow, Idaho at around 4am on November 13, 2022. He was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life last month for murdering Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Ethan Chapin, 20. Two other flatmates, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, were unharmed. Kohberger came to a plea deal that saw him admit to the murders and waive his right to appeal in exchange for not getting the death penalty. Still many nanswered questions remain about the gruesome case that captivated the world — mainly Kohberger's motive, but also why Ms Mortensen and Ms Funke were left alone. Especially given Ms Mortensen saw the man, later identified as Kohberger, in their house the night of the murders. In an interview with local newspaper Idaho Statesman, prosecutor Bill Thompson, who put off retirement to see the case through, said Ms Mortensen's recollection of seeing a man in black with a face mask and bushy eyebrows walking towards the second-floor sliding glass door was consistent over several interviews. 'From what Dylan described, I have a hard time imagining that the killer did not see Dylan,' Mr Thompson told the newspaper. 'At that point, he'd been in the house probably longer than he planned, and he had killed more people than he planned … It wouldn't surprise us that the killer was scared at that point and decided they had to leave, not knowing if law enforcement already had been called.' Mr Thompson told Idaho Statesman the order of the victims' death is not entirely clear. It is believed Ms Goncalves or Ms Mogen may have been who Kohberger was targeting because it appears he immediately went to the third floor. The house had three floors. The top floor was where Ms Goncalves and Ms Mogen lived. Ms Mortensen and Ms Kernodle lived on the second floor, and Ms Funke lived on the first floor in the 'basement'. Mr Chapin was Ms Kernodle's boyfriend. Ms Mortensen had moved from her room to stay in Ms Funke's room in the basement during the night after seeing a strange man in the house. Late in the morning, she called Emily Alandt, a friend who lived across the road, and asked her to come check out the house, saying something strange had happened during the night but she didn't know if she was dreaming. 'She was like, 'something weird happened last night, I don't really know if I was dreaming or not but I'm really scared, can you come check out the house?'' Ms Alandt said on Amazon Prime's docuseries One Night in Idaho: The College Murders. Ms Alandt and two other friends, Josie Lauteren and Hunter Johnson, met Ms Mortensen and Ms Funke outside the house. Mr Johnson went into the house and found bodies, telling them to call 911. 'What if it happens again?': Survivor speaks publicly for first time An emotional Dylan Mortensen spoke publicly for the first time since the brutal murders at Kohberger's sentencing. 'What happened that night changed everything,' Ms Mortensen said through tears. She described her friends as 'beautiful, genuine, compassionate people' and did not address Kohberger by name. '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,' the now 21-year-old said. 'He took away my ability to trust the world around me. 'What he did shattered me in places I didn't know could break. 'I was barely 19 when he did this. We had just celebrated my birthday at the end of September. I should have been figuring out who I was. I should have been having the college experience and starting to establish my future. Instead, I was forced to learn how to survive the unimaginable.' She continued: 'I had to sleep in my mom's bed because I was too terrified to close my eyes. Terrified that if I blinked, someone might be there. I made escape plans everywhere I went. 'If something happens, how do I get out? What can I use to defend myself? And who can help?'' She went on to describe debilitating panic attacks — 'the kind that slam into me like a tsunami out of nowhere'. 'I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't stop shaking,' she said. 'All I can do is scream because the emotional pain and grief is too much to handle. My chest feels like it's caving in. 'Sometimes I drop to the floor with my heart racing, convinced something is very wrong. 'It's far beyond anxiety. It's my body reliving everything over and over again. My nervous system never got the message that it is over, and it won't let me forget what he did to them.' Ms Mortensen said she is forced to scan every room she enters and flinches at sudden sounds. 'He stole parts of me I may never get back. He took the version of me who didn't constantly ask 'what if it happens again? what if next time I don't survive?'' She referred to Kohberger as 'a hallow vessel, something less than human, a body without empathy, without remorse'. 'He chose destruction. He chose evil. He feels nothing. He tried to take everything from me: my friends, my safety, my identity, my future,' she said. She said speaking was her way of getting justice for Ms Mogen, Ms Goncalves, Ms Kernodle and Mr Chapin. 'He may have taken so much form me but he will never get to take my voice,' she said. 'He will never take the memories I had with them. He will never erase the love we shared, the laughs we had, or the way they made me feel seen and whole. Those things are mine.' She said she would go on to live her life while he would stay 'empty, forgotten and powerless'. 'Why did I get to live?' While fellow surviving housemate Bethany Funke did not speak, a statement was read out on her behalf by friend Emily Alandt. 'I thought that we were going to wake up and go upstairs see them and tell them how they had scared us and they were going to tease us about how we are constantly scaredy cats and make jokes about it as we would go to Taco Bell as always,' Ms Funke said in her statement. She said she woke up with 'no idea what happened' but it turned out to be her 'worst nightmare'. 'I still carry so much regret and guilt for not knowing what happened and not calling (911) right away even though I understand it wouldn't have changed anything, not even if the paramedics had been right outside the door,' she said. Kohberger was not arrested until more than a month after the quadruple murder. In the meantime, strangers online turned on the surviving housemates and their friends. Ms Funke said she received death threats and attacks online while 'trying to survive emotionally and grieve'. She also noted she was scared that the murderer would come for her next. She expressed feeling survivor's guilt. 'I hated and still hate that they are gone but for some reason I am still here and I got to live,' she said. 'I still think about this every day: Why me? Why did I get to live and not them? For the longest time, I could not even look at their families without feeling sick with guilt.' She said she had not slept through a single night in years, constantly waking up in a panic. 'I slept in my parent's room for almost a year. I made them double lock every door, set an alarm, and still check everywhere in the room just in case someone was hiding, and I still check my room every night,' she said. She said while she is still scared to go out in public, she forces herself to live for her late friends and does everything with them in mind.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Bryan Kohberger may have used second weapon and left ‘scared' while sparing surviving roommate: report
Idaho prosecutor Bill Thompson said investigators can't rule out the possibility that Bryan Kohberger used a second weapon during the murders of four University of Idaho students and believes the killer spared surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen because he panicked and fled, according to an interview with the Idaho Statesman. Thompson explained that some injuries observed on victim Kaylee Goncalves, 21, appeared to have been caused by something other than the knife used in the attack, though he stopped short of confirming a second weapon. "There were injuries that appeared to have been caused by something other than the knife, although it could have been the knife," Thompson told the Statesman. "I don't think we can exclude the possibility that there was an additional weapon involved." Court documents revealed the extent of the November 2022 attack on Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Goncalves, authorities revealed in recently released Moscow Police Department documents, endured "more than 20 stab wounds," alongside blunt-force trauma. Regarding why Mortensen, a surviving roommate, was left unharmed despite encountering Kohberger as he fled the scene through the rental property's sliding door, Thompson said it appeared Kohberger panicked. "From what Dylan described, I have a hard time imagining that the killer did not see Dylan," Thompson said. "At that point, he'd been in the house probably longer than he planned, and he had killed more people than he planned. It wouldn't surprise us that the killer was scared at that point and decided they had to leave, not knowing if law enforcement already had been called." Mortensen shared with authorities that she had noticed an intruder with "bushy eyebrows" on the night of the attack on 1122 King Road in Moscow, who had told her that he was "here to help." James Fry, who was chief of the Moscow Police Department at the time, told ABC News that there are many theories as to why Mortensen survived, including that Kohberger may have been exhausted from the quadruple murders. "I don't know, only he has that answer," Fry told the outlet. WATCH: Attorney reveals how inmates will likely respond to Kohberger's crimes Thompson also emphasized the critical role DNA evidence played in solving the case. "From our perspective as prosecutors, the DNA was critical to the strength of the case for trial purposes," he said. Without the DNA linking Kohberger to the knife sheath, securing a conviction might have been "insurmountable," Thompson told the Statesman. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Latah County Prosecutor's Office for comment.
